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There’s no doubt that the Coronavirus and COVID-19 are having an affect on what used to be a normal life. Hopefully, it’ll soon return to that. For some, anyway.
I happen to fall into one of the high-risk categories due to age and some related health issues, so for the moment I’m holed up with very minimal (physical) contact with the outside world. I honestly don’t know how this will play out.
As you might expect, we’re pretty well stocked on supplies to get us through the near term. As long as I treat everyone on the outside as a “zombie” I need to avoid, I should be OK for awhile.
I just thought I would check in to see how you are all weathering this.
I don’t care if you think it’s “just the flu” or if this is a conspiracy by the Illuminati to impose martial law. That’s not my question.
How are you doing? Comment below.
(Note: unfortunately, the ‘reply’ feature in the comments isn’t working for readers…I can still reply in comments using the site’s admin section. You’ll have to start new replies. We’re still trying to figure this out.)
Approximately ten million Americans have filed new claims for unemployment benefits over the past two weeks. To put that in perspective, the all-time record for a single week before this coronavirus pandemic hit was just 695,000. So needless to say, 6.6 million claims in a single week puts us in uncharted territory. Just check out this chart. We have never seen a week like this before, and we may never see a week quite this bad again. Of course millions more jobs will be lost in the months ahead as this pandemic stretches on, but it is hard to imagine another spike like we just had. When you add the last two weeks together, somewhere around 10 million Americans have filed new unemployment claims during that time period…
The torrent of Americans filing for unemployment insurance skyrocketed last week as more than 6.6 million new claims were filed, the Labor Department reported Thursday. That brings to 10 million the total Americans who filed over the past two weeks.
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones had expected 3.1 million for last week, one week after 3.3 million filings in the first wave of what has been a record-shattering swelling of the jobless ranks. The previous week’s total was revised higher by 24,000.
As I have documented repeatedly in my articles, survey after survey has shown that most Americans were living paycheck to paycheck even during the “good times”.
Now that those paychecks aren’t coming in anymore for millions of Americans, a lot of bills aren’t going to get paid.
Just like we witnessed in 2008, mortgage defaults are about to skyrocket, and Wall Street is bracing for the worst…
Borrowers who lost income from the coronavirus, which is already a skyrocketing number as the 10 million new jobless claims in the past two weeks attests, can ask to skip payments for as many as 180 days at a time on federally backed mortgages, and avoid penalties and a hit to their credit scores. But as Bloomberg notes, it’s not a payment holiday and eventually homeowners they’ll have to make it all up.
According to estimates by Moody’s Analytics chief economist Mark Zandi, as many as 30% of Americans with home loans – about 15 million households – could stop paying if the U.S. economy remains closed through the summer or beyond.
As I noted yesterday, the St. Louis Fed expects the unemployment rate to eventually hit 32 percent. That won’t happen immediately, but if we do get there it will be worse than anything that we witnessed during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
Because of all the shutdowns that have been instituted nationwide, economic activity has already dropped to levels that we have never seen before in our entire history.
The Domestic Box office (movie theaters) brought in a whopping $5,179 for the week of Mar 20-26. Down 100% from $204,193,406 the same week a year ago… These numbers are just incredible.
And even once all the “shelter-in-place” orders have finally been lifted, a substantial portion of the population will not want to go to movie theaters anymore due to fear of catching the virus.
Many movie theaters that have closed down will simply never open up again.
Another thing that has really surprised me is how rapidly many Americans have run out of food. A Daily Mail article that documented a line of vehicles a half mile long at a church in Orlando that was giving out food received a lot of attention today…
Today, the hundreds of families flocking to a church parking lot across town from Orlando’s iconic resorts and theme parks are here for a starkly different reason: survival.
‘In the amusement parks, the purpose or the outcome is about having joy or a thrill,’ says mom-of-three Glenda Hernandez, winding down her window to speak with a DailyMail.com reporter.
‘This is about having a child’s belly full for the night or the next couple of nights on whatever they give us.’
How is it possible that so many families are out of food already?
And apparently charities and food banks all over the country are seeing similar surges in demand. Here are just a few examples that were shared by the Guardian…
In Amherst, home to the University of Massachusetts’ largest campus, the pantry distributed 849% more food in March compared with the previous year. The second-largest increase in western Massachusetts was 748% at the Pittsfield Salvation Army pantry.
The Grace Klein community food pantry in Jefferson county, which has the largest number of confirmed Covid-19 cases in Alabama, provided 5,076 individuals with food boxes last week – a 90% increase on the previous week.
In southern Arizona, demand has doubled, with pantries supplying groceries to 4,000 households every day – double the number supplied in March 2019. “We saw an increase during the federal government shutdown but nothing as rapid, massive or overwhelming as this,” said Michael McDonald, CEO of the Community Food Bank of South Arizona.
If things are this bad already, how much worse will the suffering be a month or two down the road?
Meanwhile, U.S. farmers are facing problems of their own.
Because of all the shutdowns, it has been difficult for farmers to get enough workers into their fields. The following comes from CNN…
April and May are critical planting and harvesting times for many US farmers. They need skilled laborers to work their fields, and a reliable supply chain to deliver their goods. And they don’t have any time to waste.
