Coronavirus Pandemic Affecting Walmart? | What I Just Noticed…
I was at Walmart yesterday — and I noticed something…
I’m not saying for sure that what I saw is directly related to the emerging COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic and increasing awareness. But it could be (and probably is). We’re going to start seeing lots more of this in the not so distant future in my opinion…
Yes (in case you were wondering), I do take precautions when out in public these days, given the unfolding Coronavirus pandemic. Consciously not touching things — not touching face in any way with my hands (easier said than done) — keeping distance from others as reasonable — immediately disinfecting when I get back to the vehicle…
Going To Walmart During Pandemic? What?!
First though, you might wonder (because I run this preparedness blog) — what am I doing out at a Walmart during this time of potential infection with coronavirus? Am I not hunkered down in my fortified rural castle waiting this thing out?
My ears are to the ground, so to speak… listening for the rumble of the coming train. It is coming (unless my ears are hearing something else).
But to the best of my knowledge it’s not at my location yet. Though I do know that the virus can be shed (contagion) while asymptomatic for days up to as long as 3 weeks (that’s crazy! ..and very alarming).
I’m not at my ‘castle’ at this time. So I’ve been preparing (just in case) at my current location. And that has involved procuring supplies.
I’m prepping to have enough for a 90-day isolation scenario at my temporary location (again, just in case). The purpose is to have enough here, so that I don’t have to go out to “the store” to get “more” (if I feel it’s time to pull the plug). If I don’t need to implement my fall-back plan, then I bring those consumables home. Nothing lost. It will get used. At this point, I’m pretty much set…
Walmart Shortages | Because of Pandemic?
With that said, I’ve made some Walmart runs. And this last one, yesterday, was somewhat interesting.
I went to get MORE toilet paper (can you ever have enough?). I also wanted to stock up a bit more with Ibuprofen (aka ‘Advil’), and to pick up a few more First Aid supplies for my kit at this location.
Anyway, my first stop was the section with over-the-counter medicines. I’m not kidding when I tell you that the shelve sections for Advil / Ibuprofen / Tylenol, etc., were nearly empty! You know how they have generic Ibuprofen? All but just a few bottles were gone. And that was a lot of shelf space. Empty.
This particular Walmart is a ‘Super Walmart’ in a busy area.
I then looked over at the shelves for “Airborne” (immune system booster) — because I wanted to pick up another few bottles of ‘gummies’ while I was there. There wasn’t much left! Then, just for grins, I checked for their Elderberry gummies. They were almost gone. Other stock spaces in the general area seemed low too.
Okay, maybe that was just a coincidence. Seriously, maybe it was. I don’t know.
Then I go over to the TP aisle (the reason for going there). I’m talking a significant linear distance of shelves designated for various brands and packs of toilet paper. I estimate that the entire space was about 2/3 empty! At a Super Walmart.
Ohkeydoekey then… hmmm…
Coronavirus Information Being Managed
I believe with near certainty that mainstream information about COVID-19 Coronavirus is being carefully MANAGED. It’s logical to do that. Though I disagree with the notion of hiding information from us (which I believe they are).
I have also noticed that mainstream news media has been slowly ramping up reporting about Coronavirus pandemic. And as more of mainstream America becomes aware of this, and as more of them get “switched on” like a light bulb, there is going to be a run on food and supplies.
Shortages Already Happening
Guess what?
IT’S ALREADY HAPPENING.
Even if what I saw yesterday was an anomaly, I know for a FACT that ALL preparedness food companies are SLAMMED with orders. There a big delays on shipments, RIGHT NOW.
There has been a massive surge of ordering long term storage foods (and other supplies). Prices have, and are, going up due to supply demand. People are waking up. And SUPPLY CHAINS ARE BEING DISRUPTED, RIGHT NOW.
Lots of Product Comes From China (It used to…)
Okay, back to Walmart…
I heard that about 40% of their inventory comes directly from China. The number may be even higher. China’s manufacturing sector has essentially shut down. That happened weeks ago.
Container shipments from China are NOT HAPPENING like before. Even those that did leave before China got slammed — it takes about 30 days “slow boat” — and we’re getting to that time when shortages are going to begin appearing here in the USA.
A LOT OF PRODUCT COMES FROM CHINA
Thankfully, not everything. But here’s the problem…
Our “Just in time” system is going to get into big trouble when more than just a few percent of the people begin to “stock up”. The system is designed for smooth and steady input / output. Profits are maximized to the fullest extent by a system of forecasting which affects everything from raw materials all the way down the line to final product.
When the supply chain gets jerked (like it’s going to be), it will take a long time to refill those channels that become drained. There are ripple effects. More than most can imagine…
Let Us Know What You’re Seeing Out There
I don’t mean to be alarmist (even though this probably sounds that way). I’m just using sensible reasoning to advise as to what will likely happen as more and more people scramble to get supplied in order to hunker down for a time…
Those that wait, will have a harder time. Simple as that.
Fair warning.
Food To Survive Pandemic For 90 Days
Best Canned Meat For Preparedness
LET US KNOW IF YOU NOTICE DISRUPTIONS IN SUPPLY CHANNELS AT YOUR LOCATIONS…
Today 2-26 at wal- mart in Kansas.Water,coffee,tea,peanut butter,bread etc,etc. Stock was very low. Even sold out of the tootsie pops and the good candy bars. Saw alot of piled high carts and way more people than usual at 8 in the a.m.
I do believe it is beginning — the rush by the ‘mainstream’ to stock up — and consequential shortages to follow..
Ken,
CDC announced earlier that folks need to make sure they have two weeks of food on hand……….imagine if they had said two months. Stores keep what in stock? Three days before resupply? Distribution warehouses maybe twice that?
If everyone follows the CDC suggestion of two weeks, the “just in time” system is already in disarray and will take time to get back into rhythm. How long remains to be seen.
Recent articles have said most people don’t have enough money to make it from payday to payday. If so, they are not going to have any spare change to buy a bag of beans. But there’s always enough to play the lottery.
In Walmart today, bleach isle, wiped out, bulk rice, empty, 5# macaroni, empty. Ground turkey, empty, I bought cases to can, caused that deficiency. Paper products, fluffed out to appear full.
Nice to see you sage.
Hope all is well with ya.
Peace
MadFab
Sage
Where ya been, …..besides Walmart?
Missed ya
Ken I will say my experience was about as opposite as you can get. Home Depot yesterday for a couple of packages of AA batteries and a few more N100 masks (our store still has both masks but no bulk packs) and they were running specials on disinfecting wipes. They had NUMEROUS cases in the aisles. I think they are anticipating lots of folks being interested in same.
Mao-mart AKA WallyWorld was fairly crowded, It was well stocked except for hand sanitizer. Cleaning supplies were normal but TP was way overstocked, As HD had the cases of wipes Wally had the cases of the other wipes. The shelves were full and there was a double row stacked floor to chest high and that row was probably 30 feet long.
Had a talk with my DD who is in a supervisory position at a local acute rehab. She seemed a bit overconfident. Her boss plans on opening a portion of the facility as a day care if the schools close. I kind of impressed on her that their kind of facility is a death trap, Numerous elderly people with many comorbidities. No effective way to isolate them. Minimal personal protective equipment which will quickly be used up with slow to no resupply coming in. A care staff that is rated as skilled care compared to professional care in a nearby hospital that will be at overflow capacity and not able to take the rehab patients who need cute care.
I told her they would be having severe staff shortages she replied that showing up for work would be mandatory and that was why they would have the daycare. I told her it is very difficult to get staff to put their lives on the line and especially so for minimum wage. This has the potential true SHTF.
On the shopping, I didn’t use a mask today and saw no others who were masked. I did pick up three wipes at the entrance. I wiped the cart handle, picked up the products with another wipe and saved the last wipe to swipe my card with after I used it at checkout.
The newest case of Covid19 is 350 miles south of me and the transmission looks to have been community acquired. As long as he or she has been sick he or she has probably infected many more. Mask when out from this point. Carry your own wipes, wash hands regularly for at least twenty seconds. If you are using a public restroom use a towel to open the door on your way out. Re-using N95 or 100 masks is not supposed to be done. It will be being done. Hopefully you have enough to rotate them Expose them to sunlight when not being used. I’m looking for approved ways to clean them and haven’t found anything yet. Keep them dry! Walking in the rain would ruin one. That’s what I would do for me, you folks do as best as you can. All things considered we will do better than the majority of our fellow citizens.
Me, there is a post on natural news showing how to make mask from basic supplies.. paper towels, tissue, rubber bands, goggles, a sheet of plastic from a clear file folder…good tape… a 2 hole hole punch…a small pc of wire to form to nose… says it is 85%.. better than not having anything… colloidal silver could give another layer if on a tissue and under the bottom -spray it and allow to dry and install just as one goes out in public…. saw someone suggest that../ some Dr…
I was in a wal mart this afternoon, was very busy , went in for selected items. definitely were some things out of place. holes.. and attempts to make shelving look full. Once one has stocked shelves- it is apparent.
several with overflowing baskets…on wed…not a typical shopping day..
…..also was in 2 other stores… overall bulk stocks down/case lot displays… ..
People at bank, loan company, in a local eatery were discussing and aware.. taking some precautions.
saw one report one gentleman thought he could have cv-19.had symptoms, had contact.. insurance refused to cover his bill for one test was 3500$..because he requested.
Got to agree that some kind of protection is better than none. Certainly though the better the protection the better ones chances. All in all, best chance is avoidance. Stay home if possible.
Just Sayin’,
Reading your post made me think of something else I could use as a face mask. I remembered I had a whole box of furnace filters that are rated merv 13. They are designed to block virus. I could go buy a box of 50 regular dust mask for 5 bucks and take apart the filter to line the mask. I may try that with one filter. I couldn’t hurt right?
Prepper Dan why do you feel the need to upgrade a perfectly good Dust Mask with unknown materials salvaged out of a old furnace filter? If it’s made of glass fibers like I suspect unless REALLY Older then maybe Asbestos why would you want to breath THAT in?
The Corona virus is carried by spittle from breathing, talking and mostly coughing. Any good fitting mask PLUS eye protection will stop that spittle along with hand washing as not to transmit that spittle from surfaces like door knobs etc. to your face and eyes.
We wear simple masks in the Operating Room OK? No N95’s. If the patient was that Bio-hazard risky they would NOT Get Surgery. We wear our simple masks dealing with many nasty communicable-aerosol diseases like TB and such BECAUSE they WORK and you can actually Work in them.
Do you intend to dress up in a Hazmat suit? I work in a hospital, I am ON the Hazmat-Biohazard team. I am very aware of the difficulty of putting on, wearing, working and then decontamination and removal of contaminated gear.
Folks the mask isn’t magic! A simple ear loop mask, eye protection and hand washing is what this Medical Professional is doing outside the Hot Zone aka the Hospital. I MAY upgrade to a better-closer fitting dust mask if I have to walk around seriously coughing folks.
