Stocking the cupboards in the event of a pandemic in the USA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have people been shopping lately (like today or yesterday - after the weekend which i suspect was nuts)? Can you say where you went (general location + store) and how did it look? Did it look like lots of things were sold out or did you feel you could get whatever you wanted food-wise even if they were out of wipes and Purell?

May not be directly helpful but I was in NJ this weekend (like 60 minutes from Philadelphia) and saw no shortages of anything. I heard at Giant that Purell was sold out, but they had plenty of cans of Lysol and were wipes and I saw a few extra pallets of wipes being brought in that their employees were getting ready to unload though shelves weren't empty of wipes yet. So if they still had Lysol and wipes, I have no reason to believe they didn't have pasta or cereal. I realize that doesn't mean that everyone can just head up to NJ to shop, but what I'm thinking is -- if I go to the stores around here and can't find what I need, I may drive up to Maryland (like the suburbs north of Baltimore) or drive 90 min south of here deeper into Virginia and do a grocery run there. I don't think it'll come to that, but I do think that the stock piling is different in places that are not in/right outside of major metro areas and in places where people aren't taking public transit etc. I do think people may be grabbing 2 boxes of pasta when they'd normally grab one but I also think they aren't as nervous about it -- aren't being told we could switch to telework any day now etc.

There are Giants in NJ now? Who knew? Did they take over Shop-Rite or something like that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Have people been shopping lately (like today or yesterday - after the weekend which i suspect was nuts)? Can you say where you went (general location + store) and how did it look? Did it look like lots of things were sold out or did you feel you could get whatever you wanted food-wise even if they were out of wipes and Purell?

May not be directly helpful but I was in NJ this weekend (like 60 minutes from Philadelphia) and saw no shortages of anything. I heard at Giant that Purell was sold out, but they had plenty of cans of Lysol and were wipes and I saw a few extra pallets of wipes being brought in that their employees were getting ready to unload though shelves weren't empty of wipes yet. So if they still had Lysol and wipes, I have no reason to believe they didn't have pasta or cereal. I realize that doesn't mean that everyone can just head up to NJ to shop, but what I'm thinking is -- if I go to the stores around here and can't find what I need, I may drive up to Maryland (like the suburbs north of Baltimore) or drive 90 min south of here deeper into Virginia and do a grocery run there. I don't think it'll come to that, but I do think that the stock piling is different in places that are not in/right outside of major metro areas and in places where people aren't taking public transit etc. I do think people may be grabbing 2 boxes of pasta when they'd normally grab one but I also think they aren't as nervous about it -- aren't being told we could switch to telework any day now etc.

There are Giants in NJ now? Who knew? Did they take over Shop-Rite or something like that?

They took over a small % of Shop-Rites. Shop-Rite is still the big chain at least in south jersey.

[Anonymous]

FYI -- just walked thru the Giant on H street (close to the Capitol/Union Station area). Looked pretty stocked to me though I didn't go down the aisle with Clorox wipes or hand sanitizer. But looking at food, literally the only thing I saw sold out was oatmeal -- and even then it was the medium sized boxes of the 1 min oats. You could still get the huge boxes; medium boxes of steel cut etc. As for water -- looks like about 1/2 to 3/4 of the cases were sold out but that was just for the 24 packs; the rest of the water aisle looked fine to me -- tons of gallons of waters so if you couldn't get bottles, you could still get the jugs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

You are all buying a couple extra half-gallons of milk just in case there is a signal to the city to stay home for a while, or for your social group to "self quarantine", for whatever reason (a parent at soccer practice or a coworker is positive), or if at some point there are so many cases confirmed in DC that that you don't feel comfortable going out shopping so often. When is that likely to happen? Next week? in three weeks? In a month? Regardless, what happens late April? Late April shit will so likely be worse, dude, not better. You'd have said May or June or July, I'd have stayed quiet, but we don't know.