If farmers can’t find enough workers or if their farming practices are disrupted because of the pandemic, Americans could have less or pricier food this summer. And because international farmers and their supply chains face similar problems, we could receive fewer food imports, potentially limiting supply and driving up prices.
Of course the main thing that is going to drive up prices is the fact that the system is being absolutely flooded with new money. Many Americans have applauded the recent moves by the Federal Reserve, and just about everyone seems thrilled that big government checks are coming, but they won’t be so thrilled when a loaf of bread costs five dollars and a gallon of milk costs ten dollars.
As the virus spreads, many are concerned that it will sweep through low wage communities particularly hard, and that is a huge problem because low wage workers are absolutely vital all along the food chain…
By law, food manufacturers must prevent anyone who is sick or has a communicable disease from handling, processing or preparing food for human consumption. But much of the food supply chain is staffed by low-wage workers, many of them undocumented immigrants with limited ties to health services.
So what are we going to do if there are not enough healthy workers to get our food from the farms to our dinner tables?
The first case of a worker at a major U.S. meat producer testing positive for the virus was reported last week at poultry giant Sanderson Farms Inc. Since then, infections have cropped up everywhere from JBS SA plants in Iowa to Harmony Beef in Alberta.
While scattered factories have closed temporarily or cut output, generally companies are keeping plants running when workers get sick. Rather than shutting entire plants, they’ve focused on identifying areas where infected people have had direct contact.
Fear of the coronavirus is going to paralyze even “essential” industries such as food production.
We are now being told that authorities hope that cases peak in April and that this crisis will hopefully be behind us by June. Let us pray that is true, but what most Americans don’t realize is that this pandemic is just the beginning.
Even before any of us ever heard of “COVID-19”, our world was already descending into madness, but now this pandemic has certainly accelerated things.
Millions of Americans have already lost their jobs, and the days ahead are going to be exceedingly challenging.
This is what an economic collapse looks like, and it is just getting started.
About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help. During these very challenging times, people will need hope more than ever before, and it is our goal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all many people as we possibly can.
It figures that the first thing to go in a SHTF situation is the toilet paper. With COVID-19 snaking its way across America—and news stations breathlessly reporting on empty shelves—TP is at the top of most shoppers’ lists. If you’re limiting your grocery runs to reduce the likelihood of exposure, you run the real risk of missing out on this basic staple. You can go to off-the-beaten-path stores, but they might not have it either. So what do you do if your monthly shopping expedition comes after the village hoarder has ransacked the hygiene aisle? For that, we turn to one of the bougiest of concepts: The bidet. Well, a DIY bidet.
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Creating a DIY Bidet
No, I’m not talking about that sink next to toilets in Europe, or one of those multi-button motion-sensor, heated-seat porcelain thrones that you see in luxury penthouses. (Although if you DO have one of those installed in your home already, excellent foresight.) No, what I’m talking about is the backcountry bidet—a simple solution to all your No. 2 needs.
The classic backcountry bidet is a type of squeeze bottle with a long, bent-neck nozzle (such as the BioBidet). However, if you don’t have one of these lying around, it’s easy enough to jerry rig a DIY version. These range from the VERY low-tech (a cup of warm water and your left hand) to more complex prototypes that require a trip to the hardware store (yeah …). But an easier version uses common household materials.
Make Your Bidet
Step 1) Find your bottle. A quick search of my fridge and backpacking pantry resulted in a variety of options. Select your bottle for “squeezability”—Gatorades are probably not the best choice here)—and size. You’ll just have to use your judgement when it comes to size. If you have smaller hands and are relatively, er, efficient, you’d want to select a smaller bottle than someone with quarterback-sized mitts. Some trial and error may be involved.
Step 2) Mark your bottle in a way that is impossible to miss. Duct tape, stickers, whatever you have at hand. The last thing you want is to mistake this bottle for a regular water bottle in the middle of the night.
Step 3) Grab a drill and drill bit; something in the 1/8 to 7/32 range works best. Test to see if your hole is already the correct size. If not, remove the cap, place it on a firm surface, and get drilling.
Step 4) Fill your bottle with water and screw the top back on.
Using Your Bidet
Step 1) After you’ve done the deed (taking your time—a pandemic is no time for a hernia), grab your bottle.
Step 2) Reach underneath and spray front to back (especially important for women and girls). Depending on the size of the bottle you selected, you may need to elevate your carriage some off the throne to get the right angle. Be mindful of the back of the toilet; this was designed for outdoor use, after all. Try to keep your hand out of the way of any splashback, but don’t worry too much about it. We’ve all had lots of practice with the proper technique for washing hands these days.
Step 3) Depending on how much you are trying to conserve toilet paper, you can either grab a square or two of TP to dry off, or let things air out au naturel.
Programming note: Do NOT get fancy and start thinking that you can conserve your home water supply by using urine in your DIY bidet. The uric acid will give you diaper rash.
Van life is a very popular trend among young individuals seeking freedom, a simple life, and exploration. Off-grid living is a popular trend in the same vein that it incorporates the goals of freedom and simple living. Is van life and off-grid living mutually exclusive? Can you live the van life as a prepper and enjoy the aspects of off-grid living? For some budget conscious individuals, they may just be looking to live this style of life while building or saving for a more permanent home. For preppers, as during the COVID-19 pandemic, motorhomes can also be for self-isolation.
