08/29/2018 / By Michelle Simmons
Are you prepared for when a pandemic occurs? In order to survive one, you must have every essential thing at home. Before a pandemic occurs, prepare these 20 essential items in order that may help you and your family survive through it. (h/t to ModernSurvivalBlog.com)
- Water – It is a must to have a stock of clean drinking water that will last for months. Each person must have at least one gallon per day – half of it will be used for drinking, while the other half will be used for hygienic purposes. You may also want to think about buying a quality drinking water filter, in case the water needs to be filtered.
- Water storage – Water storage is particularly useful for a temporary isolation room.
- Food – There must be food stored for every member of the family living in the household that should last for at least three months.
- Liquid bleach – Prepare at least five gallons of liquid bleach for each person for sanitation purposes. Keep in mind that bleach will lose about half of its effectiveness after a year.
- Purple nitrile exam gloves – Store at least four boxes of these gloves. These gloves provide the highest level of chemical protection available.
- Quality respirator mask – For respiratory protection, include quality respirator masks to your pandemic survival list. If within proximity, have the patient wear one.
- Face shield – For eyes, nose, and mouth protection, prepare face shields. It is important to protect these body parts as they are possible entry points of infection.
- Antibacterial sanitizer – An antibacterial sanitizer, preferably with benzethonium chloride, will be useful for thorough hand sanitizing.
- Clear plastic sheeting – A clear plastic sheeting will be used to set up an isolation room.
- Duct tape – The duct tape will be used for setting up an isolation room and securing plastic sheeting.
- HEPA filters – Prepare enough high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters for the whole house to filter air.
- Portable toilet and waste bags – The portable toilet will be used in the provisional isolation room.
- Heavy-duty contractor bags – Prepare 50 heavy-duty contractor bags for each person to be used for provisional toilets, contaminant disposal, and garbage.
- Ordinary kitchen trash bags – Ready 100 ordinary kitchen trash bags for each person for ordinary garbage.
- Kitty litter – Include 25 lbs. of kitty litter per person which will be used to clean up the body fluids expelled by sick people. They can also act as provisional toilets.
- Toilet paper – For every person, prepare 100 rolls of toilet paper for personal sanitation.
- Paper towels – Ready 20 rolls of paper towels for each member of the household.
- Aggressive anti-grease formula soap – Include an aggressive anti-grease formula soap to your pandemic survival items list.
- Disposable coverall suit – Likewise, add a disposable coverall suit to your list for overall body protection.
- Chemical-resistant gloves – To protect the hands when handling dangerous wastes, prepare chemical-resistant gloves.
Things to do during a pandemic
Now that you know what to do before a pandemic, here are some tips on what to do during a pandemic. (Related: Pandemic Preparedness Audio Course Launched: How to Prepare for any Pandemic (with Dr. Sheldon Marks).)
- Avoid close contact with infected people.
- Keep your distance from other when you are sick.
- Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing.
- Wash your hands frequently.
- Refrain from touching your eyes, nose, or mouth.
- Practice other good health habits, such as getting enough sleep, exercising, managing stress, staying hydrated, and eating healthy food.
Read more stories on preparedness tips for a pandemic and other survival situations at Survival.news.
Sources include:
ModernSurvivalBlog.com
ArtOfManliness.com
Ready.gov