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They Prepared for the Worst. Now Everyone’s a Prepper. They Prepared for the Worst. Now Everyone’s a Prepper.
(8 days later)
For weeks, millions of people have faced a new, dread-inducing question as coronavirus cases have mounted around the world: How do you prepare a home to get through a pandemic?For weeks, millions of people have faced a new, dread-inducing question as coronavirus cases have mounted around the world: How do you prepare a home to get through a pandemic?
But the question is not so new to preppers, a loosely knit, occasionally mocked group, whose name comes from its members’ shared philosophy: They prepare, often intensely, for all kinds of calamities.But the question is not so new to preppers, a loosely knit, occasionally mocked group, whose name comes from its members’ shared philosophy: They prepare, often intensely, for all kinds of calamities.
With a widespread shutdown of cities and a panicky rush across the United States to buy supplies, preppers have watched with a mix of stoicism and concern. Some even feel a flicker of hope that these events will change people’s associations with prepping — from doomsday bunkers to well-stocked pantries.With a widespread shutdown of cities and a panicky rush across the United States to buy supplies, preppers have watched with a mix of stoicism and concern. Some even feel a flicker of hope that these events will change people’s associations with prepping — from doomsday bunkers to well-stocked pantries.
“Preppers are kind of the laugh line until they need us at the front line, that’s what it feels like watching this thing take place,” said James Walton, the owner of the Virginia-based Prepper Broadcasting Network, which produces eight podcasts, including “I Am Liberty” and “Secrets of a Survivalist.”“Preppers are kind of the laugh line until they need us at the front line, that’s what it feels like watching this thing take place,” said James Walton, the owner of the Virginia-based Prepper Broadcasting Network, which produces eight podcasts, including “I Am Liberty” and “Secrets of a Survivalist.”
“I sympathize with the average person,” he added. “It’s just my goal to prioritize this thing a little more.”“I sympathize with the average person,” he added. “It’s just my goal to prioritize this thing a little more.”
From California to Texas to New Jersey, preppers who have been planning for years, if not decades, are urging other Americans to take a more methodical approach to their preparations.From California to Texas to New Jersey, preppers who have been planning for years, if not decades, are urging other Americans to take a more methodical approach to their preparations.
As the coronavirus spread across the globe, the New York City Preppers Network met this month to discuss the outbreak. The group’s leader, Jason Charles, has posted regularly about basic precautions on social media. “I tell people all the time, ‘Don’t be nervous; this is not the time to panic,’” he said in an interview. “This is why we get ready. This is our wheelhouse.”As the coronavirus spread across the globe, the New York City Preppers Network met this month to discuss the outbreak. The group’s leader, Jason Charles, has posted regularly about basic precautions on social media. “I tell people all the time, ‘Don’t be nervous; this is not the time to panic,’” he said in an interview. “This is why we get ready. This is our wheelhouse.”
Preppers also say that the panic buying around the country that has drawn headlines in recent days — toilet paper shortages in Pittsburgh, hordes of shoppers at California Costcos and elsewhere — has very little in common with what they do.Preppers also say that the panic buying around the country that has drawn headlines in recent days — toilet paper shortages in Pittsburgh, hordes of shoppers at California Costcos and elsewhere — has very little in common with what they do.
“I call this the nonsensical hoarding phase,” said Ben Hansen, the chief of media for PrepperCon, a semiregular assembly outside Salt Lake City. “It’s when people say, ‘We’ve got a hurricane coming and the power might be out,’ so they start stocking up the essentials.”“I call this the nonsensical hoarding phase,” said Ben Hansen, the chief of media for PrepperCon, a semiregular assembly outside Salt Lake City. “It’s when people say, ‘We’ve got a hurricane coming and the power might be out,’ so they start stocking up the essentials.”
The essentials can make sense, depending on the perceived threat — it’s better to buy water and fill up the gas tank in the last days before a hurricane than not to do it at all.The essentials can make sense, depending on the perceived threat — it’s better to buy water and fill up the gas tank in the last days before a hurricane than not to do it at all.
And the current run on medical supplies has a basis in expert advice: Most health officials and disease specialists say frequently washing your hands for at least 20 seconds is one of the best preventive measures against the coronavirus (and many other more common diseases and viruses, including the flu). They also recommend hand sanitizer of at least 60 percent alcohol if soap is not available.And the current run on medical supplies has a basis in expert advice: Most health officials and disease specialists say frequently washing your hands for at least 20 seconds is one of the best preventive measures against the coronavirus (and many other more common diseases and viruses, including the flu). They also recommend hand sanitizer of at least 60 percent alcohol if soap is not available.
But echoing some other preppers, Mr. Hansen, whose home in Southern California has food for about four months, suggested that shoppers should do careful research before racing out to stores.But echoing some other preppers, Mr. Hansen, whose home in Southern California has food for about four months, suggested that shoppers should do careful research before racing out to stores.
“The supply chain simply cannot support what we’re seeing right now,” he added. “When things are going well, people don’t really think about preparing. But then they see other people doing it and they say, ‘Well we should be doing it, too.’”“The supply chain simply cannot support what we’re seeing right now,” he added. “When things are going well, people don’t really think about preparing. But then they see other people doing it and they say, ‘Well we should be doing it, too.’”
