How Preppers Prepare for a Second Wave

The novel coronavirus first emerged in late December 2019, which has profoundly changed our world and day-to-day reality.

During the spring and summer of 2020, communities began to reopen bars, restaurants, and stores. People were eager to go back to their normal daily  activities. A few of us may have imagined (or just hoped) that we had returned to some semblance of normalcy because we suddenly witnessed crowded parks, pools and restaurants across the nation. But despite that, the virus that causes COVID-19, never went away.

According to Worldometer as of April 6, 2021, there is a total record of 31,534,810 coronavirus cases in the United States, wherein 24,100,695 people have recovered but 569,869 died.

Thus, to survive the second wave, we listed tips on how to achieve household preparedness, physical preparedness, mental preparedness, and economic collapse preparedness, 

I. HOUSEHOLD PREPAREDNESS

There are many items to stock up, including fresh, frozen, dried, and canned foods.

There have been an increase in coronavirus cases across the United States, but people are already preparing for the next wave of the pandemic. For example, data from retailers and online shopping platforms suggests people are stocking up on items they need.

If you plan to spend more time at home than usual, buy appropriately, but don’t buy too many things. In that case, if you’ll be taking less frequent trips to the store, it’s helpful to have nutritious, fresh, frozen, and pantry foods on hand. You can prepare a variety of meals and snacks with a mix of each, including easy to cook options when you want to lighten your load.

You should also learn how to prepare your own food and water reserves to have an unlimited supply of it in your household. 

How to stock a healthy kitchen?

Americans tend to base their meals around meat or poultry, however fruits, veggies and other plant foods are really the foundation of a healthy diet and immunity. Important vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and bioactive compounds are found in these foods, so there’s no better time to try to optimize your family’s intake. The following are some must-have, mostly plant-based foods to keep at home, along with pro-tips for how to prepare them.

Fresh Food

Put on your shopping list a mix of fresh fruits and vegetables that will last longer and take stock of what you’ll need. The perimeter of the supermarket is also the place where you’ll find seafood, poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Eat perishable items first, and then move on to your longer-lasting foods. For meat, poultry and seafood, you can freeze anything you won’t eat within two days. Here are some to consider:

Citrus fruits

• Clementines and grapefruits are excellent sources of immune-supporting vitamin C. Try mixing segments into a salad or broiling a half grapefruit with honey for a healthier dessert or snack.

Hardy veggies

• In broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts, you are able to find a group of compounds known as sulforaphane,  which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Also, these veggies keep up to five days in the fridge. Batch roast them to serve alongside meals all week.
• Vitamin C is abundant in red and orange peppers.
• Vitamin A is abundant in baby carrots. Eat them with a dip like hummus or  guacamole.

Dairy foods

• Milk, yogurt, cottage cheese, as well as eggs, provide protein, which is essential for  the production of immune system cells.

Pantry foods

There are nutritious gems in the center aisles. The focus should be on minimally processed foods. Here are a few to try.

• Pulses, such as canned chickpeas and black beans, provide a variety of nutrients like  iron, magnesium and fiber. Studies show that people who eat a half cup of these foods a day have higher levels of nutrients in their diets. Make a bean chili, add black beans to your tacos, or roast chickpeas as a crunchy snack.
• Those pastas that are legume-based, such as chickpea or lentil, are far more protein-packed than  regular pasta, which means you can pare down your meal prep by skipping the protein  portion. These varieties contain more fiber, which improves your  gut health.
• Various nuts and seeds have unique superpowers. Walnuts, for instance, contain the highest level of anti-inflammatory omega-3s and polyphenol antioxidants, making them the best choice for gut health. A healthy gut is linked to better immune health, and these foods can add flavor to meals. You can crush them to use as a coating for fish or chicken or use them for garnish. Add them to smoothies, drizzle them over pancakes or combine them with savory flavors, like cumin or chili powder, to make marinades, dressings, or dips.
• Dried fruits, such as mango and prunes, have important nutrients, including fiber and antioxidants.
• Whole grains, such as quinoa, oats, and wheat, include all parts of the grain and all of the grain’s nutritional value. A major benefit of eating these foods versus their refined counterparts is a reduced risk of type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Make sure you keep some around to eat as side dishes. Be sure to buy whole grain bread, cereal,  and crackers, too.
• Healthier canned soups will surely come in handy. Choose ones with veggies and pulses for more nutritional benefits.
• The canned seafood, like salmon and tuna, is a great pantry staple that is healthy for your immune system. Seafood is also loaded with selenium, which is necessary for a strong immune system. You can make pasta salads or hamburgers with canned seafood.
• Keep some condiments in the house. Some suggestions: unsweetened jarred marinara, salad dressing, Dijon mustard, and hot  sauce.