It's more and more obvious that every day going by, there are (exponentially) more untested (and possibly barely symptomatic) cases walking around you at the supermarket, and slowly, as the cherry blossoms bloom, you'll also be surrounded by sick sounding people telling you "oh, it's just allergies," which it very well could be. By the time we're testing at full speed, we will have so many cases that it won't be long until DOH just decides to only test cases they need to admit to the hospital, and they'll send everyone else home to self-quarantine.

What I'm trying to describe is a situation where you'd so much rather not have a pre-planned need to go to the supermarket late April, much like on an ordinary weekend you'd rather not leave the house on Friday at 7pm, after getting out of your work clothes and into your slippers, to go pick up soy sauce for the stir fry you want to make.

[Anonymous]

I don't even know where the hand sanitizers are found since i don't normally but them! But, I don't see them in the stores, so i get my wipes. For some reason, i see baby wipes are low too. Maybe nothing else left, so people are stocking up on baby wipes.
i just need a few face masks just in case. I don't need a stock of 50.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

You are all buying a couple extra half-gallons of milk just in case there is a signal to the city to stay home for a while, or for your social group to "self quarantine", for whatever reason (a parent at soccer practice or a coworker is positive), or if at some point there are so many cases confirmed in DC that that you don't feel comfortable going out shopping so often. When is that likely to happen? Next week? in three weeks? In a month? Regardless, what happens late April? Late April shit will so likely be worse, dude, not better. You'd have said May or June or July, I'd have stayed quiet, but we don't know.

It's more and more obvious that every day going by, there are (exponentially) more untested (and possibly barely symptomatic) cases walking around you at the supermarket, and slowly, as the cherry blossoms bloom, you'll also be surrounded by sick sounding people telling you "oh, it's just allergies," which it very well could be. By the time we're testing at full speed, we will have so many cases that it won't be long until DOH just decides to only test cases they need to admit to the hospital, and they'll send everyone else home to self-quarantine.

What I'm trying to describe is a situation where you'd so much rather not have a pre-planned need to go to the supermarket late April, much like on an ordinary weekend you'd rather not leave the house on Friday at 7pm, after getting out of your work clothes and into your slippers, to go pick up soy sauce for the stir fry you want to make.

I will have extra on hand for the foreseeable future because there is minimal extra cost/effort. We will continue to drink and buy them (FIFO).

Generally, we don't have much milk on hand so have a couple extra 1/2 gallons seems like a reasonable adjustment.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

You are all buying a couple extra half-gallons of milk just in case there is a signal to the city to stay home for a while, or for your social group to "self quarantine", for whatever reason (a parent at soccer practice or a coworker is positive), or if at some point there are so many cases confirmed in DC that that you don't feel comfortable going out shopping so often. When is that likely to happen? Next week? in three weeks? In a month? Regardless, what happens late April? Late April shit will so likely be worse, dude, not better. You'd have said May or June or July, I'd have stayed quiet, but we don't know.

It's more and more obvious that every day going by, there are (exponentially) more untested (and possibly barely symptomatic) cases walking around you at the supermarket, and slowly, as the cherry blossoms bloom, you'll also be surrounded by sick sounding people telling you "oh, it's just allergies," which it very well could be. By the time we're testing at full speed, we will have so many cases that it won't be long until DOH just decides to only test cases they need to admit to the hospital, and they'll send everyone else home to self-quarantine.

What I'm trying to describe is a situation where you'd so much rather not have a pre-planned need to go to the supermarket late April, much like on an ordinary weekend you'd rather not leave the house on Friday at 7pm, after getting out of your work clothes and into your slippers, to go pick up soy sauce for the stir fry you want to make.

If I can't have regular milk I'd rather do without than drink powdered milk, thanks.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

You are all buying a couple extra half-gallons of milk just in case there is a signal to the city to stay home for a while, or for your social group to "self quarantine", for whatever reason (a parent at soccer practice or a coworker is positive), or if at some point there are so many cases confirmed in DC that that you don't feel comfortable going out shopping so often. When is that likely to happen? Next week? in three weeks? In a month? Regardless, what happens late April? Late April shit will so likely be worse, dude, not better. You'd have said May or June or July, I'd have stayed quiet, but we don't know.

