The Prepping Thread - A Newer Beginning ;)

greenbee

VJsmum said:

greenbee said:

I have to admit I do tend to wash my shopping - my mum had norovirus 15 years ago which was probably picked up in a supermarket due to people touching and putting things down (when she said it was the only place she'd been, the consultant said they were horrible germy places - covid has probably done us a favour getting people to think more about it), and ended up in hospital with sepsis. So hand hygiene and dealing with shopping have become a habit - unpacking/decanting things, wiping them down etc. I also find it helpful to deal with fresh stuff when it arrives rather than processing it twice, as time tends to be short during the week for meal prep, so having salads made up and veg prepped and ready to go helps ensure I eat properly. 

Noro is awful and i had no idea that it could lead to sepsis   I agree that this virus has hopefully changed a lot of behaviours.  I travel a lot on trains in normal times and will be far more cautious than previously - washing hands on arrival at my destination, for example.  I can't imagine ever being without anti-bac again either.

It was pretty horrible - she had a 'tummy bug' for weeks but wasn't losing weight which should have been the clue. The GP came to visit (my dad was in Africa) and didn't really examine her properly. My brother and I would have driven up from Devon if we'd known how bad she was. I went to see her a week later and fed her chicken soup, picked my dad up from the airport a couple of days later and he called the hospital straight away. She was in an isolation ward in ICU for about 10 days, and it was a very close call. Thankfully she survived, but recovery wasn't quick (she was in her late 60s). 

I hate anti-bac gel. It hurts my hands. But I agree it is necessary. I've always taken it on planes, just like I always take disinfectant wipes on the plane and in hotels. I always book a window seat on planes, and know they tend to be less clean than aisle seats. Some of my hotel rooms are lovely, some are obviously dirty, so I do take precautions. I think we'll all be a lot more cautious than previously. I'm hoping that my work travel schedule is a lot less hectic when we finally return to business travel... 

GreyQueen

@ greenbee, I'm sorry to hear that your mother had such a close call with sepsis, and how thankful that she was saved. Was just thinking about noro. In the autumn-winter season at our local acute-care hospital, there have always been noro outbreaks and named wards closed to visitors (as reported in the local media). This year, nothing. I hope that's an absence of noro not an absence of reporting btw......

I'm wondering if buinesses like hotels will be using scrupulous hygiene as a promotional tool, in the future? It would seem that once things open up to a degree or normality, any place which is known to be insanitary will be boycotted by customers.

As the weather has been very warm and pleasant for two days on the trot, I have been squeezing some gardening time between other commitments. Many many other plotholders had the same idea and the site is busy with happy people prepping for the coming planting season.

silvasava

GQ - I booked a couple of days away last year for DH's birthday at the me of April, due to the lockdown I postponed it until this year. Hoping it will happen but we will see if the hotel is able to open.
Glorious sunshine here today but a nippy wind. Lots achieved in the garden and I've just got my Carol Klein veg book out to plan this year's planting  

VJsmum

I've lost some of my veg patch  We put in a log burner in the autumn and the log store went there - now we've added a bit of an extension to the log store as well so i've hardly any left.  I'll just about get in a wigwam for beans and maybe a few carrots, radish and beetroot.  I'll do some toms in grow bags too.  But that'll be it, I fear.

Been gorgeous here too - i walked without my coat!  Didn't even take it with me.

greenbee

That's a good point GQ - and it does make you wonder exactly how little hand-washing people had being doing previously!
I've been out in the garden too - talking to the seedlings in the greenhouse and slowing working my way through the weeding. It's lovely and quiet out there with fewer planes and cars about. Although cyclists in groups are really noisy, yelling at each other about the lovely peaceful countryside as they cycle along...

euronorris

There was no flu season this year either, due to all the measures we've all been taking/following.

Gorgeous weather here also. Started off sooo foggy, but cleared up around 10.30am.

Floss

I've had Noro back in 2012 and it wasn't nice. It was passed on by the X who we thought had some dodgy oysters at a lovely (now Michelin star) restaurant in Lisbon marina...he was ok after 3 days, I was signed off work and lost over a stone in a week. I've been fairly scrupulous about hand hygiene ever since. 

Nargleblast

I used to watch news reports from other countries which showed people in cities, particularly in the Far East, walking down the street wearing face masks, and would think "what on Earth are they wearing masks for?" Now we know why!

This pandemic situation has taught us many things. How to change our ways of doing things. How to adapt when we can't have or do what we want. What really counts in life, above the shallow, materialistic stuff. The importance of maintaining personal space, cleaning hands, being aware of hygiene and infection control issues. We have also learnt that when people work together they can achieve miracles. Look at the different Covid treatments there are now, thanks to extensive research trials. Look at the vaccines and the whole vaccination programme. There have been ups and downs, it has brought out the best in some and the worst in others. We have learnt that some can cope well under pressure while others fall apart. Many posts  on these forums illustrate the emergence of mental health problems thanks to this situation which none of us expected. It's likely many of those suffering mentally and emotionally have always had anxiety issues, it just took this pandemic situation for them to come to the surface.  Even those who seem to be coping well may have flashbacks or strange dreams for some time after this thing is resolved. None of us will escape unscarred. The government, and the governments after this one, will have to invest properly in mental health services to deal with the fallout.

Anyway, on a more cheerful note, I did some sorting out in the garden today, even dragging my son out to put a coat of wood stain on the garden bench. I don't feel inclined to rush out and book a holiday just yet, not when we still haven't  had any restrictions lifted, so I am determined to make my own holiday paradise in my own back garden this summer.

Thriftygifty

Without wanting to make things any erm....anyhow, we wash our shopping outside with diluted bleach, then bring it inside, rinse/wipe it off then put it away, we've done this since the start, is this ok health wise?  It's not something I want to continue with regards to the planet side of things, which we were on track with changing things before Covid then that all went out the window!  As an alternative to bleach would you suggest washing up liquid?  Or does Milton work, would it not have to soak for awhile?  We will be continuing to wash our shopping I know probably overkill but we also had norovirus in this house, started with myself, then DH, then one of the children strangely the other child didn't get it, I swear it was because he was going through his phase of not eating, then my parents, I do not want that again, the image of a small child walking towards me then vomit coming out of everywhere shall not leave my mind ever and now yours as well....your welcome although I am convinced that I caught it from either the self check in screen at the doctors or the soft play where I ate a teacake and I never normally eat there. 

I also shop online and get a food delivery every week, there doesn't seem to be an issue with delivery slots here and we have a recurring slot, it is sooooo much easier than going to the supermarket with 3 children and I have more time to do other things,  it also allows me to budget as I can see exactly what I am spending. 

I've started on the veg patch, this year we will have 6 beds I am so excited to get going with that, I ordered some seeds from real seeds a couple of months ago with the view it would be good to save our own seeds for each year, it appears to be a lovely company and offer discount on shipping for low wage gardeners and NHS.  

GreyQueen

I really must read more carefully -  I read that you put a coat of woodstain on your SON !

I've had to book my annual leave, have taken a few says here and a few days there. Haven't any holiday booked. If things go OK, I might hire a small car or small van, chuck some camping gear into it, and go a few miles away for a change of scene. If it happens, all is well. If it doesn't happen, I shall be perfectly content at home and pottering on the allotments. Plan to take some days or half-days out with the bicycle, sling a picnic and a flask in the basket and head off to explore some of the byways. Cheap and cheeful fun.