Most of us have romantic notions about off-grid living. Sure, growing food and sourcing water would be hard, laborious work. But it would be honest work. Even better, it would all be an exercise in independence. There would be no bureaucrats, no middle-men; no corporate influence — just you, your loved ones, and the raw materials of the Earth.
It is in this sense that we think of off-grid living as a life “how it should be.” A natural life. The good life. The romanticism goes on.
But in today’s increasingly interconnected and globalized world, how realistic is the off-grid lifestyle? Is it even legal in so-called liberal democracies? And if it could be achieved, would it ultimately be desirable, and worth the effort?
These are the questions this article is looking to explore.
Off-grid living seems idyllic, even the “right” way to live.
Off-grid living seems idyllic, even the ‘right’ way to live.
Freedom and Defining Off-Grid
In order to explore how possible off-grid living is, we first need to define what people mean when they talk about it. Some definitions are more strict than others. For example, some people take off-grid living to be:
Living independently of the public power grid.
Living free of all public utilities, including water.
Completely avoiding all public infrastructure, such as roads.
Being completely independent of all walks of life, including food-shopping and healthcare.
For most people, the romanticism associated with off-grid living can be
found at the most extreme end of this scale — but few would seriously want to
put their health at risk in the event of an emergency.
Most people — and as we shall soon see — tend to think of the first step
as sufficient enough. After all “grid” is a synonym for electrical grid. This
is literally where the expression comes from.
Living Off-Grid in a Van or Motorhome — Is it Possible?
To attempt the off-grid lifestyle in a motorhome is to automatically be dependent on the road network. This way of life is appealing to many, because it opens up whole new areas of the world to settle down in, relax and explore. It also makes you more answerable to governmental legislation, which more often than not interrupts any romantic notions of “freedom” and “independence.”
For example, in the UK, it is not possible to just find someplace out in
the countryside, settle down and start cultivating the land. Not without
permission. You can settle down somewhere for 28-days, but after that
the local authorities will demand you move on (unless you successfully apply
for planning permission).
But here are some things you can do:
You could look for a residential site or holiday site for motorhomes that is welcome all year round. Although some sites have legal requirements for you to leave the site for a period of 48-hours every three months or so. But that’s not really a problem, and could give you the chance to do some exploring.
You could live off-grid on someone else’s land with their permission. This is known as ancillary accommodation. And “someone else’s land” can refer to anything, from pastures and meadowland, to a large garden and even somebody’s driveway.
And that’s about it! You could opt for a full nomadic lifestyle, with no fixed address — but you would soon run into problems, and this would make the off-grid lifestyle nearly impossible. As without ancillary accommodation, you would have to keep moving about.
Living ‘off-grid’ in a motorhome is appealing to many, for extra independence.
Living “off-grid” in a motorhome is appealing to many, for extra independence.
Off-Grid Living or Full-Time Touring?
If we are willing to bend the rules of what constitutes off-grid living,
then full-time touring is an option. This is actually really popular, because
it provides motorhome-owners with all of the perks of travelling and
independence, and none of the downsides.
For example, someone who is touring full-time could still visit the shops to get food. And (a neat trick that a friend told me) could join a 24-hour gym for the sole purpose of a hot shower. People living the van life often join a YMCA to enjoy the “use any YMCA gym” benefit that membership comes with. It would entirely be possible to be off-grid in terms of power usage, but on the darkest and coldest winter nights, hook-ups would still be an option at most sites.
Full-time tourists can even take advantage of motorhome sites with no
power grid. These sites are unpopular even on bank holidays and in the height
of summer, and will provide plenty of spaces to sit back, relax and enjoy what
life has to offer.
Off-Grid Energy in a Motorhome
For the purposes of the rest of this article, we are going to assume you
want to be somewhat self-sufficient; as close to the romanticism of off-grid
living as possible. In that case, you will need to know what to do for
power.
Solar panels — The most important source of power will come from the sun. Technological improvements over the years have driven the cost of solar panels right down, and a good one will last over a decade if looked after properly. Mounted-roof panels are ideal because you can pivot them to follow the sun, and after nightfall, fold them away and store them inside to prevent theft.
A 100-watt panel wired into two 110-amp leisure panels should serve your energy needs in a motorhome well, though you might have to sacrifice some — in my opinion easily doable — electronics. Such as: TV (watch on a laptop instead); toasters, coffee makers, French press, and so on (you can find more practical ways to make coffee and toast). A 200-watt panel is also suitable.
Propane Gas — The second most important type of power source is gas. In the summer, gas works to keep our refrigerators cool. In the winter, we burn gas for warmth. Without mentioning specific brands, a refillable gas system should cater well for your gas needs — with a backup cylinder in reserve. Shop around and find the best cost-for-cost cylinders. Two cylinders should last about three weeks. You can even buy 100lb steel propane tanks for more semi-permanent residence!
Generators — Generators are noisy and smelly, so they are best used as a backup, when the solar panel cannot generate enough power. If you are power-smart, a 500-watt one might be enough to manage on. Higher energy consumers might opt for a two-kilowatt generator. Invest in a good brand and you should get a decade of use out of it. Honda makes a super quiet 1000-watt generator with an inverter and a 3000-watt version. They’re more costly than others, but the benefits could outweigh the costs. You also have the added benefit of Honda quality.