It's more and more obvious that every day going by, there are (exponentially) more untested (and possibly barely symptomatic) cases walking around you at the supermarket, and slowly, as the cherry blossoms bloom, you'll also be surrounded by sick sounding people telling you "oh, it's just allergies," which it very well could be. By the time we're testing at full speed, we will have so many cases that it won't be long until DOH just decides to only test cases they need to admit to the hospital, and they'll send everyone else home to self-quarantine.

What I'm trying to describe is a situation where you'd so much rather not have a pre-planned need to go to the supermarket late April, much like on an ordinary weekend you'd rather not leave the house on Friday at 7pm, after getting out of your work clothes and into your slippers, to go pick up soy sauce for the stir fry you want to make.

If I can't have regular milk I'd rather do without than drink powdered milk, thanks.

Me too, but I'm almost certain my kids would prefer milk reconstituted from powder or concentrate than no milk.

[Anonymous]

My kids are crazy for milk and beg for it. 3 year old had a meltdown at dinner last night when we gave her water instead. They enjoy chugging it while we read books and basically chug all day long. I blame DH's family. He's from German/Scandinavian people who did a lot of dairy farming. He drank 1/2 gallon a day when we started dating, which blew my mind.

Obviously we're already out of the 4 gallons I bought a week ago. Quarantine would be pretty darn hard over here for them. hah.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

You are all buying a couple extra half-gallons of milk just in case there is a signal to the city to stay home for a while, or for your social group to "self quarantine", for whatever reason (a parent at soccer practice or a coworker is positive), or if at some point there are so many cases confirmed in DC that that you don't feel comfortable going out shopping so often. When is that likely to happen? Next week? in three weeks? In a month? Regardless, what happens late April? Late April shit will so likely be worse, dude, not better. You'd have said May or June or July, I'd have stayed quiet, but we don't know.

It's more and more obvious that every day going by, there are (exponentially) more untested (and possibly barely symptomatic) cases walking around you at the supermarket, and slowly, as the cherry blossoms bloom, you'll also be surrounded by sick sounding people telling you "oh, it's just allergies," which it very well could be. By the time we're testing at full speed, we will have so many cases that it won't be long until DOH just decides to only test cases they need to admit to the hospital, and they'll send everyone else home to self-quarantine.

What I'm trying to describe is a situation where you'd so much rather not have a pre-planned need to go to the supermarket late April, much like on an ordinary weekend you'd rather not leave the house on Friday at 7pm, after getting out of your work clothes and into your slippers, to go pick up soy sauce for the stir fry you want to make.

If I can't have regular milk I'd rather do without than drink powdered milk, thanks.

Me too, but I'm almost certain my kids would prefer milk reconstituted from powder or concentrate than no milk.

I hope I never have to drink powdered milk.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

You are all buying a couple extra half-gallons of milk just in case there is a signal to the city to stay home for a while, or for your social group to "self quarantine", for whatever reason (a parent at soccer practice or a coworker is positive), or if at some point there are so many cases confirmed in DC that that you don't feel comfortable going out shopping so often. When is that likely to happen? Next week? in three weeks? In a month? Regardless, what happens late April? Late April shit will so likely be worse, dude, not better. You'd have said May or June or July, I'd have stayed quiet, but we don't know.

It's more and more obvious that every day going by, there are (exponentially) more untested (and possibly barely symptomatic) cases walking around you at the supermarket, and slowly, as the cherry blossoms bloom, you'll also be surrounded by sick sounding people telling you "oh, it's just allergies," which it very well could be. By the time we're testing at full speed, we will have so many cases that it won't be long until DOH just decides to only test cases they need to admit to the hospital, and they'll send everyone else home to self-quarantine.

