Virus prevention Archives - Plan and Prepared

When Covid-19 hits home; a prepper with the virus

April 23, 2026April 9, 2020 by James L

A few years ago, I met a man on the internet named Craig. Like me, Craig was a prepper, and Craig and I were in many of the same prepper groups on the web. He runs several prepping Facebook groups, including the 365Survive network of groups and pages. Some of these groups include Prepperlinks and … Read more

Lessons we have learned so far from the Covid-19 pandemic

April 23, 2026March 18, 2020 by James L

According to Marilyn vos Savant, an American magazine columnist and playwright, “To acquire knowledge, one must study; but to acquire wisdom, one must observe.” And over the past few weeks, I have gained much knowledge and wisdom. I have been a prepper for years, and thought I was totally and completely prepared for whatever came … Read more

Coronavirus – Do NOT panic, but pay attention!!

April 20, 2026March 2, 2020 by James L

I have started receiving a bunch of email about the coronavirus. Now I am NOT a medical doctor of any sort nor an infectious disease specialist. I do know that Coronavirus is a respiratory disease that can cause patients to have flu-like symptoms.

It can remain alive outside of the human body for up to 9 days, and can be contagious in humans for up to 27 days according to the latest study. I also know it can be fatal, and is something we should be paying attention to.

I have seen a lot of people blow off the Coronavirus. Even members of my family aren’t taking it seriously, saying things like “The flu is more deadly! It has killed more people.” While that is true, they are missing the big picture. And that is this virus can easily have a MAJOR impact on all of us globally.

Yes, at the moment influenza has killed more people worldwide than the Coronavirus. The flu kills thousands of people every year. The flu infected over 32 million last year. So far, Corona virus has about 90,000 confirmed cases that we know if. Hence currently the flu is more deadly because it is currently more wide spread. But that could change. Coronavirus has the potential to become at least 10 times more deadly. General, the flu mortality rate is around .02 percent. Coronavirus has a 2 percent mortality rate according to the figures from China, Iran, and now Italy.

In reality, that mortality rate for Coronavirus might be lower. There could easily be many undetected Coronavirus victims who go undetected because their cases are very mild. But then again, I do not trust the numbers given by the Chinese government. It is certainly a “Wait and see” as the virus has now hit the US mainland. As of this writing, 6 confirmed coronavirus deaths have been reported in Washington state.

Now in NO way am I trying to diminish the death toll of this virus. It is a terrible tragedy. But for those who are focused solely on this, I say you need to take a step back, and look at the big picture.

For starters, the hospital rate for this virus is about 20%. This means that around 20% of people infected by coronavirus will be serious enough to require some sort of hospital visit. What sort of strain do you think that puts on the US medical system? Especially considering that a large percentage of things like medical supplies and medicines come from China which is now putting major cities under quarantine. If doctor’s offices and hospitals are swamped with coronavirus patients, what happens when the medical supplies and medicines run low? This could impact EVERYONE needing medical attention, not just coronavirus patients.

Next…look at the impact it is having on the economy. Wall Street is being hit hard. The DOW keeps dropping like a rock. That is going to have potential major impacts on not just the US, but on the global economy.

China had to quarantine the city of Wuhan, a city of around 11 million people. By way of comparison, it is almost 4 times the size of Houston. What sort of impact would that have on the US economy if that happened here? Imagine having to quarantine Los Angeles? A major shipping hub. What sort of economic problems will that cause? The potential economic impact to me is a bigger concern than the virus itself.

What You Should Know About Stockpiling Antibiotics

April 20, 2026July 23, 2018 by Jennifer Moran

Editor’s note: Planandprepared.com welcomes Jennifer Moran to the site. Jennifer Moran is the author and the social media manager at PreparedBee.com. She has been passionately writing for over four years. When she isn’t glued to a laptop screen, she spends time playing tennis, practicing yoga, and trying very hard not to sleep during the meditation. … Read more

What you need to know about the Zika Virus

June 25, 2021February 5, 2016 by James L

*Photo credit Felipe Dana/Associated Press*

The World Health Organization declared on February 1, 2016 that the spread of the Zika virus constitutes a global public health emergency. While there is no need for panic, there are things about this virus you should be aware of, and steps to take to ensure your health and well being.

Now if you are wondering what the Zika virus is, it is an emerging mosquito-borne virus that was first identified in Uganda in 1947 in rhesus monkeys. It was subsequently identified in humans in 1952 in Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania. Outbreaks of Zika virus disease have been recorded in Africa, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific. Zika virus is transmitted to people through the bite of an infected mosquito.

The incubation period (the time from exposure to symptoms) of Zika virus disease is not clear, but is likely to be a few days. The symptoms are similar to other arbovirus infections, and include fever, skin rashes, conjunctivitis, muscle and joint pain, malaise, and headache. These symptoms are usually mild and last for 2-7 days. But there is also a suspected link between Zika and a dangerous birth defect, known as microcephaly, in which babies are born with undersized heads and brains.

Recently, the virus started its spread for the first time from the Pacific in 2007 and 2013 (Yap and French Polynesia, respectively), and in 2015 from the Americas (Brazil and Colombia) and Africa (Cape Verde). In addition, more than 13 countries in the Americas have reported sporadic Zika virus infections indicating rapid expansion of the Zika virus. In Brazil, authorities believe as many as 1.5 million people may be infected.

The United States is not immune. Nearly three dozen cases have been confirmed to date in 11 states and the District of Columbia. The CDC acknowledges that the number is growing rapidly. In fact, the governor of Florida has declared a state of emergency in 4 counties (Miami-Dade, Hillsborough, Lee and Santa Rosa) where the virus has been found.