A car engine — If you don’t have a generator and just need a little backup in case everything goes out, then the engine of a car or other motorhome may be just the trick. All engines like these have alternators and can provide sufficient charge in half-an-hour or so.
Somewhat surprisingly, power-sufficiency is probably the easiest part of
the off-grid lifestyle. Though be warned: it can get expensive. But if you can
afford it, it should well be within your grasp to manage.
Food and Water Self-Sufficiency in a Motorhome — Can it be Done?
The answer to the water part of this question can be dealt with quite quickly: no. Even some of the most die-hard off-grid enthusiasts still have to resort to a public utilities source for their water. Most lakes and rivers are, unfortunately, polluted or riddled with vomit-inducing microorganisms. A travel Berkey gravity-fed water filter can help, or something like the Katadyn small group water filter, but those only go so far – and they assume a ready supply of water.
You could consult a geographical map, find an area with a
naturally high water table, and try digging a well. But such an endeavor will
cost a lot of money, require apparatus to pump the water out, by no means be a
guaranteed success and (you guessed it) will rattle the attention of the local
authorities.
Self-sufficient food and water is much harder to manage than electricity and gas.
Self-sufficient food and water is much harder to manage than electricity and gas.
For food, the answer is: definitely sometimes. You can grow a surprisingly large amount of food in a relatively small place; raised-beds are a perfect example of this. You can then supplement whatever you grow with more edible fruits and plants grown in containers. Even a raised-bed around 24-inches wide should be sufficient for a couple of people (read Square Foot Gardening to see how). You can raid local supermarkets for food-waste and cardboard to re-purpose as compost, too. But that’s a lot of work!
The problem is, for such self-sufficiency to be possible, you will have
to ground your motorhome for months at a time. Growing food this way also
requires meticulous and strategic care — akin to becoming something like a
low-level biologist — and you will have to deal with pests, plant-disease, and
bad weather on top of all that. Self-sufficient food crops have also been
linked to bad breath and digestive problems.
At the very least, it would be possible to be somewhat self-sufficient
some of the time. This goes for people who live in a fixed abode as well, and
not just for motorhome enthusiasts. The general consensus from the people
who’ve tried it seems to be: it is far better to grow some food for the
sense of accomplishment, but not to depend on it.
Thoughts and Conclusions
In short, the answer to the question: “Can you safely live off-grid in a
van or motorhome?” depends on your interpretation of what the word“off-grid”
actually means, and if one is allowed to bend that definition. As we have
explored, simply driving around and using the roads is by some interpretations
off-limits for anyone who truly desires to be independent from the
network.
You can certainly live in a motorhome independent of a national power grid. With careful management of your solar panels and gas canisters — this is actually one of the least problematic areas of off-grid living. And it is certainly achievable and has some advantages.
But sourcing food and water is very difficult. At best, and at some expense and risk, and strategic thinking, you may be able to be food and water self-sufficient some of the time. It will be hard work, but it will be honest labor. And in the periods where one can live truly off the Earth, there are few greater senses of accomplishment.
— This Author
Neil Wright is a copywriter and researcher. He has an interest in travel, science and the natural world, and has written extensively about off-grid living in the UK on his motorhome website.
According to internal documents, Monsanto and Germany’s BASF knew their products would destroy farms in the United States. The firms disregarded the risks even while they planned on how to profit off farmers who would buy Monsanto’s new seeds just to avoid the damages caused by their products.
The documents (some of them date back more than a decade) have been uncovered during a recent successful $265 million lawsuit brought against both firms by a Missouri farmer. The internal documents were seen and released by theGuardian. They also revealed how Monsanto opposed some third-party product testing, in order to curtail the generation of data that might have worried regulators. In some of the internal BASF emails, employees were even joking about sharing “voodoo science“ and hoping to stay “out of jail.”
“The documents are the worst that I’ve ever seen for any case that I’ve worked on,” said lawyer Angie Splittgerber, a former tobacco industry defense attorney who works with farmers who are suing Monsanto and BASF. “So many of them put things in writing that were just horrifying.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Monsanto has been caught trying to hide the damages that are done with their products.
Records showed that at private meetings dating back to 2009, agricultural experts warned that the plan to develop a dicamba-tolerant system could have catastrophic consequences. Dicamba herbicide would normally kill crops such as soybean or cotton, but Monsanto altered the genes in these crops to create genetically modified varieties that are resistant to the herbicide. This meant that farmers can spray the weedkiller directly on those soybean or cotton plants to destroy weeds but leave the crops unharmed.
The experts told Monsanto that farmers were likely to spray old volatile versions of dicamba on the new dicamba-tolerant crops. They have warned that even new versions were still likely to be volatile enough to move away from the special cotton and soybean fields on to crops growing on other farms.
What is more important, under the system designed by Monsanto and BASF, only farmers buying Monsanto’s dicamba-tolerant cotton and soybean seeds would be protected from dicamba drift damage. –RT
According to a report prepared for Monsanto back in 2009 as part of industry consultation, such an “off-target movement“ was expected. The company also expected things such as massive “crop loss”, “lawsuits” and “negative press around pesticides.” Monsanto’s own projections estimated that dicamba damage claims from farmers would total more than 10,000 cases, including 1,305 in 2016, 2,765 in 2017 and 3,259 in 2018.