Frozen Food

There are many healthy options in the frozen section that will keep you full until you run out of perishables.

• Healthy frozen and canned fruits (ideally in full juice) brighten up cold, dark days—and they provide the same nutrients as fresh fruit. You can also swap perishable fresh berries for frozen ones. Just use frozen fruits as if they were fresh ones.
• The frozen vegetables are also just as nutritional as fresh ones, and they also relieve meal prep fatigue. Keep a few varieties on hand for when you run out of produce. You can saute them in extra-virgin olive oil for an easy side.
• There are healthy pizzas out there with cauliflower or grain crusts (even if they’re not 100%) and veggie toppings. We’ve got a long road ahead of us. Feel free to unwind and free yourself from cooking a few times.

Some additional foods that you might not have in your cupboard that are incredibly long-lasting are:

• Dried beans (30 years)
• Rolled oats (30 years)
• Pasta products (30 years)
• Honey (too long 100 years+)
• Salt/Sugar (indefinite)
• Legumes: lentils and peas (4-5 years)
• White rice (if properly stored: 20 years)
• Dehydrated fruit slices (30 years)
• Dehydrated carrots (20 years)
• Dried corn (10+years)
• Baking soda (indefinitely)
• Instant coffee, cocoa powder, tea (10+ years)
• Powdered milk (20+ years. Should use a moisture absorber in their storage packs)
• Stock/bouillon (10+years)
• Raisins (1 year: short, but they’re nice with the powdered milk and oats)
• Powdered milk (lasts for a year or more, especially if it is dehydrated powdered milk)
• Hard cheese in wax (25+years)
• OvaEasy Powdered whole eggs (hard to believe it exists – these last for up to 2 years)
• Canned bake beans and canned spaghetti (3 years – I love these personally, also really good for bug-out bags when you can get them in the baby size)
• Tomato-based pasta sauce (1 year)

[Editor’s note: I wrote a book about survival foods that many preppers like.]

Make Sure You Have Enough Medicine and Personal Protective Equipment

Make sure you have a continuous supply of your regular prescription drugs. Also, make sure you  have enough over-the-counter medication, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough  and cold medicines, and fluids with electrolytes and vitamins.

As a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, people have already begun stockpiling masks, gloves, and hand sanitizers. In the event of further outbreaks, people need to maintain that stock.

Find a suitable place to store your reserves

Wherever you keep your supplies should be in a dark area with the least exposure to light and warmth.

In some cases, you may wish to consider shelving units. These can be very cheap industrial units, or you can build your own out of old wood pallets. In any given unit, you should aim for at least three shelves.

You should buy new stock on the bottom shelf and consume old stock from the top shelf. Therefore, every time you buy stock you move the older stock up one shelf. This ensures that you are cycling through your stocks quickly and keep them fresh.

It is also a good way to keep track of inventory. Again, remember our food list, we will need to keep track of everything we consume and adjust accordingly. If you find you’re running out of a certain product quickly, perhaps it’s a good idea to stock more.