But then again a simple tightly woven cloth mask was the common surgical mask for decades. The laundry costs for washing human “waste” made disposables a cheaper option.
IF you feel a need to make your own masks then make them from a double layer of Tee Shirt material with good tie straps as to fit your face well. At least you could breathe as you do things and wash it when you get home for tomorrow. I have plenty of old tee shirts and a treadle Singer sewing machine and I may do just that for myself as I DON’T have enough Disposables for 2 YEARS like the Spanish Flu ran…..
Maybe I can get some neat material and sell-barter Hello Kitty Masks to kids or something?
me2,
I have plenty of bandannas. I was thinking of using 2 of them folded into a triangle then tied to my face, after my mask stock runs out. 😉
I was wondering though, the cloth will stop the spittle, but as the spittle dries wouldn’t the virus find a way through the cloth when you inhale? Or would it become entangled in the cloth fibers? Normal respiration is enough to move the cloth back and forth. I would think that would be enough negative pressure to inhale a microscopic and nearly weightless virus.
However, better than nothing I guess. Works fine for sawdust. 😬
Could always do a combination of bandanna and instead of goggles I could wear a turkey size oven bag over my head as a shield. 😆
Prepper Dan
Sweet Honey In The Rock has a song that starts out “Asbestosis, silicosis, brown lung, black lung disease, * (cough), * (cough)”
First thing I thought of when I read your question.
Please don’t go there. If you feel the need for >N95, bust out the greenbacks and buy a higher rated mask or a good respirator.
Prepper Dan, the material in some air filters is very similar in appearance to dust /face masks… someone did do that project.. looked it up. look here u tube. Canadian prepper on feb 15,20 .. since there will not be masks, gov over riding purchases….price gouging, plant closing… ect… if you don’t have masks everyone will be scrambling to have something… IF they must go out.. our plan has been to remain home when respiratory illness is “around”, not a new plan… masks have not been tops on my lists, i have a few…
Grits DARN IT! You made me spit out my coffee with the Turkey Bag over your head comment! LOL
But to your question when we were using cloth surgical masks I can assure you your normal moisture in your breathing will NOT allow the virus containing spittle to dry “releasing” the microscopic germs into your breathing.
HOWEVER when you remove that contaminated mask (just like disposables) IT’S a Bio-Hazard item so place into washing machine or trash bag ASAP. After all it’s been concentrating and trapping that contamination all the time you’ve been wearing that.
Thus my concern about proper Removal of contaminated gloves-masks-eye wear and the postings I made of how to do it safely.
Just Sayin’,
I watched that video by Canadian prepper. My plan is also not to get out unless I must. I have a few masks put back but that’s about it. The furnace filter ideal will be a last resort and placed outside of the mask if I had too. HVAC filters made today does not contain asbestosis. It’s not the 70’s anymore. Thanks for the reply!
Read the entire article. Two lines down it said that there might have been contact with an infected person. The headline’s purpose was to promote panic just like this post.
Just left Walmart, and it was crazy. I too, went to get last minute supplies. I needed a new thermometer, since the one under the tongue takes to long. The paper goods and meds were close to being bare, cleaning supplies were not to far behind. I can not imagine when the sickness does begin to show its self. I have a sister in the medical field and her hospital has to send out the medical swab to determine if Corona Virus is suspected to CDC. She said other surrounding hospitals have to do the same. Going to hit the $hit fan soon. Be ready, God bless you all..
For years I checked what came from China at Walmart, Target, and other stores and avoided buying their foods and products. Since this virus was reported, I am glad I am not caught handling their food or clothing products freshly shipped to this country.
Since this C-virus can be passed without showing symptoms and Chinese handlers can pass the virus on objects they handle in shipping, within two weeks can be here and distributed to our population. That’s what they said how long it can survive on surfaces. I know because I used to ship blankets from England in 24 hours to the east coast and I would get them in 4 days from Heathrow Airport in London to Philadelphia.
The one who caught the C-virus without contact with any source known may have gotten the virus this way.
Hi. World Health says it can only 30 minutes on a surface. Still a long time though.
I would not trust those bureaucrats with telling me the year!
Peachtree — am with Kulafarmer here. Previously I have read tests showed from three days to weeks.
The Costco is Wichita, KS is still fully stocked on all items and no shortage of anything I can see, I think it is regionalist shortages in high density population areas that are the problem…take the hint and flee…
Today I was at a dollar tree store in Palmdale ca And the clerk said that she was told that she can’t wear Gloves or an Mask to protect herself and the public because if she wears gloves she would not be washing her hands, This can’t be Right, Or even Legal is it? and by the way I have not seen any clerks at wal mart wearing gloves & mask call me crazy But to me This makes no since at all can a company make it’s workers NOT Protect their self or the customers ?
RDUB,
When I went shopping the other day I was relieved to see my cashier wearing gloves. Now I know she’s not changing gloves between customers so I still quarantined that day’s haul. But I was glad to see that they were at least allowing the cashier to protect herself to at least that degree.
P.S. They closed at 10pm the night before, I was there at 6am, and they were out of milk, so obviously the cereal isle was completely full.
They were low on lots of stuff but the only other thing I saw that was sold out was hand cleaner. One thing I saw that was odd and contradicted everything else in the store was that popcorn kernels were selling out faster than microwave popcorn. Everything else in the store suggests that no one in my neighborhood knows how to cook anything since all raw materials were in good supply. But popcorn kernels? 🤔 I can’t figure that one out.
RDUB.
My wife works in public. Same thing. Won’t let them wear masks or gloves. She was telling my daughter this. My daughter said that maybe when she gets home, she should take her work clothes off before she goes in the cabin.
My wife replied. ” If I did that, the deer would run to a different part of the woods, the squirrels would throw nuts and bark at me, and your father would probably lock the door, and watch it all on the security cameras laughing because he is an Ass. So no…. I am not stripping outside!”
Yes, I went to my local Walmart for a few basics yesterday, bottled water was almost gone, painkillers, masks and gloves were long gone, canned goods were depleted. Nothing dramatic, but definitely a lot of items gone from the shelves.
None of the items you were looking for come from China.
MajJohn
The items in their completed form may not come from China, but the plastic, ingredients, packaging, material for cans, …. many from recycled stuff we sent over there because we are to stupid to reuse materials in this country.
All it takes is one item to be unavailable in many lines to stop production. Just consider how many countries contribute to the manufacture of an airplane or a car, because it is only fair that we share the workload (for more profit of course).
Yup, you break one link in the chain and the chain is useless.
As I stated a couple weeks ago, the supplier of my test strips are out of stock. Supplier….China
Last weeks store run, I was eyeing product,. Disinfectant wipes were dwindling.
Food stocks looked normal. As with OTC meds/vitamins.
It would be interesting to go back now that the suspected 325 cases have been announced.
Farm store run today. A few selected grains are low.
Ice age farmer
Parts for farm equipment are in short order. Made in China
Who woulda thunk a virus/pandemic and all its snowballing effects, on everything, would be the one reason we prep?
Not I.
Do you think this virus outbreak was intentional?
Does it matter Bliz? Aside from Chinese deniable blow back the results for you and I are going to be about the same. A serious interruption of the Just In Time System and a LOT of economic trouble as jobs shut down and bills still have to be paid.
This morning at 0900 EST I visited my local Wal-Mart all was quiet. While I was driving my lady to a Dr. apt NPR was talking about the NY Times CDC article. I stopped at BJ’s on the way home quiet-normal.
Tomorrow early I will venture back out to Wal-mart to see if any craziness occurred in my area in New England. We are a bit more used to disasters as Nor’easters snowstorms with power outages are common here but in about 14 hours I shall know and report.
Don’t need anything but can always find some extras.
Bliz
Intentional?
Yes, actually.
At first, I thought it to be hyped $hit.
Then comes changed/hidden info.
Now the same info of different states is being let out, by almost mimicking.
Who has the largest outbreak outside of China?
I don’t know.
Yesterday it was Skorea.
Today, Iran and Italy want to claim second prize.
IMO, it is not ‘the virus’.
It is the convenience of the outcome of the virus.
Covering up food shortages, grounded shipping containers of product, restricted air travel, fall of the Dow, election year,
People in China cannot fish, eat their own crops….it all belongs to their .gov now. As with the Big O’s improved EO, (paraphrasing). .,..In the time of need for this country….
Your food is Ours, your land, water rights, livestock, farm equipment, etc
Ours
My father was a small boy in East Germany during the iron curtain..
He told me stories, the communists would come to his home. His Mother had land and would produce wheat, but a meager harvest enough to last them for the year. The Scum commie government would take half of the wheat for the “people” They would take half of their pigs.
My grandfather got them out. My dad and his brother and mom in the bottom of a supply truck leaving for West Germany.. My Grandfather went over the wire himself…
The only good communist is a dead one….
Thus we hoard to protect those preps.
We did not bust our a&$es to climb though over taxations, failures, loss of life, headaches, heartaches to just hand over everything, for the greater good.
Hell, no.
My house will not be a subsidized complex for a 4 family housing development of illegals, nor .gov
eminant domain, nor my raised, fed , cared for livestock,or band-aided farm equipment be given up to Anyone.
Without a bloody
fight.
……NEVER
Ain’t a Threat…..
Just a Promise
White Cracker and Joe c, AND folks wonder why I relate stories of my Grandparents having to HIDE their farm production in Weimar Germany and the USA during the Great Depression. Yes the US Government was grabbing food and livestock during the Great Depression.
They cannot take what they do not know about. They can only take what they can find. Having real friends that will help you hide important stuff is a great way not to be cleaned out my a say “Red Flag” or “Anti-Hording Team”.
Money can disappear in an electronic flash, stuff hidden is hard to steal, skills they cannot take, true friends are truly Priceless.
If the economic situation gets bad enough we may have to decide what homes have to be lost as they families circle the wagons economically.
It is not so much the phase of:
I’m from the government. I’m here to help.
But that of
I’m from the government. I’m here to take.
Joe C.
Well in that case, I would only hand out speedy lead…
Then, exit stage left, for the BOL… and the best thing about the BOL is it isn’t even under my name.
They can’t have what they can’t catch.
Bliz, If it was not intentionally done then it is being used effectively to create havoc. Just look in China.. south Korea, Iran… none of them are releasing real numbers.. No tests available- no worry we don’t have it here., no one has needed tests, and any that did we can’t say how many or where they were… sure, right….. move along…
My take is it does not matter just use the antivirals ..you are comfortable with using… plug in a start page search… natural antivirals or common natural antivirals. Is ___ antiviral? try different searches and see what info you can come up with… Get plenty of a variety of them… expect long term daily use to be needed for proactive response… reactive on this Creeping , flyinng muck is going to be too little too late..
Joe c
When businesses were granted cheap labor by the g o v idiots from back during the time of Nixon forward. This is what occurs, all the manufacturing business put their eggs into one basket.
That basket has indeed had issues for many years, and Americans have begged for those businesses to return to our native soils. Yet the g o v back door bank accounts, which were being replenished by any a means possible, kept America tied to this symbiosis.