Both Monsanto and BASF defended their products, claiming dicamba is safe “when used correctly,” and marketed it as an important tool for farmers. Industry estimates suggest that several million acres of crops have now been reported damaged by dicamba. More than 100 US farmers are engaged in litigation in federal court alleging Monsanto and BASF collaboration created a “defective” crop system that has damaged orchards, gardens and organic and non-organic farm fields in multiple states.
The US is only recently getting a taste of the ‘lockdown’ that’s been in effect for several countries in Europe, notably Italy and Spain.
I asked a couple of my contacts in Europe about what life under lockdown has been like. Esther lives in Barcelona, Spain, and is a project manager for a large company. Kyt lives in Milan, Italy. You might recognize her as the author of a recent series on tracking for preppers. She travels a lot as a tracking instructor.
I sent them both a series of questions about what it’s been like since their countries went into lockdown. Remember, neither country has a federalized government system like we do in America, so while their regions have some autonomy and self-governance, the shut-down orders came directly from their federal governments. — Pat
The Prepper Journal: When did the lockdown go into effect? Esther: March 13 at 10pm
Kyt: It was declared official on March 10th, after a week of uncertainty about the whole situation. The first zones to be declared “RED” were Lombardia and Veneto. Because they are regions within the country (somewhat like your states), You can imagine how the panic started crawling into people’ minds…we are talking about millions of people.
TPJ: What warning / how much warning did you have in your region for the lockdown? Esther: Almost none.
Kyt: It was immediate, but there was some warning. The night before, hundreds of citizens tried to catch the night and overnight trains in order to reach their relatives, mostly located in South of Italy. Quite a massive exodus.
TPJ: Where were you when the government order came? Esther: At my home in Barcelona.
Kyt: I was already locked in at home. I kind of barricaded myself in on March 3rd. The terrible news started spreading fast around the last weekend of February. At that time, I was leading two tracking courses in Rome, so I got home as quickly as I could.
TPJ: Where are you now? How long have you been there? When can you go home? Kyt: At home, reducing my “coming out” just to purchase food. As mentioned above, we’ve been under lockdown since March 3rd! I haven’t seen my parents since that date.
TPJ: Did you have extra clothes or supplies? This would seem a perfect situation for having a ‘bugout bag’, but with extra clothes and day-to-day items like shampoo, etc. Kyt: As I consider myself a prepper, I have always two bugout bags prepared, within easy reach, that contain all the necessary gear: rations, water purification systems, fire starting kit, medical kit, extra clothing, several good blades, sleeping bag and so on. I have plenty of food and potable water, as I have always kept my pantry fully assorted. If I had to, I would opt to reach a second house in the mountains, where I can get all I need for myself and my parents.
TPJ: Can you go out at all, or must you stay in the house/apartment all the time? How do you get food? Esther:
We only can go outside if we have to buy food, buy medicine, go to work or go for a walk with our dogs
You have to go outside alone. Only can go accompanied if you are disabled
If you must drive, you must go alone in your car
If you don’t obey the law, you will have a fine, from 100€ to 1 year in prison. Most of the fines are 600€ (about $107 and $647, respectively- TPJ)
Kyt: I must stay at home, but I can get out ONLY in the areas near my residence. I purchase food in a small supermarket that is within walking distance. I consider myself extremely lucky for that.
TPJ: What’s the situation with COVID-19 in your region? Esther: The situation is not good at all. Less than 20% rooms available in the ER, and no masks or gloves are available for sanitary workers, so they are working with no protection.
Kyt: At the time I wrote this, the death toll has exceeded 5,000 in whole Italy. In my region, Lombardia, it has reached 3,456, while people who are now totally recovered are 5,865. The contagious line seems to show a decrease in the last few days.
TPJ: How are your family and friends dealing with this? Esther: All of us are at home. Except for me and my cousin, no one is working. My cousin works in a hospital and I’m able to work from home during this.
Kyt: Scared, but trying to hold on. Italians do have a lot of hope, and we survived the plague back in 1600!
TPJ: What advice do you have to readers of The Prepper Journal if they find themselves in this situation? Esther: Try to not get nervous. Do some exercise and try to keep your mind busy.
Kyt: My sincere advice is to avoid any kind of contact and wash ALL the packages you get at the grocery stores, Walmart and so on. You never know who touched them before you. Eat a lot of honey and chili peppers in order to help strengthen your immune system. Obviously, never touch your nose, mouth and eyes. Try to vary your food and exercise at home! Since you will be precluded of getting out, your body needs to gain as much as strength as possible. Sweating is good!
With much of the U.S. finding itself in increasing lockdowns due to the Coronavirus and COVID-19, and many countries in a complete lockdown, we thought this article from 2014 would be worth re-publishing.
We’re still seeing a lot of people who are ignoring basic self-distancing protocols and espousing a “government can’t tell me what to do.” I agree that government overreach has the real potential for getting bad, but voluntarily choosing to stay home or isolate is a much different scenario than the government imposing martial law.
The first is OK, the second abhorrent. With food availability possibly becoming an issue, what we don’t want is the government to be another obstacle in our wish to survive.
