Crystal ball - will coronavirus effect our travel (public and private)?

[whole diary]

[broadgage]

Sensible in my view, toilet paper shortages are entirely possible due to sickness in the supply chain. Food and water are higher priorities, but toilet paper is also important.
I buy it in bulk, and order more when existing stocks are down to less than 100 rolls.
My present stock is about 200 rolls. No panic here.

So you keep several jerry cans of fuel in the event of a sudden fuel crisis, and a store of 100+ loo rolls, and heaven knows what else.  I have to ask, are you disappointed each day when the apocalypse doesn't arrive and you can smugly be the only person that has prepared for it?

I keep a reasonable reserve of many supplies for use in the event of any emergency, including but not limited too, extreme weather, industrial disputes, utility breakdown or failure, civil disorder, a 1929 type financial crash, terrorist attack, war.

Non perishable foods including dried pasta, canned goods, and 25 year shelf life doomfood.
Bottled water, chlorine tablets for disinfecting rainwater.
A few tons of logs, and a reserve of anthracite*.
A few cylinders of propane*. LPG^▸ (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) boiling ring and LPG heater.
Batteries.
Paraffin*.
Candles*.
A reserve stock of clothes and bedding, beyond those items in regular use.
Defensive equipment.

As society becomes more vulnerable to out of course events, and more reliant on IT, which in turn relies on electricity, it is prudent to be prepared.

*I avoid use of these fossil fuels whilst times are normal, but consider a stock to be prudent.

[sanfrandragon]

Sensible in my view, toilet paper shortages are entirely possible due to sickness in the supply chain. Food and water are higher priorities, but toilet paper is also important.
I buy it in bulk, and order more when existing stocks are down to less than 100 rolls.
My present stock is about 200 rolls. No panic here.

So you keep several jerry cans of fuel in the event of a sudden fuel crisis, and a store of 100+ loo rolls, and heaven knows what else.  I have to ask, are you disappointed each day when the apocalypse doesn't arrive and you can smugly be the only person that has prepared for it?

I keep a reasonable reserve of many supplies for use in the event of any emergency, including but not limited too, extreme weather, industrial disputes, utility breakdown or failure, civil disorder, a 1929 type financial crash, terrorist attack, war.

Non perishable foods including dried pasta, canned goods, and 25 year shelf life doomfood.
Bottled water, chlorine tablets for disinfecting rainwater.
A few tons of logs, and a reserve of anthracite*.
A few cylinders of propane*. LPG^▸ (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) boiling ring and LPG heater.
Batteries.
Paraffin*.
Candles*.
A reserve stock of clothes and bedding, beyond those items in regular use.
Defensive equipment.

As society becomes more vulnerable to out of course events, and more reliant on IT, which in turn relies on electricity, it is prudent to be prepared.

*I avoid use of these fossil fuels whilst times are normal, but consider a stock to be prudent.

I'm curious about your 'defensive equipment'?! 

[broadgage]

Details of defensive arrangements are not posted on a public forum.
Details of a modest and entirely legal petrol supply provoked enough concern.

[Bob_Blakey]

Speaking from a personal perspective, and in response to the question posed by the OP^▸ (Original Poster / topic starter), I would say 'No' unless intervention from one or more governments necessitates it.

We are booked to travel, starting next Thursday 12th March, to both Italy & Portugal using a mixture of train & plane. This trip was booked 6 months ago and, as things stand no travel or accommodation refunds are available. I have heard nothing on the news bulletins which would cause me to consider changing the schedule.

There was a fascinating interview on LBC yesterday with a microbiologist; I reckon a lot of people regard COVID-19 as something new and very dangerous. This is not so. SARS & MERS were both caused by varieties of the Corona virus and there is also another one doing the rounds which hasn't (yet) produced a specifically named infection. It seems that a significant number of people hit by COVID-19 exhibit no or very mild symptoms. 

I would just echo the (potentially famous last) words of Corporal Jones.   

[broadgage]

The present death toll from the virus is less than those killed on the roads.
This should not lead to complacency though. There is no reason to fear a large and sudden increase in road fatalities, but the coronavirus does have the potential for much wider spread and significant mortality.

Part of the problem is that many people "cant do numbers" and would be reassured by a death rate of "under 1%" but be horrified by a death toll of "nearly half a million" and are unable to grasp that both could be true.

[IndustryInsider]

I do find it interesting that those who do stockpile for ‘just in case’ threats to their life or way of life often don’t ensure they also control things that are much more likely to cause their early demise or help to ensure a comfortable life.  A balanced diet, regular exercise, not drinking, smoking and taking drugs and properly controlling weight for example.