When the borders opened up to China, it was a demo RAT congress. As they had to approve the treaty for doing business with that country. How many of the original thieves are left in Con I de gress, do not recall.
My mom said we as a nation would come to regret that posturing move. Look where we are now! Quagmire up to our eye balls in cheap crap, in more ways than one.
I need a lot a chocolate right now!! Pass the swimming pool full of cream, it is need also. grrr(not at you)
AC
Lol
We have some chocolate somewhere if you need more!
Hell, even as a teen/young adult knew these free trade pacts would bomb this nation.
I guess that’s why I’m not in politics/management
Stupidity, greed is more the culprit.
….and don’t forget,
point the finger……away from thyself….. destroy ALL evidence…..lie
(I may beat ya to that chocolate!)
regional feed store out of rabbit food…essentially.(less than 75 lbs /stock) cheapest supplier and good quality .. all others 3-5$ higher per 50 lbs..other feed stores had some at prices, their normal, not inflated.. .
Walmart in Ohio @11 today
Bleach was wiped out
T P was low
Over the counter meds & vitamins low
Cereal isle looked low
Soup isle was hit pretty hard
Did have Lysol wipes and other cleaning supplies right in the door
Didn’t check the water isle
Still, I never will understand the water thing.. are people just stupid ?
What happened to the fluid coming out of the kitchen sink..
Horse
The sheeple herd generally prefers bottled water. They’re either oblivious to, or don’t care, that it has been proven that bottled water is dirtier, more contaminated, and not regulated as much as tap water is. (/shrug)
Kinda like the idiots that run out for milk and bread during emergencies. What are they planning to make? A bowl of soggy bread or a cup of lumpy milk? Factory bread has no nutritional value and store bought milk is almost water.
It is kinda funny how store-bought “bottled water” is not as pure as people think… A Berkey Water Filter System is no doubt (in my opinion) much cleaner/purified water than what you buy in the store. Plus you get ~6,000 gallons on a set of filters…
Depends on the water. There is a difference between Evian and Fiji and the bottled tap water. Even Poland Spring is decent quality spring water. 100 year old water mains in NYC do exist and buildings may have corroded copper or galvanized steel pipes or dirty water towers.
I agree but the majority don’t know those things or care.
It’s a fear thing as best as I can see.
Everyone else is doing it, it must be the thing to do..
True for this virus. Not true for earthquakes or other scenarios.
Ken:
Walmart around here is a bio-criminal hot zone on normal days – you are a braver man than I. Last week I mentioned a huge hole in WMT’s online inventory of emergency supplies. Here is the insidious thing… they removed the out-of-stock items completely from the search and purchase pages. But they forgot about the re-order teaser at the bottom of the page. IOW, the bottom screen crawl showed my past purchases, of which around half were tagged “unavailable”. BUT when searching the items directly or by browsing – they didn’t show up at all, either with or without an out of stock note. Early panic control?
tmcgyver, No, you are a braver man than I — going to China via your business ;) Though I do understand it is your livelihood! (tough call)
Ha Ha Ha! I was a Costco last week saw all of the seniors hacking out a lung and did an about face and di di maued the hell out of there!
I did the same thing at the supermarket the other day! 😝
Just watching “The Five” on Fox News. Their discussion sounds like a bunch of us MSB’ers sitting down around the camp fire brainstorming our response to COVID-19. Food, water, meds, disinfectants, sheltering in place………….panic is coming it appears.
I did not go to Walmart, but I did just get back from a lunchtime grocery store run (Albertsons, which is a Safeway brand store).
Plenty of everything there: tp, pt, Kleenex, otc meds, canned goods, boxed foods, cleaning and disinfection items, even sale items had plenty of stock.
What I did notice was more people than usual, some with cartfuls (unusual at lunchtime). However, no one had cases of water or paper goods in their carts… just large food purchases.
I would have expected to see a few bare spots on shelves, or people buying more water and tp, but not at all.
Maybe the local target and Walmart are busy, but I am done with the big box stores for now – made my last 2 target runs last week.
So -on valentine’s day I went on auguson farms site and ordered the butter ($18)/milk ($17)and powdered cheese ($25) and I can tell you that the price is definitely up today on their site.
I have not been in the stores just yet-it’s Long Island so it’s always busy ( usually the panicked milk/bread/eggs craze is for pre-winter storm and we’ve had unusually mild weather)
will see how the rest of the week pans out because the news noted none in NYS but there was still test results pending for ONE person in Nassau Co (I’m sure if that turns out positive- then there may be more or a reaction)
Let’s also put it into perspective as FYI from the official NY State link (this is what they send doctors and I believe is available for public info)
The New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH) collects, compiles, and analyzes information on influenza activity year round in New York State (NYS) and produces this weekly report during the influenza season (October through the following May).1
Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report
During the week ending February 15, 2020
• Influenza activity level was categorized as geographically widespread2. This is the 12th consecutive week that widespread activity has been reported.
• There were 14,270 laboratory-confirmed influenza reports, a 17% decrease over last week
Fireswamp,
I’m in NY also.
3 were being tested in Rochester and 4 in Buffalo that are positive. NYS has a gag order on all first responders and the Dept of Health is using HIPPA to say they can’t say how many there really are. That is a load of crap. They have been told to use any excuse not to say to keep the panic down.
Stock up now and be home and safe when the others wake up.
Jabba-Did you listen to the webinar through NYSDOH they offered today- ate lunch at my desk so that I could listen – they will do weekly updates in real-time that way? I mean we’re in NY- we are a huge target in general and of course with JFK and Newark being the international hubs that they are…it’s just a matter of time. It’s going to get ugly down here.
Why risk the exposure at wally world or any store when you can still order from Costco. We ordered two packs of both TP and paper towels, detergent, nuts, and more … monday afternoon and it was delivered today. Free delivery. I’ll save my gas and stay relatively isolated. Not sure of any chance of contamination from the goods, but a risk I am still willing to take for now.
I do agree that ordering online (i.e. via amazon for example) is a better idea in general.
WM here today 5 gal water bottles gone, tp low thinner on some isles. Looked at Nido dry milk first two cans said sell by Jan 2019! Really.bought some Wal-Mart brand dry milk instead. Long term food co. I use says 35 times normal orders with up to 28 day shipping delay, usually 2 days.Took real beating last two days on Iras .I think this is going to be the $#%& Event I have worried about for years. And I still cannot persuade my 45 yr old kids to prep.OMG. Good luck all.
Maggie,
I’m 45 and can’t get my parents to prep… It goes both ways..
Trump’s presser has been delayed 30 minutes. Hmmm.
Did my main WM shopping to day and there are lots of bare spots but they are also rearranging the store so it is impossible to know if it’s ‘outs’ or what. They have no decaf Folgers not even a spot on the shelf.
Oh- the Augason Farm section was completely empty.
Was at the Wally World 2/26 early today, only went to the HTC meds area. Was stocked up, just didn’t have the versions I wanted. (Alma Seltzer Original and Halls cough drops to increase some stuff), not very busy but it was 8:30 a.m. Hit the Uncle Sam’s Club, more TP (never enough), trash bags. Store was well stocked. Hit the Northeas supermarket chain, more people stocking than shopping, store was inventory full. So far, quiet over here, but I live in the pucker brush and the stores are a 1/2 hour drive, not a dense population area. Probably will take something to happen in state to ring the awareness bell. Similar to what other folks have written, people will wake up when it’s too late. Seemed slower than normal in stores here, but it’s Wednesday and I’m retired and early bird and it’s typically quiet.
Alma Seltzer? It’s Alka Seltzer. HTC is OTC. Northeast, time for a G&T, or Woodford on ice, or two.🥃🖖🐖😴
Places you can check out and get a lot of good supplies if your are not quite topped off yet….
Comon you should be topped off right?
1. Gordon Foods 40lbs of chicken breast for $36 order online and pickup in store. Also gallon jugs of soy sauce, beans rice what ever they got it in #10 cans. I think #10 Sausage gravy was on sale last week.
2. $1 per 320z shelf stable homogenized milk in carton at the Dollar Tree
3. Cheap OTC and medical supplies, tooth paste for $1 each at Dollar Tree like Peroxide, stretch wraps.
4. Online ordering at this point is a good way to go. Costco amazon wally world etc.
5. NRP’s homestead for toilet paper 😛😛 We all know he has some. Can’t bury it all dude.
Took the 2 1/2 hour round trip drive to Costco today. They seemed to have everything they typically carry however it appeared the stock selection of each item had been downsized. The area for the items were full, but the area of the display was smaller than normal. My thoughts were that maybe they are holding back items to make them last a little longer. Is that just wishful thinking?
I myself was curious about this walmart situation…i decided to go today(a day after this post) just to check it out and top off my supply. Though it was heavier hit than usual, it still had a decent selection of tylenol and ibuprofen available, along with seemingly all the immune boosters untouched. Then again, here in the south east…(im a yankee) they still panic over hurricanes, when they know it comes every year.
We get in 2-4 trucks per day and something like 90% of our OTC stuff comes from China. No shortages in shipments yet but a big uptick in people buying meds and vitamins. A lot of colds and flu going around.
TP and other stuff are in full supply.
Talking with other friends in store most aren’t worried yet.
The Donald said all is well and not much too worry about. It’s just the flu!
Yep, it’s definitely cold & flu season. And Walmart (and other stores) forecasting will pre-order and stock associated products accordingly (to forecast). Hopefully the blip that I saw is just that. A slight blip in forecast. We’ll see what others say what they are seeing, and of course we will all see what happens as the future unfolds in front of us.
I hope all this is a nothing burger. Though my gut says otherwise. Especially knowing how much product does come from China. And the apparent unfolding pandemic.
I was on line and noticed the kit for 1 person for 1 year at $2400 was sold out! As were other big kit items. I found out old man’s allergy cream from the pharmacy at wally world was low- didn’t think to tell me so I have to make a run there. 2 hours to wally world and it is one of the real small ones. On a good day they are low on items.
Yes, preparedness food suppliers are getting tight with their sources. Evidently, enough people are ordering food supplies to create a supply-and-demand issue. That’s how it works. And unfortunately (but logically) a result tends to be higher prices for products in demand.
Ken do you think the poor harvest of grains and beans from last years floods might be affecting that supply? I know you often hear things I don’t so this is an honest query.
Remember Super storm Sandy? Where two nor’easters combined into a real nightmare? Maybe the last springs floods and the FDA’s “cute” crops still in the field untruths maybe biting us now along with nor’easter Corona Virus? Cannot super pail wheat that isn’t there.
I wonder if Trumps uncomfortable demeanor was because He knows Panic will destroy what’s left of our fragile economy? He has to play the Hand he has so to speak.
Good friends are critical when things get stupidly dangerous. Spiritual preps are also critical. Get ready friends.