Be safe. Wash your hands. — Pat
The news has been almost completely focused on Ebola for the last couple of weeks and information outlets are pouring out details by the minute. This type of event is what the 24-Hour news cycle was created for and pundits on every side are breathlessly announcing news, interviewing witnesses and experts and showing hour after hour of footage of hospitals, people in yellow gowns, nitrile gloves and face-masks. It is enough to make a sane person crazy and it is a sober reminder to preppers everywhere that precautions for events like this are valid, prudent and perhaps in some of our cases, just in the nick of time.
Well, the Prepper Journal audience is full of sane people. I believe that most people who call themselves preppers are focused on taking simple logical steps to ensure the safety of their closest loved ones. It makes sense to pay attention to the news and shore up any supply needs that you might have. I believe it is very wise to keep an eye on the events in Dallas and elsewhere in the world in the event that this virus does grow outside of the limited scope that we have seen so far in the US at least.
When it is all said and done, this “outbreak” which isn’t really an outbreak at all here thankfully could end up disappearing from the news just as quickly as it came. Of course, it could also grow more serious. We aren’t clear exactly how Ebola is transmitted although very smart people are saying that it is hard to catch. So far, I am inclined to believe them only for the primary reason that we only have 3 cases at this time. Should that change I will be prepared to act and I am not going to relax simply because experts tell me not to be alarmed. I am not alarmed, but I am watching events closely as I am sure the rest of you are as well.
Self-Quarantine to reduce exposure risk
If Ebola does start to become a larger problem; if we begin to see a spike in cases, one possible option for limiting your exposure could be as simple as staying home. Self-Quarantine is the practice of taking yourself out of the world so to speak to avoid contact with others completely. This is pretty much bugging in by definition. The NBC News crew that returned from reporting on Ebola had their cameraman test positive for Ebola so they agreed to Self Quarantine themselves to eliminate exposure to the public for the recommended incubation period of up to 21 days. In the case of Dr. Nancy Snyderman, this proved too long and soon they were caught out at a local restaurant which led to a huge public outcry and a weak apology from the doctor.
I won’t argue that staying in quarantine for up to 21 days would be very difficult, especially if you were alone, but if things do turn worse we might all be better off staying indoors. If Ebola cases increase substantially, we might not have a choice if Executive Order 13295 is put into action. 13295 allows for the “apprehension, detention, or conditional release of individuals to prevent the introduction, transmission, or spread of suspected communicable diseases.” Would you rather stay in your home and ride out the Ebola event or wherever the government wants to stick you? If you were faced with voluntary or involuntary quarantine to protect your family from Ebola, what would you need to consider?
Corona virus illustration
Infrastructure for Self Quarantine
Not surprisingly, the CDC website has a lot of information about quarantine mostly from the viewpoint of the SARS epidemic back in 2003, but I believe the concepts and topics are still just as relevant if your goal is to reduce or eliminate possible exposure to infected individuals. Major infrastructure considerations for self-quarantine are:
Communication Options – Telephone, cell phones, Ham Radio to keep in touch with others outside of your home. Shortwave radio is another good option assuming the regular lines of communication are down.
Electricity – In a grid up scenario this should be fine, but if the grid goes down, do you have enough electricity for up to 21 days of isolation?
Heat Source – Winter is approaching so a plan to keep warm is important. I have Kerosene Heaters and plenty of stored fuel but I would personally need to augment my supply for very cold conditions. Right now, cold isn’t a factor, but 21 days without power in January would be tougher.
Potable Water – A core element of any prepper supply list is to have water on hand. Enough water for one gallon per person per day. If you have a family of 4 and are forced into quarantine from Ebola for 21 days that would be 84 gallons of water at a minimum.
Waste and Sanitation – As long as the utilities are functioning this shouldn’t be a problem, but if the crisis explodes (no pun intended) you may not have city water to fill the toilets so alternate accommodations would need to be made. Grid down sanitation options are one possibility but would require you to go outside if the water and sewer lines were out of commission.
Food – Do you have enough food to last for 21 days for your entire family? Again, with society still functioning I guess you could have neighbors bring food over but you wouldn’t want to be going to the grocery store.
Entertainment – 21 days in your home is a long time. 21 days cooped up with your family is an eternity in the most easy going and loving homes. You should have a plan to counter boredom if you want to preserve your sanity along with your health.
Accommodations for Self Quarantine
If you are limiting your exposure as a family unit and by that I mean if everyone in your family is together in this then you can go on living (with certain exceptions) as you were although you wouldn’t be going outside. Would you stop your mail or risk exposure by touching something that another individual had contacted?
I am sure that it depends somewhat on the nature of any potential Ebola outbreak. It could be that the current convention that you must come in contact with bodily fluids from infected people in order to contract the disease holds. If that were the case, you could probably safely move about your yard, but quarantine does mean your trips to the malls, movie theaters, school events, plays, sporting events, hospital visits to sick friends would all be out of the question.
Could you work from home? – In today’s environment there are many of us who could work from home full time. As long as I had internet, power and a cell phone I could work anywhere in the world. Online meetings will probably be more common if travel is restricted during any outbreak. Actually, that would be fine with me too as the last place I would want to be during any kind of disease outbreak is at an airport or any place away from home really.