What I'm trying to describe is a situation where you'd so much rather not have a pre-planned need to go to the supermarket late April, much like on an ordinary weekend you'd rather not leave the house on Friday at 7pm, after getting out of your work clothes and into your slippers, to go pick up soy sauce for the stir fry you want to make.

If I can't have regular milk I'd rather do without than drink powdered milk, thanks.

Me too, but I'm almost certain my kids would prefer milk reconstituted from powder or concentrate than no milk.

I hope I never have to drink powdered milk.

Well I'd prefer that over water in my cereal. Or black coffee. Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My kids are crazy for milk and beg for it. 3 year old had a meltdown at dinner last night when we gave her water instead. They enjoy chugging it while we read books and basically chug all day long. I blame DH's family. He's from German/Scandinavian people who did a lot of dairy farming. He drank 1/2 gallon a day when we started dating, which blew my mind.

Obviously we're already out of the 4 gallons I bought a week ago. Quarantine would be pretty darn hard over here for them. hah.

Wow! We primarily use it in coffee. Half a gallon last us most of the week.

I guess buy what you family will need/want.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

You are all buying a couple extra half-gallons of milk just in case there is a signal to the city to stay home for a while, or for your social group to "self quarantine", for whatever reason (a parent at soccer practice or a coworker is positive), or if at some point there are so many cases confirmed in DC that that you don't feel comfortable going out shopping so often. When is that likely to happen? Next week? in three weeks? In a month? Regardless, what happens late April? Late April shit will so likely be worse, dude, not better. You'd have said May or June or July, I'd have stayed quiet, but we don't know.

It's more and more obvious that every day going by, there are (exponentially) more untested (and possibly barely symptomatic) cases walking around you at the supermarket, and slowly, as the cherry blossoms bloom, you'll also be surrounded by sick sounding people telling you "oh, it's just allergies," which it very well could be. By the time we're testing at full speed, we will have so many cases that it won't be long until DOH just decides to only test cases they need to admit to the hospital, and they'll send everyone else home to self-quarantine.

What I'm trying to describe is a situation where you'd so much rather not have a pre-planned need to go to the supermarket late April, much like on an ordinary weekend you'd rather not leave the house on Friday at 7pm, after getting out of your work clothes and into your slippers, to go pick up soy sauce for the stir fry you want to make.

If I can't have regular milk I'd rather do without than drink powdered milk, thanks.

Me too, but I'm almost certain my kids would prefer milk reconstituted from powder or concentrate than no milk.

I hope I never have to drink powdered milk.

Well I'd prefer that over water in my cereal. Or black coffee. Yikes.

We have a bunch of kid milk boxes for coffee. We don't eat cereal.

Sounds like you guys need a cow. Or a goat.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The milk at my store has a sell by date of late April due to ultra Pasteurization. So just buy extra. That's what I did.

I did the same thing.

+1

You are all buying a couple extra half-gallons of milk just in case there is a signal to the city to stay home for a while, or for your social group to "self quarantine", for whatever reason (a parent at soccer practice or a coworker is positive), or if at some point there are so many cases confirmed in DC that that you don't feel comfortable going out shopping so often. When is that likely to happen? Next week? in three weeks? In a month? Regardless, what happens late April? Late April shit will so likely be worse, dude, not better. You'd have said May or June or July, I'd have stayed quiet, but we don't know.

It's more and more obvious that every day going by, there are (exponentially) more untested (and possibly barely symptomatic) cases walking around you at the supermarket, and slowly, as the cherry blossoms bloom, you'll also be surrounded by sick sounding people telling you "oh, it's just allergies," which it very well could be. By the time we're testing at full speed, we will have so many cases that it won't be long until DOH just decides to only test cases they need to admit to the hospital, and they'll send everyone else home to self-quarantine.

What I'm trying to describe is a situation where you'd so much rather not have a pre-planned need to go to the supermarket late April, much like on an ordinary weekend you'd rather not leave the house on Friday at 7pm, after getting out of your work clothes and into your slippers, to go pick up soy sauce for the stir fry you want to make.

It will die out in warm weather. Mark my words