No, that’s not the reason for the present delays. So far that I’ve discovered – they are getting the raw materials. The problem has been the massive increase in orders to fill. Their facilities have been running 24/7 trying to get product out the door. This industry only has x-amount of capacity (run-rate) and the spike in orders has quickly filled their capacity. They can only produce x-widgets per day. That’s the issue. As a result, orders get backed up. Logical.
Thanks Ken for checking with the suppliers for us. However IAF has some interesting foot notes worth doing a search engine search on about USDA crop reports “in the field” from last year that may not be as stated. Quality and Quantity seems to be overstated and gradually new improved USDA statistics are coming out.
That flood did a lot more damage than indicated by the USDA. Many high level farmers say IF we get a decent crop all is well but… This corona virus might affect the farmers-truckers-processers also.
Oh well that’s why we prep for more than a year of troubles. Spanish flu 2 years or so?
Me2, the food problems won’t reach the public awareness until the shortages actually hit. Most of the non-fresh food items in the stores now (I include long term such as ginger and potatoes) were in the fields a year or more ago. A few small areas have been hit–beans, for example–but this hasn’t hit the public eye yet and probably won’t for another two or three months at the earliest.
You are correct Lauren but then all Hades will break loose. Nothing scares me more than normally sane folks willing to do ANYTHING to feed their kids. Those are the folks that keep the Lights ON and water running etc. Systemic failure.
Even the “Well Off” folks will find their digital wealth almost worthless when the real problem of “There Isn’t Any Food” shows it’s head.
Thus the USDA’s mostly false and constantly “updated” (gradual CYA efforts) reports on crops “Still in the Field” will bite us if this years crops don’t turn out well.
As China’s President Xi said “The farmers must not miss the planting window, the rice bowl of China rests in their hands”.
Even the Wealthy in Weimar Germany were trading family heirlooms to previously poor farmers for a sack of potatoes smuggled into the city as paper money was worth less than a set of fine china or silverware.
The window of action is closing fast. Pretty soon it will not be a choice of this or that but whatever is available. Maybe that horse grade whole corn plus some clean white wood ash + rainwater = lye treatment Nixtamalization might be an acceptable or needful answer.
Ken,
Something i have noticed about our local stores, they generally only stock once a day, fill a bin or row and when thats gone it gets re stocked the next day. I suppose it could get done during the day, but Target and Wallmart generally only once a day in the morning. All part time workers, all just stocking for 4-5 hours a day
Yep, it’s all about forecasting and their normal stocking of shelves. During ordinary times (which have persisted for quite some time), smooth and steady supply chains have enabled a nicely tuned supply chain system. Time will tell how well adapted this system is to hiccups. Or worse…
I know I said I wasn’t going to any store, but I realized I no longer had a clothesline in my supplies. We had it packed away for just in case and actually ended up using it for something else. So I too decided to make a quick run to Walmart real early before the crowds showed up. When I got there, the parking lot was fuller than I usually see it at that time of the morning. Since I was already risking my health just by being there, I figured I would check out the shelves. This is a Super Walmart where they restock overnight. So, I found no shortages in the food aisles or the cleaning, and tp aisles. I can’t say about the over the counter medications as I avoided the pharmacy side where sick people could be hanging out waiting for prescriptions. From what I could tell, the people in this area have not woken up yet to the possibilities.
I did do a couple of orders on-line. The orders came in two days even though the message I got when I put in the order was that I would receive one order in about 5 days and the other in 10 days. Maybe on-line retailers are rushing to fill orders quickly before everything comes to a screeching halt.
I forgot to mention that we are a blue state. So I think the masses are in the mindset that the government will take care of them.
Walmart in MT always has empty shelves in places and the next week it’s empty shelves in different places. Like they short one area every week. Anyway, today was no different than normal. Every aisle had some stock. Canned goods looked low, might be because I picked up 8 cases of beans, tomatoes, soups, etc. I also hit Smith’s (local grocery) who has awesome loss leaders every week. I picked up 30 boxes of cereal for $1.49 each.
Montana Home: I’m doing one trip to town a week. Wearing a mask and
going early early to avoid crowds.
Albertsons has a great buy on assorted pork chops and pork shoulder
picnic roasts for .99lb with clip out coupon. Also chicken thighs,legs,or quarters for .69lb. with digital coupon. You can’t beat that!
You must have a ton of kids or really like cereal.LOL
Well I thought I had everything we needed, but had to make the hour long trip to Walmart to get oil and car maintenance supplies. I picked up a prescription that this month is 22% more expensive than last month. Went to Trader Joes too to get some special treats along with preps and the cashier asked me if I was stocking up! I told her a few recipes I was making so I did not answer her question.
One of my friends who is not of the same mindset (yes I have some libby friends) just got a job at another Walmart as a stocker. It will be interesting to hear what she has to say in a few days.
Mountain House is no longer showing sold out on Amazon. They are now showing available, but not shipping until March 16.
Yes, most long term food suppliers seem to have a 2 – 4 week lead time right now.
I looked at Mountain on Amazon 2 days ago and the shipping was several weeks. I ended up with a case of B&M canned Brown Raisin Bread and some whole powdered milk. I like the brand called Judee’s. It is USA milk and sold on Amazon. Still waiting on my Augason order.
We went to wally today and yes, their Equate brands of Tylenol and Ibuprofen were almost empty also! Only bottles left were the more expensive type. The rest of Wal Mart was full enough.
It is possible that China is holding these drugs for their own people, maybe?
I’ve been to a major grocery store in the closest city, a smaller local one, a dollar store nearby and there were no shortages of anything, very well stocked. Even a rack full of medical masks. Nobody around here is talking about, or even hardly aware of the epidemic. Local TV news broadcasts do not get much viewership and there are no local newspapers. Radio reception is poor and internet use is primarily for email and Facebooking with family, and that doesn’t happen too often. But on the other hand, most people around here have adapted to remote environment and are pretty well stocked. Also a lot of gardening, fishing and hunting. We’re all set for the long haul. Our trips to the local grocery store is primarily for visiting.
Heads Up: First case of community spread confirmed in California. The man has no travel history to China and no contact with a confirmed case. Given that fewer than 450 people in the U.S. have been tested, this is only the tip of the iceberg.
I expect panic shopping to set in over the next 24-48 hours. Remember that Italy went from 3 cases to 100+ cases in three days.
My dh and I were in Walmart last night. I can’t remember if I posted about it on this site. We were stunned. We live in a medium sized college town in Florida. For the past few years the shelves have been relatively empty. Not last night. They were overstocked with prep items. I have never seen pallets of baby wipes stacked 8 foot in the middle of the isle. Paper goods were stocked on end caps and in pallets in the middle of the isles, as were non perishable foods like ravoli and ramen. We were there to stock up on a few items and to pick up dh’s prescriptions. Items in pharmacy that are usually in short supply were completely stocked–items like allergy nose spray, anti-diarrhea pills and alka seltzer cold medicine.
I had never seen the store this well stocked and it was only 9 p.m. That’s about the time they usually start stocking. There must have been three dozen people stocking the shelves. We asked the check out person, a young college student, if a lot people had been stocking up. She said, “yes”–and then asked if we were getting a hurricane.
Another thing that struck us was the contents of people’s carts. We saw one man, only 30 or so, who had several bags of rice and beans. Carts were full of prep items. There was a nervousness that I am not accustomed to seeing except when we’re expected a hurricane.
I do think the masses are becoming aware.
I did my shopping trip today as we have really bad, close the schools, weather moving in tomorrow. Because I wanted to increase my Sudafed storage, it meant time to hit Wally’s. While there, I checked out the bean isle – they did not have much….about 15% of stock was available. I helped myself to the last two 1 lb bags of lentils and the same for navy beans. Then I went to Aldi’s where I buy my fresh vegetables and dairy products. Their stock was basically fine although flour and sugar were low and so were beans, but they had quite a bit of rice.
I shop early in morning before the vampires come out so people traffic was light. I used self check at Wally’s and the helper woman came over to engage me in conversation when she saw I was buying dry beans. She was friendly and interested to know how I cook them so I told her.
Later, we attended mass and received our ashes. Our priest stated that we would not share the wine sacrament after tonight because of the corona virus but we are still joining hands for the Our Father prayer.
I believe we are in for some seriously bad things coming our way and by the time we physically see how bad, it will be too late to keep the illness at bay…..and that is just one part of the bad things about to happen.
DAMedinNY,
We didn’t got to services tonight. My dh has a heart condition and so is in the high risk category. I just kept thinking about everyone sticking their fingers in the holy water and then touching their faces. I don’t even want to think about sharing communion.
Bam, I certainly understand why you would stay home, and if you are able to self isolate, do so. It should keep you healthy longer. Our case is a bit different as my spouse is obligated to care for many elderly people right now and cannot do otherwise at this point. We are working to transition from this point, but everything takes time.
Yes, I find myself questioning why we haven’t been more ill when I truly pay attention to all the “contact” we have with others.
Years back I drove a bus for mass transit. The first year I was continually semi sick. After that I never caught anything. I think that after you get exposed to all the bugs you get immunity. Had the same thing happen decades ago in boot camp except after a couple of months it didn’t get better and then I finally had to go off base to an urgent care center for antibiotics.
Agreed…I was a preschool teacher for a year and I was sick formthat whole year. Then for about 10 to 15 years I was not sick at all.
“” but we are still joining hands for the Our Father prayer.””
We routinely ‘join hands’ several times during church services and it is making me a little antsy. A bit difficult to ‘just say no’.
Went into Wally World 7 hours ago, East coast NC. They were low on, or out of, almost ALL generic meds. They had set up areas near the registers with PREPPER type stuff, it was bins that had a lot of the stuff we all stock up on. Their paracord was out, most of their camping supplies were OUT, or almost out. I grabbed their last two portable water filtration devices. No joke, this sh%* is getting OH SO REAL, and oh so fast. With the news cycle from last night continuing, I say, get what you can, and pull the cord. People are acting calm as they push full carts of prepping stuff around as if it was regular groceries. It’s a quiet panic for SURE and now it’s time to hunker down and practice what we prepared for. Be safe all. ~If nobody starts none, there won’t be none. ✌
Plan on hitting Wally World and BJs this weekend as my 12 hr work days won’t allow time before then. Haven’t noticed any shortages yet with the exception of the N95 masks that you can’t find anywhere at this point. I’d say one of the only advantages of running errands in an area full of yuppies is that Stores are ghost towns first thing in the AM and they’ve got their heads buried so deep in the sand they won’t realize what’s hit em until the bottom falls completely out of the stock market.
In other news if there’s any other CT 2a supporters out there please contact Rep. Gilchrest and voice your disgust with the 35% ammo tax bill they’re trying to push through the house
rb308, in any other circumstance, that would be considered gouging and illegal.
Ran a few errands yesterday and had to stop at a Whole Foods to pick up one item I use (aloe vera gel). I decided to cruise the store hoping to find some teas I like, some lentils, and dried red beans. Odd…The beans and lentils are usually on the lower shelves. None. But here is the weird thing: They removed all the shelf tags to the top shelf which is totally empty. Filled the lower shelves with other items so the aisle looks fuller. Other aisles were the same. The entire top shelf was empty and the missing store items tags were moved up there. So the store ‘looks’ full but only with what they truly have on hand.