Could your children do schoolwork at home? – This would be tough for some but I imagine that a lot of schools would have to offer concessions in the case of quarantine. Certainly if the government locked everything down schools would either forgive homework or lean on online systems that are largely in place already. We still have one child that is home-schooled so she wouldn’t get out of anything, but another already gets her assignments online so staying out wouldn’t be a huge burden.
How would you pay your bills? – As long as we have money in the accounts, almost all of our bills except my weekly tithe are done electronically. If that goes down we have bigger problems.
Provided you had running water, power and a job that would allow you to stay home you should only need food to survive outside of climatic extremes. Take all of that away though and your self-imposed quarantine could still save your life, but it would be much harder. Again this assumes that Ebola will always and only be passed from bodily fluids. In this case self-quarantine to reduce exposure should be doable for most people with even basic preparations. Let’s hope we don’t see anything worse.
Fear of COVID-19 has fundamentally transformed our entire country in a matter of weeks, and as long as people are afraid of this virus life is definitely not going to return to normal. In fact, every “shelter-in-place” order in America could be lifted tomorrow and economic activity would not rebound even close to previous levels because a large percentage of the population would still be extremely hesitant to leave their own homes. As coronavirus survivors tell us stories of the hellish ordeals that they have endured, an increasing number of Americans are finally realizing how dangerous this crisis has become. If you have asthma, a history of respiratory problems or other serious underlying health conditions, I strongly recommend that you do everything in your power to avoid catching this virus. The global death toll is more than nine times larger than it was back on March 1st, and you do not want to become a statistic.
Here in the United States, we now have more confirmed cases than anywhere else in the world. If you would have told me at the beginning of this month that the U.S. would be the first nation to 100,000 confirmed cases, I would have laughed at you. And even though about half the country is currently under some sort of a “shelter-in-place” order, the virus just keeps on spreading. In fact, the number of confirmed cases in the United States has doubled in just three days…
Confirmed COVID-19 cases in the U.S. surpassed 100,000 Friday, doubling in just three days as the pandemic accelerates and the U.S. rolls out broader testing measures.
Data from Johns Hopkins University showed the total number of coronavirus cases as 101,707 and the total number of deaths in the U.S. as 1,544.
We had better hope that the measures that have already been implemented will start to slow down this rate of growth, because otherwise every healthcare system in America will soon be completely overwhelmed.
Of course this has already happened in New York, and now other hotspots across the country are starting to become major problems.
For example, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards is openly admitting that his state is on pace to become “the next New York”…
Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards has warned that the state ‘doesn’t have long’ to bring the coronavirus pandemic under control, as he admitted the state is on track to become ‘the next New York’.
Speaking at a press conference Friday, Edwards announced that the number of cases in Louisiana had surged in the last 24 hours, rising to 2,746 as of noon – a spike of 441 in a single day.
Sadly, it looks like we will soon be seeing similar numbers virtually everywhere.
The very first coronavirus case in the U.S. was confirmed by the CDC on January 20th. Just a little over two months later, we are in the middle of the biggest economic shutdown in U.S. history and according to one recent survey 11 percent of all Americans personally know someone that has caught the virus.
At first, a lot of Americans were mocking this pandemic, but now people are starting to understand that once you catch this virus you can go from being “perfectly healthy” to dead in just a matter of days…
A “perfectly healthy” father of six from Texas died Thursday from the coronavirus — two days after he received his positive diagnosis, a report said.
Adolph Mendez, known as TJ, was 44-years-old.
Please pray for that family, and hopefully that community will rally and provide what they need now that their father is gone.
But if hundreds of thousands of fathers start dying, who will provide for all of those mourning families?
And millions of Americans all across the country are already trying to figure out how they will provide for themselves now that they have lost their jobs.
On Thursday, we learned that more than 3.2 million workers filed new claims for unemployment benefits last week, and unfortunately next week is going to be really bad as well. The following comes from Wolf Richter…
And it’s going to get worse. The five largest counties of the San Francisco Bay Area were the first major region in the US to go into lockdown on March 17. The State of California followed on March 20, toward the end of the unemployment-claims reporting week (through March 21), and many other states followed within days – and many of those claims were filed after this reporting week had ended.
In all of U.S. history, we have never seen anything like this.
Many experts are projecting that we will shoot past the peak unemployment rate during the last recession very rapidly, and I agree with that assessment.
In the months ahead, we are going to see things that most Americans never imagined were possible. If you can believe it, one new survey has found that 23 percent of U.S. adults say that they are no longer working as a result of this economic downturn…
Twenty-three percent said they have already lost their jobs because of the coronavirus, or that their employer was forced to close and “I no longer go to work, but I am still employed by them.”
Many economists expect the U.S. unemployment rate will surpass the 10% level that the country experienced more than a decade ago during the Great Recession. St. Louis Fed President James Bullard said it may rise as high as 30%.
Of course many Americans are already losing patience and are quite eager to get back to work.
If the “shelter-in-place” orders stretch on for months, it is probably inevitable that we will see civil unrest and rioting like we are witnessing in China right now.
Unfortunately, it appears that vast sections of the country will remain shut down for the foreseeable future. On Friday, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio openly acknowledged that his city will almost certainly be closed down “through May”…
New Yorkers should be prepared for the city to remain in “pause” due to coronavirus through May even as President Trump gives Americans “false hope” the country will reopen by Easter next month, Mayor de Blasio said Friday.
