Coronavirus preparedness guide, v1.0

If you're reading this, you probably are worried, as I am, about COVID-19, and the CDC's recent statement about preparing for 'significant disruption' to society.

You're in the right place.

Here's what you need to know.

The name of the game for now is BUG-IN. Do NOT leave your home unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. However, if things get bad enough (e.g. if people are trying to break in, a fire, etc), you may have to bug out. Have a bug out plan. Think of a place that has supplies and a relative amount of security, and make plans to get there if necessary.

If you don't live alone, have a quarantine plan for if anyone you live with gets sick. The best idea here is for them to be confined alone to a room, wearing a surgical mask to keep them from spreading the disease. Do not engage with them directly, just bring them food, water, and medication when necessary. People who are 'cured' of coronavirus reportedly can still spread it and re-manifest symptoms, so do not consider a subsiding of symptoms as a bill of health.

Food preparedness:
- Bulk bags of dry rice
- Bulk dry or canned beans
- Water. A LOT of water. (for drinking and cooking)
- Cookstove and fuel (to boil the water to cook the rice)

Cook the rice, cook the beans if necessary. Mix them. This is an ideal food source for long-term bug-in scenarios.

Medication:
Cough syrup
Painkillers (I recommend Excedrin)
Decongestant
Mucolytic (e.g. Mucinex)
Antihistamines
Long-term supply of your personal prescriptions, if possible

General supplies:
Batteries
A headlamp that takes ordinary batteries (so you have light if power goes out)
Some way of getting emergency power (charged uninterruptible power supply, portable generator, etc)
Smartphone, charged (this is why you need the emergency power)
Hand-crank emergency radio (for NOAA emergency broadcasts)
Hand sanitizer
Bleach
Disinfectant wipes
Surgical masks (for quarantining anyone you live with if they fall ill)
Any supplies you would need for day to day life (shampoo, laundry detergent, dish soap, bar soap, etc)
Some way of defending yourself if anyone attempts to break in for supplies (probably the best idea here is a gun)

If you plan to go out (BAD IDEA unless ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY):
Full face respirator ('gas mask') that takes 40mm NATO or 3M bayonet filters
N100 / P100 / P3 particulate filters for the respirator (A2P3 filters if it is ever reported that the virus is truly airborne)
Tychem suit, thick nitrile work gloves, weatherproof boots (if suit feet aren't sealed) or rubber overboots (if suit feet are sealed), duct tape (to seal gloves/boots to suit)
Spray bottle of alcohol (for decontamination when you get back)