Today we do “birthday” shopping for everyone, one hardware store run for lumber, then we are as ready as we are going to be, I guess. Keeping everyone in prayer, and keep our POTUS in prayer also! Blessings to you all MSB family!
DJ, so now you know what will not be re supplied, sometimes the tags will actually be overlapped by 1/2 so they do not appear with enough space t place each item.. minimizes the space “empty” and the shelves are filled on 3 layers with identical product… GMO cooking oils .suddenly have 3 shelves and are in display 4 ft long. other healthy oils have one space on top shelf.. GMO sugar has a 5-6 ft space and name brands that are not have 3 fronts of product…. wally world has been doing this for a while on certain food items they were closing out… Asian style noodle bowls.. chicken was first and followed by beef. when they got to store shelf the package had a light layer of dust…
Why did he get rid of the pandemic response team? I heard they were seasoned preppers?
I went to Sam’s Club yesterday (2/26/2020) for a resupply run for toilet paper, etc. There wasn’t hardly anyone there and the shelves were well stocked.
Just a thought– most folks will run to the big stores like Walmart, Kroger etc. If we find those stores have empty-ing shelves, try small town local grocery stores. Their selections may be there a bit longer than the big box stores.
I went to my county seat Walmart last night. Only saw one person wearing a mask, but that’s one more than I’ve ever seen in that Walmart. I picked up vitamines from a dwindling supply. T-paper shelves were only half stocked, that could be normal.
But when I went to the canned meat aisle, I got the last of the large canned chicken. There were smaller 6oz sizes but anything big was gone. There was plenty of canned salmon though :) Ramen noodles were picked over too.
planning to run to the co-op today for chicken feed for three months. I read, in China that their chickens are starving b/c there are no food deliverys going on. Poor things.
grandee,
Hope you have better luck at your co op than i did… possibly got 6 weeks.. yesterday… will cull the herd as soon as these grow outs are large enough….Have 2 litters on order, . one Doe on trial. Want all litters minimally half grown before heat arrives. In long term storage housing will be preferable..No plans to carry ice bottles for umpteen rabbits THIS year… will minimize thru summer and raise majority of meat during late fall winter and early spring… . I pulled honeysuckle vines for forage /few days in December… ad they still have green leaves- of course am allergic to them LOL.
I will be able to pull forage for the critters should we loose ability to purchase … kudzu is good for them…rabbits and chickens… may need to dry, cut and crumble for chickens to add to their supplemental feeding.(I also cook all of this together…broken eggs, toasted and fine ground eggshells, old bread, veggie scraps, whey protein, refrig leftovers and gravy after it’s last hurrah, brow rice and white rice after it has been swollen and at least partially cooked..the residue in the bottom of the pellet sack,.. the feed powders from all chicken, rabbit and dog feed.)…Kudzu… also can be used as a good multivitamin… mineral rich… for humans… tender shoots should be gathered from areas where no spray been applied…for man and animal alike.
Hope this helps you are someone else think outside the box for extending feed rations for their critters… It is a shame to see animals buried alive and destroyed because there is not feed available.
Oh my God! I have locked it down for now. A little bit freaky to read how many people are still risking it. We all have to recognize our tendency toward normalcy bias is still in play even with our heightened awareness. I can always think of something else I rely need but I have to say I have shut it down. Its to late. Can’t risk it any more. Wife and I made our final store run last week. At check out our cashier was ducking down behind the counter to blow her nose. My wife looked at me and we both had a moment. We decided to go ahead. The cashier had already handled our stuff. Every thing was bagged. All that was left to do was pay! I pray she didn’t have any thing serious. Just saying were done. If we don’t have it. We will make do without it. God Bless us all.
I agree with your assessment…yes, it appears as life is normal and those of us running around getting our last minute stuff are taking huge risks. My DH is in the emergency services so those folks are much more at risk, and the departments I know about from the west to midwest still have not outlined any different protocols. Thanks for praying for all those healthcare workers and emergency first responders!!
Thank you,Pegasus, I am watching Fox Business Dr. Mat McCarthy was talking about how CDC has failed to provide test kits. So is the Health Ranger over at Brighteon. They are saying what I was thinking last night as I watched our President trying to belay Americas fears at the news conference. I don’t know much about science but I think they need to get the horse before the cart. We need testing now. CDC is dropping the ball. It wont matter if we get so for with our preps if we can’t figure out who has been exposed, who has it! If you are reading this call your senator now. Sorry Ken if I am getting a little off topic.
The CDC sent out kits when this whole thing started, but had to recall them because half were defective. No more have gone out. At this point all testing is being done in a CDC facility because no one else has the capacity to test.
Lauren,
From what I heard they have sent out more kits and they will be arriving next week.
A&O
I have several kids in medical as well as LEO….Only one dept so far has provided special protocol…My son that is Sargent on the commuter rails/light rail was issued extra masks and nitrile gloves….at least that is a start. Daughter that works the ER was also encouraged to change protocol to include med mask and gloves at all times. These kids are both in Denver.
Pio woman , Have a child and grandchild in that area and In laws…
Man on Foot,
It sounds like this is a good choice for where you are… Hope you got everything decontaminated. can wash outside of packages with peroxide as well. as bleach water for cartons and plastic containers. change out all soft packaging to ziplock bags and such…
We did a top off /fill in for needs/ of items we had not been able to purchase before… the $$ stretcher only goes so far..
.. thankfully we had already started a while back..with what was possible… we will remain in for most of coming month . as payday rolls around will assess the risk for what we must do… and fill any holes necessary with one trip. limiting all risks known.. and using our “protectant measures and substances.” .
Body language… on the CDC report,and Presidential address did not compute with verbal message. Extreme stress in both. I caught it and noticed others commenting have as well. situation is not even NUMBERED, Insufficient data is available. Medical personnel are muted! What part of this is RIGHT?
Just Sayin’ Thanks for responding. I saw that the CDC is talking about test kits yesterday.They really botched this as evidenced by the woman that went to the hospital in California and wasn’t tested for days. Who is positive! We can’t trust what the government tells us. They are liars and will say anything to avoid panic. I am reminded of past lessons, when the government says “DON’T PANIC Remain Calm”, that’s when we need to do everything ASAP. Even if we have to use money we don’t have yet. We need to finish our preps now.To respond to your question, I would listen to your gut! Assume nothing they say is real or fact based. Best of look. Man on foot.
Wally world beginning to show signs of shortages on certain items here. NO masks, NO gloves, short on OTC vitamins and meds (Elderberry in particular). We are WELL stocked, so not worried, but I thought I would check to see if others in the area seem to be awake….good sign actually.
As of 10:00 EST my second visit to Wal-mart (from the 0900 EST yesterday) post CDC announcement nothing much seems to have changed, quiet store.
My favorite data points of sugar, dried milk, dry beans, and equate cough syrup showed someone cleared out the GV large bags of dried pinto beans and white rice (although up on top was a case of 10 pound GV rice) so 4 each 8 pound Great Value dry pinto beans and about 50 pounds rice gone since yesterday. Dried milk was about half of yesterday (sorry forgot to count them) Sugar looks a bit depleted of the GV cheap stuff while plenty of the expensive sugar remains, Equate brand Cough syrup is empty as is almost everything elderberry.
I should have checked hardware for mask status, sorry forgot.
So I’m assuming that one family might have decided to beat the corona virus rush the rest are still asleep or feeling prepared enough (After all we live in New England where serious nor’easters occur every winter) to not crash the system.
My check on Hannaford’s grocery store was a very sleepy everybody on the check out lines asking me WHY am I out in this nasty weather conversation. No noticeable gaps in any supplies.
As of today, we have closed up.
We went to Costco this morning which was an unplanned trip for us. But after reading this article and all of the comments, we decided to make one more run for meats. I am starting to think that family may wind up here for a number of reasons.
So, this morning 2/27, Thursday at 10:20am, as we were pulling into the Costco parking space my husband said, “Look at the cart! TP and paper towels!” I turned my head to look and sure enough, the only purchases were TP, paper towels, and some kind of a lantern.
Seeing that cart set the tone. We got into the store. OMG. It was crowded. I looked at products and every single cart I could. We had a list to work from, so no gawking and a quick in-out process for us. Almost every cart had TP, more than 1/3 of the carts also had the 12-pack of paper towels. About 1/2 of the carts also had the large bags of dog food.
This was not a typical Costco shopping day at all. I’ve never seen buying like that at Costco — it was most definitely “virus” shopping to stock up on a few necessities. What puzzled me was that many of the carts didn’t have much additional food. I did see one mother and school-aged daughter w/ the TP, paper towels, 2 bags of dog food and 3 double-jars of peanut butter. That was pure preparedness right there. :-)
I am going to get more TP, Advil, N95s, today after work. We have Wegmans grocery stores and a Super Wally World. Last week I went to our local hardware store and there were plenty of N95s. I will report back tomorrow on what I do/don’t see….
(Central NY)
(Central NY) 2/28/20 update…
At Wegmans grocery store:
TP had an empty row (store brand), but otherwise full up with the other brands.
Advil was low but there weren’t any empty rows.
I will go to Wally World and our local hardware to check on stocks and report back..
Modern Throwback, Possibly your neighbors are more prepared than you had thought. can take those good grade paper towels and make masks from them…with other things including a pair of goggles and a plastic file folder/clear.( sheet protector) One station i was listening to said ” yes a -3 month supply will be necessary for any viral outbreak, also will need for the period when stores are being re supplied.”. it will not be a quick process. heard that one diaper company- un named is converting to making medical masks .. none will be for public distribution all for medical/gov distribution.
All those crazy people preparing for life changing events… looks like this COULD be one….suddenly are no longer “crazy”.
I went yesterday to Costco & Kroger for a couple of holes in the deep pantry, and the veterinarian (extra med for the dog). Costco and Kroger both were well stocked, but quite busy for a weekday morning.
I keep vasillating about whether or not to take a two day trip to see my dad who is in a nursing home. I would be staying with my sister, who is immune compromised (she takes Humira). My dad may not be with us much longer (he’s 91), so I’ve tried to visit him monthly for the last several years. I’m not as worried about me catching the virus as I am with the thought of spreading it unknowingly, given that non-symptomatic incubation can be up to 24 days.
Chipmunk,
Unless you have any known contact w/ sick. OR illness…..my take…I am not a doctor nor do i play one on tv… Use as many precautions as you can…Before you go… Clean your car, every surface of inside.. so you have an uncontaminated area, put on washable seat covers- that have a barrier layer…use gloves for refilling car.. use antivirals in the hand sanitizers,… drive, no public transport.Use extra peroxide based cleaners in your laundry…(non chlorine powdered bleach) Ru extra clothes thru dryer… heating them well. Minimize the stuff you take- unless they need supplies. and you have extra.