“We have to be ready for that and I think it’s going to spread in the country,” de Blasio said when asked if the city would be closed through May on ABC’s “Good Morning America.” “This idea of Easter is, unfortunately, a false hope. It would be better for the president to be blunt with people that we’ve got a really tough battle ahead.”
I would never suggest that the decisions that our leaders are facing are going to be easy.
On the one hand, if extreme measures are not taken it is likely that millions could die.
On the other hand, shutting everything down is going to take us directly into complete economic collapse and the next Great Depression.
And actually even if they do everything right we might end up with both results anyway.
At a time like this, we need more prayer than ever, but right now churches all over America are being shut down. In fact,Virginia Governor Ralph Northam just made it a crime “for more than 10 people to gather in a church”…
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam issued an executive order on Monday that is aimed at stopping the new coronavirus — and, in the process, makes it a criminal offense to hold a church service attended by more than 10 people.
Yes, his order makes it a crime for more than 10 people to gather in a church.
But meanwhile, the abortion clinics in Virginia just keep humming along.
I think that says a lot about where we are as a society today.
Nobody should really be surprised that the time of “the perfect storm” has arrived. We have been slowly but surely committing national suicide for decades, and now the consequences of our very foolish decisions are rapidly catching up with us.
In the short-term, let us pray that this pandemic will start to subside as quickly as possible and that some sense of normalcy can soon be restored.
But if we just go back to the way that we were doing things, it really won’t matter, because the path that we were on doesn’t lead anywhere good.
About the Author: I am a voice crying out for change in a society that generally seems content to stay asleep. My name is Michael Snyder and I am the publisher of The Economic Collapse Blog, End Of The American Dream and The Most Important News, and the articles that I publish on those sites are republished on dozens of other prominent websites all over the globe. I have written four books that are available on Amazon.com including The Beginning Of The End, Get Prepared Now, and Living A Life That Really Matters. (#CommissionsEarned) By purchasing those books you help to support my work. I always freely and happily allow others to republish my articles on their own websites, but due to government regulations I need those that republish my articles to include this “About the Author” section with each article. In order to comply with those government regulations, I need to tell you that the controversial opinions in this article are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the websites where my work is republished. The material contained in this article is for general information purposes only, and readers should consult licensed professionals before making any legal, business, financial or health decisions. Those responding to this article by making comments are solely responsible for their viewpoints, and those viewpoints do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of Michael Snyder or the operators of the websites where my work is republished. I encourage you to follow me on social media on Facebook and Twitter, and any way that you can share these articles with others is a great help. During these very challenging times, people will need hope more than ever before, and it is our goal to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all many people as we possibly can.
The coronavirus outbreak is proving to be the Trojan horse that justifies increased digital surveillance via our smartphones.
All over the world, starting with China – the suspected origin of the COVID-19 outbreak – governments are increasing surveillance of citizens using their smartphones. The trend is taking off like wildfire; in China citizens now require a smartphone application’s permission to travel around the country and internationally.
The application is AliPay by Ant Financial, the finance affiliate controlled by Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. co-founder Jack Ma, and Tencent Holdings Ltd.’s WeChat. Citizens now require a green health code to travel, Yahoo News reported.
China isn’t the only country looking towards smartphones to monitor their citizens; Israel and Poland have also implemented their own spying to monitor those suspected or confirmed to be infected with the COVID-19 virus. Israel has gone the more extreme route and has now given itself the authority to surveil any citizen without a court warrant. Poland, on the other hand, is requiring those diagnosed with COVID-19 ordered to self-isolate to send authorities a selfie using an app. Which, if Poles don’t respond back in 20 minutes with a smiling face, they risk a visit from the police, Dailymail reported.
Meanwhile, here in the U.S. as reported by the Washington Post, smartphones are being used by a variety of companies to “anonymously” collect user data and track if social distancing orders are being adhered to. Beyond that, the mobile phone industry is discussing how to monitor the spread of COVID-19. If that’s not enough, as this author reported for The Mind Unleashed, the government wants to work with big social tech giants like Google, Facebook, and others, to track the spread of COVID-19.
A new live index shows the increase of the police state by Top10VPN, a Digital Rights group. Top10VPN lists a total of 15 countries which have already started measures to track the phones of coronavirus patients, ranging from anonymized aggregated data to monitor the movement of people more generally, to the tracking of individual suspected patients and their contacts, known as “contact tracing.”
That’s not the only live index, a company called Unacast that collects and analyzes phone GPS location data also launched one. Except this is a “Social Distancing Scoreboard” that grades, county by county, monitoring who is following social distancing rules.
As Activist Post previously wrote while discussing the increase of a police surveillance state, these measures being put into place now will likely remain long after the pandemic has stopped and the virus has run its course. That’s the everlasting effect that COVID-19 will have on our society. The coronavirus is now classified as a pandemic by the World Health Organization, and it may very well be a legitimate health concern for all of us around the world. But it’s the government’s response that should worry us all more in the long run.
At the time of this report, the COVID-19 virus has infected 458,927, killed 20,807, while 113,687 have recovered according to the Johns Hopkins map.