II. PHYSICAL PREPAREDNESS

Manage your Finances

According to a 2018 Federal Reserve survey of household economics, 40% of Americans would struggle to come up with $400 for an unexpected expense without using a credit card. Today, that statistic is probably even worse because of the pandemic prompting unprecedented layoffs that have  escalated the U.S. unemployment rate to 13.3%.

A person’s financial situation increases their risk for emergencies and reduces their ability to solve  them because they have fewer options and resources. When a financial situation is unstable, people shouldn’t spend money on things other than a two-week supply of food and water. They should also have an emergency fund in case their debt spirals out of control.

Get Healthy

The Centers for Disease Control reports that six out of ten American adults have a chronic disease, and four out of ten suffer from two or more. The death rate of those who contract COVID-19 is higher for individuals with conditions such as heart disease or  diabetes.

Health issues make a person less capable of handling the physical demands in an  emergency. It happens all too often that people who start prepping would rather buy gear than eat better or exercise. Fitness increases survival chances by reducing health risks. 

There’s no that there is no one way to get in shape. The important thing is to find what works for you and then get moving. You can make small changes one at a time, like eating less for a few weeks, then eating right or walking, then doing some cardio.

Have a Plan and Practice It

It’s easy to get supplies, but planning for disaster is harder. Have a plan for what to do if a second wave of the coronavirus or some other crisis arises because people usually aren’t together when these things happen.

Stay in touch and reconnect if separated. Tailor your plan to your specific daily living needs and responsibilities, including children, pets, elderly relatives and work needs.

Once you have a plan, practice it.

Develop an extensive portfolio of options rather than stick to one path, much like many schools do these days to decide whether students should continue to learn remotely, restart in-person classes, or do a combination of the two. Families may be given the opportunity to determine their own routine if an additional stay-at-home order is issued, to figure out possible work and childcare schedules.

How to Evacuate In Case Of Emergency

While COVID requires sheltering in place and going out as little as possible, a natural disaster topped with another outbreak may require a different strategy.

Hurricanes and earthquakes usually don’t come with much advance notice. They often strike quickly, so people only have seconds or minutes to evacuate. In cases like these, it’s wise to have a prepacked “go bag” for every household member. Go bags must contain first aid, water, food, tools, clothing, important personal documents, and other materials that are ready to use at a moment’s notice.

Get to Know Your Neighbors

Recent studies have found that communities with stronger connections were more resilient during the Great Depression of the 1930s, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and the tsunami-induced nuclear disaster in Fukushima, Japan, in 2011.

Japan’s earthquake inspired the national Community Emergency  Response Team courses that are now offered for free in all 50 states. Since 1993, the seven-week course has been teaching people how to fight small fires, how to administer emergency treatments, how to evacuate, and how to conduct search and rescues.

III. PREPAREDNESS OF THE MIND

Grocery stores and many pharmacies deliver. Your neighborhood bistro may deliver your favorite comfort food. Research what things you can get delivered to prevent COVID-19 exposure, not to mention cold temperatures and challenging winter roads. Do your research now before you need these products and services. When planning a vacation, don’t plan too far ahead: Organizing a getaway can be just as enjoyable as the getaway itself. But with so much uncertainty, vacations may have to fall by the wayside. Because of the uncertainties about hotel and airfare refunds, you may have an increased level of stress. For now, you must accept that life is a day-to-day experience.

Broaden your horizons

Did you decide to learn a new hobby, expand your culinary skills, or improving your cooking skills during this pandemic? Then you crashed on the couch, watching Netflix marathons, wearing out your best sweatpants, and worrying about the future? It’s understandable;  COVID-19 came on so suddenly and caused so much anxiety. Take steps to reach your goals now. Find the supplies you might need now or  register for an online course. You’ll feel more in control and have an outlet for that stress.

Scam-proof yourself

Scammers attack during disasters. Be ever vigilant when you click on links in texts and email, even if it looks like the source is trustworthy. Keep your cell phone and computer up to date with security software and apps. Also, scammers like to appeal to the heart with charity appeals. You might be asked for cash, wire transfers, even gift cards…don’t fall for their scams. If you’re planning to donate during a crisis, carefully vet the organization through Charity Navigator.