.. Take antiviral….4 x a day for several days,.. you would not be a carrier…would already be gone…and not replicating. then 2x day while traveling.
..Key is to knock it before it gets a toe hold . (IT is in the replication phase that is so highly spread.. Once body tries to overcome and is responding this mess seems to hide like lyme… goes dormant until system is weakened again.then is worse than ever… ..from reports and conclusions of Drs posting on this mess)
… go see your family. take enough elderberry/antivirals to give to yourself, and leave enough for sis to take while you are there and for several days post your leaving… and also give your Dad a proactive dose if you can…. q 4 hours is not too close. Enjoy the time you have with family.. They are precious be sure to let them know.,,, that not only did you come to show them you will show them by addressing your concerns for their safety and their medical compromises. Think of a trip ASAP will be a last one until this mess blows over. some think the peak will hit here between early april and mid May… here would be much more danger to go in the peak…..
Just Sayin;
THANK YOU for your suggestions. I will call my sister this weekend and see how she feels about me visiting. If she’s okay with it, I will start taking my sweet gum tincture and get my car sanitized.
I was indeed considering that next week is the time to go, before cases start showing up here in Georgia. You never know if things will escalate quickly like in Italy,and they suddenly lock down state/town borders.
Was at Walmart and a chain grocery store(Shaw’s) and found that a lot of the big bags of rice were gone, some dried beans were missing but some were plentiful. Really interesting was that in both stores the large jugs of vinegar(white and cider) were depleted as well as all of the pickling salt(in February in northern New England!). Shudder to think what this is going to look like when the masses figure it out…….
Is it a coming pandemic? Is there going to be a food shortage? Is it the economic collapse?
Yes it is possible but the little sociopathic part of me says, we brought much of this on ourselves so I don’t really give a damn.
Can I do much about it, no. So, if it is time for depopulation, the reset, … I have prepared as much as possible, both physically and spiritually. My hair is not on fire.
I think the warning signs have been well displayed for the sheeple to see for years, but it appears that a socialist will oppose Trump in November because the sheeple want the bread and circus to continue.
And if the globalists win with open borders, I challenge the free loaders to survive in our mountain wilderness come winter – God help California, Texas, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, … the warm places.
Bring it on if it is to be.
“Can I do much about it, no. So, if it is time for depopulation, the reset, … I have prepared as much as possible, both physically and spiritually. My hair is not on fire.”
I absolutely love these words, Hermit us.
You, sir, earn my Quote of the Month and it will be pinned on my small bulletin board where I sit at the laptop!
Hermit us
A wise man, on identifying a problem or on having a problem pointed out to him, will do what he needs to do to rectify the problem. After a due consideration and planning, he will enact the plan to accomplish the desired solution to the problem.
The fool, after the problem has been brought to his attention, will flail about, dilly dally, ponder, form committees and otherwise waste his and everyone else’s time and money. This allows the problem to grow like a weed because of course nothing has actually been done to correct it. Finally, when nothing but panicked immediate action is required to avoid outright disaster, the fool will act. What could have been solved easily and quickly is now a life-and-death struggle for the fool. The lesson – Don’t be a fool.
Niccolò Machiavelli
No fools on this site.
Source; Zero Hedge
Confucius say: Man who stand on toilet, High on pot!
What I mean is the practitioners of common sense (like us here) are already ready, or are really close to being ready. We have done the due diligence and are waiting for the inevitable to happen.
Jabba,,,
Yeppers,,,
On a personal note, if everything gets all quaranteenie and such,
It will give me time to work on the farm and in the gardens.
Im kinda looking forward to everything shutting down.
Lock the gates!
Hermit Us and MT: This just saddens me that it is going to be on Trumps watch. May cost him the election if it all crashes and burns. Socialists win. There goes our republic.
God help us.
DJ280
The socialists may win BUT there is a big difference between US and Venezuela – we have about 200 million armed citizens that may object to encroachment on their rights and freedoms.
Amen!
The only good thing I can think of if Bernie wins is that at least he comes from a state that has fairly good gun rights(not as good as it used to be though). He’s been taking a lot of grief though from the other Dems about his previously fairly open stance to gun ownership so he might feel the need to toe the line and demonize guns along with the rest of them such as Bloomberg, which would be a bummer. But yes, I fear that as this is going down while Trump is in office and he has taken credit for the economy, he will likewise be faulted as it goes down the tubes.
My dear wife… bless her heart. She is fascinated by the whole “Tiny House” fad. Really, up until 0200 most nights gawking at YouTube videos of over-sized doll houses, mounted on a goose neck trailer. The San Diego PUBLIC Fairgrounds is having a big expo – this weekend.
I promised her we would go. So far I’ve talked her down from a two day, with overnight in a hotel; to perhaps just Saturday. Now I’m getting nervous about a day trip. …. And she is getting fed up with me “always worrying about stuff that never happens”. She told me today she’d go by herself if she had to. I’m really trying to strike a balance and good approach with this, but she is adamant.
If God chooses to smile upon me, the grocery store she works at will devolve into a madhouse in the next 48 hours. Then it might be her idea to cancel the trip… which of course makes it a superior idea. But if peace prevails, I’ve got a conundrum on my hands.
Tmcgyver
Feel your pain I’ve had to talk my wife out of going places and had several white knuckle winter drives here in Ohio because she was going somewhere with or without me
TMcG,
Jeez…. it’s like you’ve been standing in my kitchen (just reverse the genders of the participants).
Since no one has turned into a zombie, and there has not been what he considers a mass die off (has bought into the “every year x amt of people die from the flu” ) then the thought is that I have been and continue to be overreacting.
Never mind that I got the last dozen masks from HD, I was just lucky and they probably won’t be needed anyway.
Never mind that I had the foresight to load extra supplies in the car to leave at the BOL, because even if we do have to go it’ll probably only be for a couple of weeks. And why is the spare bedroom packed with bags and boxes, how much more do I plan to take… don’t we have enough?
And, forget that 2 weeks ago, and even early last week I told he & IL’s that the markets were going to take a hit… and asked about IL’s investment exposure. I was told all is well and their guy told them to buy the dips – he is the expert, you know.
I’m feeling pretty f’ing unappreciated at the moment, let me tell you… I totally feel your pain.
So Cal Gal;
“I’m feeling pretty f’ing unappreciated at the moment, let me tell you…”
Not to worry there Gal, we all still love ya, even if we had to sell the Farm to pay for your expenditures……
BTW, Market is down HARD again, over 1K
NOT GOOD!!!!
Thank you, NRP.
I am feeling like I’m the insane one right now; I am the outlier.
And while I will be thrilled not to “need” the extra things I’ve purchased, the “I told you so’s” will be brutal.
Here’s a good one:
Me: “What do you feel like having for dinner?”
Her: “I dunno, why don’t you make something out of all that food you stored?”
Is it wrong to hope we get just enough of a nip of reality? Yes, the ‘I told ya so’s’ will be brutal. …. been putting up with this for too many years.
I’ve countered with: “Well you pay the insurance, let’s just torch the place so we aren’t wasting money.” … It doesn’t work.
SoCalGal and TMcguyver,
I fell ya. My family thinks I am loony tunes with my preps, until they want to go shopping at my house.
Hubby indulges my little hobby( grrrr). Finally told him how demeaning and hurtful that is to me. Has slowed him down, but I still get the eye rolls. Until last night! “Hey babe, did ya see the CDC is asking people to have 2weeks worth of food and water in their homes for the virus?”
Was music to my ears. Said we should have a bit more than that, in case.
Finally felt like he was really seeing what I have been trying to do. But, when we do get a small dose( wishing no illness onto anyone), the I Told ya So’s will be loud and clear from me!!!
Peace and good health to all
MadFab
I think a lot of us are feeling “vindicated” with our ‘putting aside’ ways right now. I know the DW has been looking things over, and we have made a run to get some items that might be hard to find over the next few weeks. This event has got people thinking, and that is one good thing about it. I believe in the long run, people will realize that we let too many critical industries go to China, and will want to re-establish them back in the USA. We can only hope. of course we still have some crazy politicians yelling ” Open the borders!” ya just can’t fix stupid.
tmcgyver when my beloved said something like that I DID cook meals for a week from only my food storage including making cheese from dehydrated milk adding only what came from my gardens.
She survived (might even liked some of it), the 94 years olds survived but MOM was MAD she didn’t get to have her restaurant lunch that week.
Store what you eat, eat what you store. I’m just grateful I always try samples of Survival Foods. Some brands are NASTY.
Looks like we may just get our “I told you so” said. But I have to sleep sometime so I will NOT…… LOL
I got a 1 up on that TMC. It is the start of Girl Scout cookie season. We have to go to peoples houses and deliver their orders. THEN, on top of that wonderful idea the girls are going to the mall to sell cookies, in front of a couple different stores and going on a field trip…AND my daughter has a birthday at the end of the month and wants to go out to a busy kids place and out to eat… I’m losing my mind and the wife knows but is still going to do these things…
Jabba
Then ask her how she will feel when your dd is on a ventilating machine because her priorities did not protect your child at ALL costs?
Does this sound snide,,maybe. It is to drive the point home, which many of you do not know or have not been told.
Those that go on vents after a period of time do not come off them.
Part of my family is in the medical field, and I am trying to get them to understand prevention if better than doing nothing. Their businesses are frowning on them wearing masks & gloves while dealing with patients.
Jabba
Sorry for losing my usual logical happiness. When one spends as many days as I have in the past in the ICU-ICUM(not the patient). It makes one overly protective of the younger generation.
IF you let her go with mom, start building her immune system up with the anti virials and continue after she returns. It will give you some peace of mind.
Good point Kula! She’s put up with my azz for 29 years and always super-thrifty and well grounded, pays her share and has never been a burden to me. We’re gonna go look at over-sized doll houses this weekend! I shall making a convincing effort to enjoy myself too.
Beatrice, Nebraska. Walmart shelves are EMPTY on bleach, rice, etc etc. No doubt there are places where they are showing few signs of what we know is coming but they are quickly becoming the exception, not the rule. Good luck with that. I’m a career LEO and one thing I know for SURE, is that this is very real and those that sit and drink their wine thinking its not, are about to be surprised. Very surprised.
Thanks for that update! Nice to hear inside info regarding procurement plans for Walmart. I’m sure every industry is scrambling to shift from China to elsewhere to meet demand. Time will tell.
I wonder how Walmart and others will do — if and when a significant portion of the sleeping public wake up to the notion of self isolation — and the supplies they will need to do that… breaking the JIT system.
Just in Time Food Disaster
So far, the effects of the virus are not country wide illness and death.
But there is a growing country wide fear of shortages. This country can produce most of the necessary goods and food for the citizens if corporations are adapted to those needs. This is why we grew to be the most fortunate country in the world.
If few new cases of this illness occur, are we going to bring this country to it’s knees because of what might happen – let us be prepared and wait for the results of efforts to contain this virus.