That’s by no means meant as a personal dig at Broadgage, just an observation (though he’s admitted to not being in pristine shape a few times) and I don’t claim to look after myself as well as I should.  Mind you, I don’t stockpile hundreds of bog rolls! 

[johnneyw]

The irony is that when people stockpile hand sanitizers, they are stopping loads of other people from using them which ends up exposing the very people doing the stock-piling to more risk.

[broadgage]

The irony is that when people stockpile hand sanitizers, they are stopping loads of other people from using them which ends up exposing the very people doing the stock-piling to more risk.

It depends upon WHEN the stockpiling was done.
To buy extra supplies at the last minute is anti-social as others are thereby deprived. I avoid doing this.
To stock up in good time hurts no one else and simply provides a little welcome extra trade for the supplier.
I purchased a bulk stock of isopropyl alcohol some years ago, it keeps almost indefinitely. It should be diluted 70/30 with water for use as a hand and surface sanitiser.
Washing hands with soap and warm water is good, for this reason I have several means of heating water, loads of soap, a case of disposable hand towels, and a dozen or so spare re-useable towels. All obtained years ago, not during any panic and not depriving anyone else.

Likewise if power cuts become a regular feature, panic buying of candles is likely. I have hundreds of candles purchased years ago, no one else was thus deprived.

[broadgage]

I do find it interesting that those who do stockpile for ‘just in case’ threats to their life or way of life often don’t ensure they also control things that are much more likely to cause their early demise or help to ensure a comfortable life.  A balanced diet, regular exercise, not drinking, smoking and taking drugs and properly controlling weight for example.

That’s by no means meant as a personal dig at Broadgage, just an observation (though he’s admitted to not being in pristine shape a few times) and I don’t claim to look after myself as well as I should.  Mind you, I don’t stockpile hundreds of bog rolls! 

 I Don't smoke.
Drink only in moderation.
Fairly balanced diet.
Don't take illegal drugs.

Lacking regular exercise.
Weight is excessive.
Eyesight and hearing not as they used to be.
If I was an orse, they would shoot me.

[TonyK]

Sensible in my view, toilet paper shortages are entirely possible due to sickness in the supply chain. Food and water are higher priorities, but toilet paper is also important.

O, to be back in Japan...

I would just echo the (potentially famous last) words of Corporal Jones.   

"We're all doomed!" (Or was the other fellow?)

[JayMac]

The irony is that when people stockpile hand sanitizers, they are stopping loads of other people from using them which ends up exposing the very people doing the stock-piling to more risk.

Shelves completely bare in Morrisons Wincanton. But, I got down on my hands and knees and checked on the floor underneath. Found a bottle of antibacterial hand wash (Strawberry scented, but only £1) and a small bottle of Carex antibac hand gel. The later was a discontinued item that I got for 50p!

[grahame]

From Vogue - though I'm sure you all read this magazine anyway before you visit the Coffee Shop 

How To Commute In The Coronavirus Crisis

Kicking off a game of word association with “commute” would likely only ever have elicited negative responses – even before we all learned another word: coronavirus. Now, with 94,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 around the world, a figure that is set to rise, the journey that bookends our working days feels fraught with health risks. For the benefit of the some 27 million workers across the UK^▸ (United Kingdom) using trains and buses daily, here are five, expert-approved tips for navigating your commute in the crisis.

((article continues with the tips))

[TonyK]

Shelves completely bare in Morrisons Wincanton. But, I got down on my hands and knees and checked on the floor underneath. Found a bottle of antibacterial hand wash (Strawberry scented, but only £1) and a small bottle of Carex antibac hand gel. The later was a discontinued item that I got for 50p!

Ditto Waitrose in Wellibob.

[JayMac]

For those who can't get hold of hand sanitizer/gel.

Get yourself one of those small clear travel atomisers. Fill it with 50ml of cheap vodka, and some drops of skin safe essential oil. Tea tree and/or lavender work best as they contain antibacterial qualities.

Don't go mad spraying it on your hands. A little is all that's needed. Take care if you work in a safety critical job with random alcohol testing. The odd spray shouldn't affect blood alcohol levels. No more so than using alcohol based mouthwash.

[broadgage]

In railway employment, I suspect that CARRYING vodka would be looked at with very considerable disfavour. Even if it was for hygiene purposes rather than for drinking.
Non potable alcohol would be better. Isopropyl alcohol is non potable and still readily available, not certain if use of same could give a "false positive" on a railway alcohol test.

Alcohol based hand sanitisers usually contain about 70% alcohol, popular brands of vodka are 37.5% or 40% and may therefore be less effective.