Check on everyone’s health

Make sure your children are up to date on their vaccinations. Ask your healthcare professionals how they’re going to handle office visits this pandemic. Also, don’t be afraid to ask about  available mental health resources. Around the world, millions of people suffer from  anxiety, depression, stress, and loneliness. COVID-19 can cause emotional side effects, but there’s no need to feel embarrassed or ashamed of them.

Stay informed without being overwhelmed

COVID-19 information is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the World Health Organization. Even when you trust the news, it’s okay to take a break from the 24-hour news cycle if it’s causing you anxiety and sleepless nights. Information overload is real. Get your news once a day from a reliable source.

Be on your best behavior

You made it through the first lockdown, so something worked. Consider what went well and what you could do better. Are you able to work remotely for longer periods if needed? Do you wish you’d checked in with friends and family more frequently? Perhaps you have learned it’s important to reach out. Please don’t confuse being alone with being lonely. We’re all in this together. If we keep a healthy distance physically, we can still communicate and stay close.

Shift your perspective

COVID-19 may be exhausting, but prevention efforts remain in place, says Dr. Varkey. Rather than wishing you could “get back to normal,” be aware that this will be the “new normal” for the foreseeable future — and that may mean periods of social isolation. On occasion, restaurants won’t be able to serve at full capacity, parks will still enforce six-foot distance, and working from home could take longer than you’d like.

Keep doing what you’re probably already doing

If you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19, you might have mastered washing your hands properly, not touching your face, and following guidelines for social distancing. Wear a face mask out in public when you cannot maintain a distance from others outside of  your household. When we prepare for the second wave, make sure to stay informed by checking in with the CDC and your state health department for the latest information.

We are all in this crisis together

Your efforts to protect yourself aren’t just for you—in the end, you’re doing your part to protect your family, neighbors, and friends. A pandemic is like running a marathon (or several), so check in with yourself and the people you care about and reach out for help if you need it.

IV. ECONOMIC COLLAPSE PREPAREDNESS

We can’t fight an economic collapse and we can’t run from it either. Even if it were to be isolated to just one country, like Venezuela, the savings it generates would be very little in any other country, effectively leaving us vulnerable and making us financial crisis refugees. We only can prepare for an economic collapse and be a little more frugal when the going gets  tough.

So let’s take a look at the 9 steps you can take to prepare for an economic collapse.

1. Learn simple economics so you can identify early warning signs

Understanding the basics of economics will help you in not only spotting a possible economic downturn, but will help you recognize possible safe havens for your money and economic minefields that you should  avoid.

2. Cash is king

Cash is important because it’s buying power. Think about how much money you have in the bank and how liquid you can make it. Just make sure you can quickly liquidate investments if you need to and make sure your money is safe. Not to invest in anything that takes longer than a week to withdraw. As you’ve seen in the past, economic recession can set in in a blink of an eye, and some resources may not be viable for liquidation  due to early bankruptcy.

As a financial collapse prepper, I would advise everyone to get their emergency funds in a safe place. Savings and checkings accounts should always carry a certain amount, as this can be withdrawn quickly in an emergency. It is much better than having your money in a term deposit account that restricts your withdrawals.

Make sure that you have enough cash on hand, especially if you are picking up warning signs of a recession. This amount of money will act as an emergency stash until you can withdraw the money from your account and liquidate your assets.

3. Start building an emergency cash fund

The emergency fund should be in debit, it should come from the cash you saved from your monthly paycheck. If you open a savings account at your bank (most allow free account opening), place that money in a separate savings account. This is a No Touch fund, or as some prefer to call it, a SHTF fund. Make sure you have enough money to buy tickets to another country and support yourself and your family for a  month.

A fund of this type allows you to leave a country before the US dollar becomes weak and should cover enough time for you to find work in that country before the collapse occurs.