Update to my post from yesterday. Went through 30 cases (24 per case) of hand sanitizers today during my shift! More than triple the normal buying! Also massive amounts of sanitizing wipes and Lysol! Would be a rich man if I got a quarter for every time got asked about masks!!
Was told we are getting extra trucks to keep the store stocked before we are shut off from China.
Another beautiful day in the neighborhood!
On 2/27 I was in a NJ Walmart. Canned meat was sparse other than that I did see any other shortages
While at my local co-op getting 3 mo. of chicken feed I stood in line at the checkout looking at shelves of garden seeds. The shelves were full.
Oh. What if… yep. Bought all my garden seeds for this year.
I drove to the city to pick up a Sam’s order on 27Feb. It was usual stuff but I tripled the quantities on some items (like 500 pds of dog food) so it was a large order for me. They had everything on my list, but a couple of items had to be shipped from the warehouse. I talked to the guy who pulls most of the pickup orders to find out what others were doing. He said most of what he pulled were larger than normal orders and people were buying more “stable” items like canned goods, beans, rice and Augason Farms items and less prepared foods.
Then I went to a Lowe’s to pick up some gardening items and talked to the folks there. They said that after the President’s news conference they sold out most of their paint and dust masks. I walked down to the lumber and drywall area and there were some masks there with the vents in them so I picked up a couple packages of those. Only the expensive N100 respirator masks and filters were left on the shelves.
I went to my Walmart yesterday. So the Rice, dry beans, canned veggies, Ibuphopen, paper towels and TP, Lysol disinfectant wipes, coffee were wiped out.
Did they still have beer on the shelves???
I have 2 Corona Beers sitting on a pretty doily on my table. My hubby and I will drink them if we get the WuFlu. :)
grandee,
I hear that is the only known cure. However, I did hear their is a virus related to drinking too many Corona Beers, but it only last about 24 hours. Symptoms include: headache, dry mouth and vomiting in some rare cases. Just saying!!!!
Damn, now I have to go back to Walmart. Forgot the beer!!!
That is petty cool actually. You must have some “aware” types living near you and not just the sheeple fixated on their celebrity shows.
I looked at the opening bell market indices at 6.30, each a solidly red, tightly coiled, steaming pile of continued losses. Opened the brokerage account, peeked one eye and, UP! How?
Some time ago I thought it smart to add pharmaceuticals to balance out the real businesses I had in the basket. Those bastards wasted zero time taking the either $2.2 or $8.2 billion dollars – whatever it was – in emergency appropriations. Seriously, anyone with a lab coat and a pulse is sucking off that gravy train. My pharmas are up between 3% and 141% (today!) as those pigs suck down buckets of taxpayer Fed-slop from the trough. Jeez, one of them declared bankruptcy five months ago, and they are stirring in the grave; up 10% on the day. They’ve got NOTHING but a mandate and an open account. But hey… happy days are here again, for some folks.
Sometimes the status quo in this country irks me.
2 great companies to buy stock in is Pharma and Petroleum… Peeps be needing those drugs and gas. What a great combo..lol
Are hospitals in this country being overrun with people presenting COV symptoms – no
Are people dying in homes, on the street, in hospitals, … from lack of treatment – no
Have we reached COV infection levels similar to the annual flu – no
Is there a shadow population that are sick throughout the country that have been ignored because we have not tested the entire population – no
So let us upend the entire medical system with testing and add in CT scans etc way beyond what the indicators and trends are – no
What the critics (yes some of you out there on this site) of this country’s response have accomplished is exactly what some players want – short sellers in the market making a killing, Soros types pushing for socialism, anti Trump factions with a last desperate attempt to overturn the government, …
Yes, I am critical of those that have gone off the deep end, that have lost sight of management proportionate to the facts and risk.
There are a lot of deaths occuring every day from drug dependency, mental illness, ghetto violence, vehicle deaths, obesity, homelessness, … so let us keep everything in perspective as much as possible.
Let us not fall into the trap of parroting CNN talking heads.
And, are the populations most affected, the people with compromised lung function in high pollution areas, heavy smoking populations, industrial pollution areas, … like China, South Korea, … even open fire cooking and high density areas of these countries. Lets not allow our fears to overwhelm our reasoning.
So far today:
– A wife in the JIT grocery biz who tells me I store too much at home
– PM’s and stocks tanking bigly and in tandem
– Hawaii of all places fulfilled NRP’s vision of toilet paper Armageddon
– Dogs and cats playing together in a sunlit pasture
– A guy named ‘hermit’ admonishing us to lighten up and be more sociable
What a day! But seriously hermit, you are a good counter-balance, except for the CNN cracks, that’s just mean. I shall take great comfort in your words on this weekends road trip.
tmc
I’m no expert but
Coronavirus doctor: ‘It’s not Ebola, do not panic’
Providence St. Joseph Health Exec, Amy Compton-Phillips, discusses what hospitals have learned since treating the novel coronavirus, and what people can do to be prepared for an outbreak.
COV infection s not a death sentence!
Hermit Us,
Good points all. Thanks for keeping it real. We all need to calm down a bit, take stock, and breathe.
Yeah, this COV could become an issue for some. We just need to gather more info, be aware, practice sanitation, and prep. all good things too do.
You find youseelf a ‘hole in the ground’ to go into when SHTF yet?? LOL. just sent an ad for a mine down near Pahrump to a friend. I myself am still looking for a mine closer to the farm. I’ll find it eventually. don’t think I will ever get the DW to join me though.
hermit us,
Our state has been experiencing rampant flu this year. Numerous schools across the state have suspended classes. My brother and his wife have been experiencing symptoms for about a week now, she finally visited a doctor yesterday. Doc told her she had flu-type AB (the seasonal flu of the year).
Brother stopped by to tell me (he stayed in the pickup, me about 10-15 ft away). Said the doc gave her a prescription and told her to go home and self quarantine for a couple of weeks.
I smiled and asked if she had gone to Wally World to get the prescription filled. “Of course” he says.
“Good thing she’s under quarantine, we wouldn’t won’t her to infect other folks” I say.
Don’t know if he caught the irony.
Dennis
Maybe this is a good time to bring up the old adage “walk softly and carry a big stick” you know the ten foot long stick.
And since you are tooth challenged, you can get an implant for around $2,000, thereby doubling you tooth count. :)
hermit us & Dennis
GREAT suggestion from hermit us there…
That way you’ll have some “tooths”
Hey all;
Just did a Deep Pantry infusion at Sam’s Club aka Wally World bulk food store. This will be my last trip there for several months.
Remembering I’m in the middle of Podunk Four Corners a Small city of around 35k and a few small towns around.
People around are fairly independent; Farmers and Rancher sort of place.
Anyways, what I found was interesting.
Zero White Rice, normally several pallets on the floor and in Racks.
Beans were hit HARD
Pastas and Sauces also hit hard as were soups and “quick” ready to eat foods.
TP and other paper products I would say….. Down to 30% left
Very few 3-packs of Bleach left
Hand Sanitizer in the 4 Pak were set everywhere as were “free to use” opened Sanitizers
Meats and Vegetables section was good to go
Liquor was hit hard (I helped, hehehe)
A lot of bottled water was in carts along with Paper Products
I was surprised to see so many “Flat Bed” carts completely full, a LOT of merchandise moving FAST
What was most surprising was the number of folks there at 11:00AM on a Friday, that’s usually the slower time, hence is why I went then. Sam’s actually had ALL of their checkout cashers on line, and the Self Checkouts were 80% full…. A LOT of buyers.
I did ask the Checker how it was going, she just rolled her eyes… looked tired.
The Sam’s Club here also has Fuel, it was packed busy but not a rush type thing
Also it seems there is a lot of traffic on the roads, Most of the Strip Malls had a lot of people there also, did not pass WW and have NO intentions of going there.
NRP, thanks for the report from your neck of the orange river.
When do you retire? Have you any thoughts of leaving earlier because of COVID?
Modern Throwback;
Going to let the boss know today I have 60 days till I’m out of here.
Not to worried (yet) about the Virus, please remember the .gov is on top of this like stink on a skunk.
Seriously though, I work in my own office and 95%+ of all work is on the phone or on computer.
Those I do see I stay back a few extra feet and offer “I’m just now getting over the flu” when I don’t shake hands.
Other than that, life is good.
MUST READ… LIVE FROM HONG KONG: Two Months After Initial Reports of Coronavirus Only 93 Cases and 2 Deaths in Population of 8 Million in Hong Kong
Maybe they are lying and the numbers are double.
hermit:
Your point is valid and it is well understood. And on the face of it, you are exactly correct. This leaves only one question… Why? This is not one country, or someone with an agenda pulling the alarm. This is a universal, global reaction. The nature of humanity is such that we rarely agree on anything. What, do you suppose would be an ulterior motive for the entire world to panic in perfect unison? Bank holiday? System reboot? War?
Hong Kong is not noted for towing the party line, so I think the information is credible.
As far as the rest of the world, It appears that the Chinese tentacles have reached many countries and perhaps the fear of what is happening in China has the economically subjugated countries nervous. China got us all hooked on the sugar and now it is time to pay the price.
I think that there’s a concern because 1.it’s new(like wow we humans haven’t encountered this virus ever-met up with 6 of it’s older siblings but not the newborn in family)
2. Wow- how contagious is it? 14 days? And you can spread it without obvious symptoms?
3. How many people have caught it?
Remember it’s cold and flu season right now and we have crazy numbers of people who have tested positive for influenza (14 thousand in New York State in one week and that’s down from previous week!)
If it’s more contagious than regular flu AND it’s got a higher mortality rate (approx 2% if data accurate) influenza is o.1%….
Yes we should be worried
This is tip of iceberg and initial wave
Look into the pandemic influenza of 1918 …hopefully history won’t repeat itself
I think what bothers people all over the world is that mad scientists are creating stuff in labs that could eventually wipe out the entire human race – and I believe there are some that would do exactly that. So, the unknown scares more people than a known pathogen, even if the known pathogen is more dangerous than COV.
Hermit,
I agree. I have had “pandemic” on my list of things I try to prepare for all along. And some sort of man-made witches’ brew from a bio lab that is either turned loose or accidentally unleashed would sure fall into that category.
And I really do hope that cov does not become a widespread problem here… but I am preparing for the worst (physically, emotionally and spiritually) just in case.
hermit us
Hubby and I had this exact conversation a couple of days ago.
Beach’n
I noticed that my basement “store” has only 20 cases of TP left and we’re down to 15 lbs of butter. I “bought” a new 5 gallon bucket of flour and brought it upstairs, reducing the “store’s” stock. Not likely to be replacing that any time soon, so while the production is there the supply is down.
I’m watching the news carefully, but at this point I see no reason to panic. I’m not in the stock market and we have what we need (other than milk and fresh produce) so I’m just riding it out.
DFM called this evening to say they’d been shopping. 150 mile round trip from their place in the ID mountains to town with big box stores. Said got to Costco as it opened. Was fine but by the time they left it was a madhouse. Then went to WINCO same thing there. Said the place was mobbed with folks filling carts by mid-day. She said they now had enough groceries to self-quarantine for quite a while.
Said had talked to boss about telecommuting. Guess chatting about what I was up to these past few weeks sank in. Thank goodness.
About a month ago had urged them to buy masks JIC.
I applaud CDC’s Dr. Nancy Messonnier, no matter who her brother is, for stating publicly we should be prepared to face disruptions. That took guts. Hoping she’s wrong; prepping like she’s not.
I had to post something I believed that may spread this virus I wrote in my journal so you may take caution. This is a warning and I did some research on it the past week.
I have been recently collecting my mail with rubber gloves, nuking my bills and mail, then bleaching my gloves. I always figured one of the biggest carriers for the virus is the mail and packages we receive.
Then regardless of the claimed disinfected coating on dollar bills, that is a myth it kills germs. It doesn’t. Money carries more germs than a toilet and viruses and bacteria can live on most surfaces for about 48 hours, but paper money can reportedly transport a live flu virus for up to 17 days. So it will pay if you use credit/debit cards at this time, and if you receive any paper money, bake it for a half hour at 250 degrees, along with the coins you are handed in change.
I don;t know how these people now getting this virus in areas where the virus has not shown any cases, but I highly suspect even in remote isolated areas from the C-virus, people are getting sick from it without first or second hand contact so I believe the mail, transported goods, including money may be the way this becomes a pandemic.
CDC does not announce anything on TV for disinfecting mail or money– but I am sure this is a legal case for “money laundering”
Just a warning to my dear friends here and that old fart NRP. He asked me for more input, so here it is.
Stardust, it’s great to see you posting and I trust you are doing well!!
Cash is filthy! Like door knobs, cashier stations, and those pens we use to sign our names for credit card purchases. Yuck! Since it’s so dirty ‘out there’, we’ve decided to stay away from people and the stores for now.
The mail is another issue, though. We have to lock and unlock our front gate to cross the road to our mailbox. So after opening the mailbox and getting the mail, we have just ‘touched’ items that could be contaminated. So we are loving the left hand, then left-handing the mailbox and mail, and then once the mail has been dropped in the hold-box we have set on our front porch, one of us will lock the front gate with uncontaminated hands. Then the glove is disposed of.
Aside from a very few pieces of paper, most everything else is junk. If we decide to mail-order something, we’ll have a box to contend with. But for now, we have nothing due to arrive.
I like your idea of bleaching gloves to reuse. We have a large supply of nitrile gloves, so we’ll just go that route for the time being. If we run low, we can easily switch to rubber gloves because we have a stock of those for dirtier jobs.
This virus is a burden on those of us who have read up on things and want to be proactive. It sure is making a nuisance out of basic activities, but it is better than becoming infected.
MT
There is nothing in my mail that i would need to touch, will be wearing my disposable gloves i use a lot anyway and just pulling it out of the box and depositing it all directly in a trash bag.
Am going to start wearing gloves when out n about. Contemplating the dust mask thing,,, may just use my respirator for welding, is an N100 rating i think but way easier to breathe through,
Its not here, yet. But am paying attention more than usual
Stardust;
“Just a warning to my dear friends here and that old fart NRP”
OUCHHHH!!!!!
I’m not that old….. Ok well maybe I am. HAHAHA
good ideas on the Mail and Cash.
Being one that uses 99% cash, maybe it’s time to do the CC thing and Checks again. Paying off each month of course.
Interesting you bring up the Mail as a transmitter.
Ok here is the Conspiracy Theorist coming out. Can one think of a better way to transmit a deadly virus that to contaminate the US Mail? It goes to literally every household and business in the States.
Scary times for sure.
NRP,
Maybe contaminate rolls of TP, it literally gets used by everyone! LOL.
Apparently a UPS warehouse employee got it–I presume from something he handled.
Lauren,
I saw an article for a USPS carrier. Where was the article about UPS?
It was posted on another site I go to all the time. A couple days back, so I’m not sure it’s even there anymore.
LOL, NRP, can’t take a nickname like old Fart from an old Poot right here? You know the saying…… No conspiracy theory with the mail…remember the anthrax letters that sickened 22 and killed 5 of those people by just touching and breathing around them in 2001?
Washington State just had 6 deaths from this virus. Hope your mom is okay…
Stardust;
“Washington State just had 6 deaths from this virus. Hope your mom is okay…”
Thank you for the concern for my Mom….
Guess you did not know, she passed away last year of an ripe old age of 97. AND have a GREAT life.
Passed quietly in sleep.
SO yes actually she is doing very well, now in a lot better place for sure, AND with my Father whom she loves to give a hard time…. HAHAHA
Oh, so sorry for your loss.I see how my absence has put me behind on things. I am very slow here to respond because I have such a busy life and don’t have much time to post, but try to keep in touch.
Well today it hit 60 degrees, first time since last fall. So I decided to drive around and check out the local grocery stores. I drove by several and through Walmart. All stores were busy which is normal at the beginning of the month. Driving slowly through Walmart parking lot checking out carriages as I drove. Nothing unusual. Can’t say what was going on inside the stores. The only surprise was as I was driving past a very popular Chinese eatery. That lot is always full, hard to get parking any day you go. The lot was 1/3 empty, and this was at peak lunch time. I figured that most people were grocery shopping, so no big deal. However down the road about a mile the local MacDonald’s lot was so full that there were several cars blocking traffic waiting to get into the parking lot. So I guess some people are aware in this area.
I’m a front end cashier for Walmart. Can you all give me a dime for everytime I hear complaints about inventory and stock? I could use the monies to stock pile too. Say snowstorm, and inventory is depleted so now we have corona virus. If you want to complain, go to the source…Nafta and our manufacturing going to the very countries who now do the manufacturing. Yes people are showing up in earlier hours to avoid each other but their numbers are growing as well to exposure of others. Strikes me as strange, Seeing stock piles on the conveyors of paper, can goods, medical, and cleaning disinfecting materials. I sneeze from allergies, they freak but then they meet up with others they converse with or hug. Just use common sense awareness. And I agree, those that live paycheck to paycheck (many who work Walmart) don’t have the means to stockpile. But we’re still here serving the public and it’s paranoid . By the way Trump says it’s all under control, why would those who elected him think otherwise?
Walmart’s main thrust is “Joe Public”, the gimme-dats on EBTs (compliments of taxpayers), and folks looking for a good deal.
You don’t sound happy at Walmart. Maybe you should get another job.
And sorry, I’m fresh out of giveaway dimes.
I’m actually happy with my job and Walmart. On normal circumstance I have great experiences with repeat customers. It’s the paranoia reactions of late I find disturbing and frustrating,as well as unrealistic. And by the way, not all are on EBT. And personally I am blessed that I don’t have to work…And I earned it…not a dime given to me by state !!! Nor realistically need yours. I do what I do for sense of purpose not that I have to. But I also see those that don’t have that option. Be it customer or co worker. The employees can’t change the inventory complaints for lack of stock they can’t show up and disappear at a customer’s will depending on how paranoid they are. There’s a difference in people and human beings…maybe your the one who should give the latter another try!!!
Walmart windspirit –
You are a welcome anomaly, a breath of fresh air. You are articulate and with an excellent command of English. I suspect you work in a small town Walmart, without a huge meth presence. Out by me Walmart is an absolute, puerile hellhole where the employees compete with the locals to present the most freakish appearances. I’m really glad to hear it isn’t this way across the country.
tmcgyver,
Thank you and yes I work in a smaller town. However it is far from absent of any of the drug problems. But it’s really if we’re looking primarily at the glass half full or empty in what we see. And that works from both ends, customers and employees. We have customers that will offer to pay for a Vet’s transactions or elderly. Chase a customer down leaving a wallet or credit card and others that look for any self gained opportunity. Like wise we have employees I’d personally like to kick in the you know what and others I feel we work as a team and so do our customers. We don’t live in a perfect world today but the cynical and negative ones and self serving aren’t helping to make the world a better place for anyone. Not even themselves except they don’t know it.
Toughen up. The front cashier jobs at Walmart are going to be dealing with a lot more problems than what you’re complaining about right now. You can explain the JIT service to a Walmart customer all day long, but when a customer becomes desperate, then a customer can become dangerous. This virus is serious –if you think things are bad right now, brace for impact. Your higher purpose working at Walmart might get called into question.
Personally, I won’t shop at Walmart. I gave up on them when their left-leaning anti-2A political nonsense became more important than their conservative customers. No great loss — Walmart is known for stores that have ‘flash mob’ ordeals, shootings, unhappy workers who are too-poor-and-stuck-there, and enough crazy customers that there’s a big website of hideous Walmart customers. Walmart’s definitely the most controversial brick and mortar business in the US. It is probable that Walmart will see quite a bit of criminal behavior in the very near future. People just haven’t begun shopper-rage and looting yet.
Maria,
Stores were not prepared for the hoarders or this situation. But none of the retailers are depleted of stock coming in. Walmart stopped their 24 hour open store policy so it had time to sanitize and restock. Prior stockers couldn’t bring a skid out on the floor without people converging on it before they could get it on shelves. Now stores, ours as well are setting limits. Check the hours and go early when they open and you should be okay with what you need.
Modern throwback
We’re tougher then you think. Your expertise of Walmart leaves to question why you know so much but don’t shop there. The flash mobs you describe, etc also exist in other plaza stores but not as note worthy to the news media as Walmart. When all you predict should happen it will prevail throughout all open retail stores but only Walmart and other big box stores will be the ones that are newsworthy.
If you only rely on main stream US media news and not reach out to the less popular foreign, you walk with blinders in knowledge of what is. As Trump championed the Democratic hoax, the rest of the world was long before seeing and hearing the reality of what they were facing. You’ve only to go back to his public appearances and statements to realize fact from fiction. Regardless we’re all in this like it or not together you can hate the store name, but it’s the people not the name that are taking the risks. Would you suggest we all walk out closing the doors? And where will that leave any of you the better for it ?
In the last 4 days my husband and I have been going to Wal-Marts, Target and local grocery stores. The shelves for toilet paper, paper goods, bread, meat, soups, cereal, eggs, over the counter cold medications, soap, they’re completely sold out. SOLD OUT! Empty shelves every where. I find it surreal.
I feel like big box stores like Walmart Target etc. should have all “pandemic items” ie. hard-to-find necessities in the same section of the store, possibly a behind-the-counter situation. You could tell a worker the items you need and the workers would only reach you the permitted number of each item. The problem in big box stores is no one is making sure the supplies are rationed fairly. Like in the jewelry section, more valuable items are protected. The more precious valuable items these days are toilet paper, hand sanitizer, gloves, cleaning products, masks and medical supplies. Lets make sure no one gets more than their fair share. What do you think?
Disenchanted in the Deep South
You need to read Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.
You will find the ‘fair share plan in that book’
Five Things Suddenly Selling Out at Walmart in Week 4 of Lockdown (fr Eat this not that)
Sewing Machines
Hair Dye
Hair Trimmers
Baking Yeast
Spiraled Hams