4. Start being more frugal with your monthly bills

If you have no money coming in, the worst thing you can do is to send money out on unnecessary expenses. Minimize your bills by going through them month by month with highlighter and seeing where most of your money goes. Can that be controlled? Maybe the power is higher than it should be and the air-conditioning or heater is left on?

Sustainability techniques such as organic gardening, generating your own power, and utilizing your own space can help you also reduce monthly expenses and become more self-sufficient in case of an economic collapse where regular comforts may not be readily available. Solar panels or producing your own food can supplement your food expenditures. This is a growing trend as a lot of people are pushing towards self-sufficiency.

Some people that have already moved to unpopulated areas are running complete gardens on their properties that can sustain their entire family all-year round. It doesn’t take long to learn urban gardening skills or country homesteading skills and they are both very fun and rewarding tasks.

5. Generate an additional (collapse-proof) form of income

As a Venezuelan, our writer started making cheese, learned to use a CNC kit to craft and cut, and became a freelance writer for various websites as a way to find alternative income when the economy collapsed.

To diversify the income, and distribute the money in the accounts you believe you may need, and even to receive money, is crucial. In an economy like this, I believe that keeping the 20% of monthly income in silver would have worked, but Venezuela is not a place where preppers and other people interested in the direction of their future are plentiful, so a trading network would have been hard to set up.

People often start an at-home business as a side business and to supplement their normal income when times are tough or they have lost their job. The skills would have to be essential ones that a family would need in case of a collapse, which could be things such as sewing, gardening, building, repairs, selling your food, accounting, and other necessities.

6. Get out of debt

Build a strategy to pay off debts as soon as possible. If a financial collapse occurs, wages will be slashed across the board, resulting in multiple job losses and widespread income loss. The sooner you pay debt off the sooner you will not have to worry about it.

7. Make sure your passport is current

If the country is approaching the point where it is taking a steep plunge downwards, it might be time to get out and spend some time abroad. This is a common move for many economic refugees while they wait for their country to regain financial stability.

In order to avoid unnecessary complications with having to renew a passport overseas, make sure your passport still has enough time on it. Also, research countries you might consider as a refuge destination, and research their visa laws as well as  any possible employment there.

8. Start prepping

Once a financial collapse occurs, you are going to want to start prepping so that, should an economic downturn happen, you’ll have enough food saved up while you either grow your own food or find a free source of food. There is a chance you will need food more than water, since water will still run, but stores will close down and shelves may empty very quickly.

As part of our bug-out guide, we suggest identifying a bug-out plan, location, a suitable bug out bag, and bug out contents. If a real economic collapse occurs, crime rates will rise, social disorder and looting will rise, and there will likely be conflicts with law enforcement and military. It’s a safe bet to avoid busy urban areas since these are typically the areas where violence is most likely to occur.

9. Expand your Skills

People ought to learn skills that could be an alternative to their current job, should they lose it. In the current climate of job globalization and automation, almost every job is in peril. In the midst of the financial crisis, there is a high rate of unemployment. A person should utilize his skills in another industry or field so he can stand out from all the other applicants who are also searching for jobs.

CONCLUSION: Plan for the worst, while hoping for the best

Short of this, the future course of the pandemic will play out different scenarios such as low-grade continuing infectivity, gradually infecting more younger people; local and multiple outbreaks on a small scale; or disastrous uncontrollable second waves in many countries.

The pandemic highlights pre-existing ill health that is a consequence of social and economic inequalities. The pandemic reflects a societal problem that should be addressed. This experience should have something positive to offer us.

As a result of the measures taken, the sense of citizenship, social participation, and mutual responsibility among people from all social backgrounds, within countries, and internationally, might improve.

In this respite for many countries, ‘we should not use this time to celebrate, but to plan’. Traditionally, emergency preparedness includes ‘hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst. This new and more challenging phase of the pandemic calls on all governments to meet these needs.

[Note: This was a guest post.]