The country’s biggest retailers say that the supply chain remains intact, and that they have been ramping up to meet demand — including for toilet paper, which is sometimes scarce even though the U.S. health secretary, Alex M. Azar II, has called it “not an effective way to prevent getting the coronavirus.”The country’s biggest retailers say that the supply chain remains intact, and that they have been ramping up to meet demand — including for toilet paper, which is sometimes scarce even though the U.S. health secretary, Alex M. Azar II, has called it “not an effective way to prevent getting the coronavirus.”
One general supply company popular with preppers, WaterPrepared, is having a hard time keeping up with orders, said its vice president, Mallin Brough. He said the spike in purchases compared only to Ebola’s arrival in the United States in 2014. “When it’s unusual, something that people haven’t seen before, it causes these kinds of upticks,” he said.One general supply company popular with preppers, WaterPrepared, is having a hard time keeping up with orders, said its vice president, Mallin Brough. He said the spike in purchases compared only to Ebola’s arrival in the United States in 2014. “When it’s unusual, something that people haven’t seen before, it causes these kinds of upticks,” he said.
But a rush to stores happens with every tremor and storm warning, said Jeff Midgley, the owner of TNT First-Aid, a company that sells emergency equipment. (His home is prepared for “a minimum of two years,” he said.)But a rush to stores happens with every tremor and storm warning, said Jeff Midgley, the owner of TNT First-Aid, a company that sells emergency equipment. (His home is prepared for “a minimum of two years,” he said.)
“I’ll get orders where they want overnight shipping a day before a hurricane, and I’ll have to say, ‘You’re too late,’” he said. “It’s pretty crazy, people’s lack of planning.”“I’ll get orders where they want overnight shipping a day before a hurricane, and I’ll have to say, ‘You’re too late,’” he said. “It’s pretty crazy, people’s lack of planning.”
Others are less diplomatic. On Reddit’s forum for preppers, where nearly 150,000 users trade tips about can openers and “bugging out,” a moderator explained that some posts would be removed because, “Prepping is about PREparing for emergencies, not creating a supply shortage because you now suddenly need 3 boxes of N95 masks for your personal use.”Others are less diplomatic. On Reddit’s forum for preppers, where nearly 150,000 users trade tips about can openers and “bugging out,” a moderator explained that some posts would be removed because, “Prepping is about PREparing for emergencies, not creating a supply shortage because you now suddenly need 3 boxes of N95 masks for your personal use.”
Another prepper expressed disbelief about non-preppers: “How has it not dawned on them yet that we need to spend the good times preparing for the bad times? I’m starting to understand how Noah felt while he was building the ark.”Another prepper expressed disbelief about non-preppers: “How has it not dawned on them yet that we need to spend the good times preparing for the bad times? I’m starting to understand how Noah felt while he was building the ark.”
But many also acknowledged the confusion and anxiety around the country, especially as alarming headlines and misinformation spread on social media. “The family is finally getting it, but I can’t even really feel, ‘I told you so!’” one prepper wrote. “I would rather be wrong.”But many also acknowledged the confusion and anxiety around the country, especially as alarming headlines and misinformation spread on social media. “The family is finally getting it, but I can’t even really feel, ‘I told you so!’” one prepper wrote. “I would rather be wrong.”
Specious content — like claims about the curative properties of essential oils and colloidal silver — remains a problem around prepper networks, where distrust of the authorities can run high.Specious content — like claims about the curative properties of essential oils and colloidal silver — remains a problem around prepper networks, where distrust of the authorities can run high.
Lisa Bedford, also known as “the Survival Mom” from near Houston, said she tries to remove dubious posts from her group’s Facebook page.Lisa Bedford, also known as “the Survival Mom” from near Houston, said she tries to remove dubious posts from her group’s Facebook page.
“I have tried really hard to walk that line between telling people if you ever want to be prepared, it’s game time — but get accurate information,” she said.“I have tried really hard to walk that line between telling people if you ever want to be prepared, it’s game time — but get accurate information,” she said.
Updated June 24, 2020
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
The unemployment rate fell to 13.3 percent in May, the Labor Department said on June 5, an unexpected improvement in the nation’s job market as hiring rebounded faster than economists expected. Economists had forecast the unemployment rate to increase to as much as 20 percent, after it hit 14.7 percent in April, which was the highest since the government began keeping official statistics after World War II. But the unemployment rate dipped instead, with employers adding 2.5 million jobs, after more than 20 million jobs were lost in April.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
Inshirah, a prepper from New Jersey who asked only to be identified by her first name, said that she had started getting questions from family members “who normally they just let me do my kooky prepper thing.”Inshirah, a prepper from New Jersey who asked only to be identified by her first name, said that she had started getting questions from family members “who normally they just let me do my kooky prepper thing.”
She said that even if people were “not going out and being preppers” because of virus concerns, they were “starting to see that maybe it makes sense to have some materials put back.” (She said her home was prepared “indefinitely.”)She said that even if people were “not going out and being preppers” because of virus concerns, they were “starting to see that maybe it makes sense to have some materials put back.” (She said her home was prepared “indefinitely.”)
Several preppers said they were concerned less about the virus than disruption to social services, and the confusion caused by mixed messages from the government.Several preppers said they were concerned less about the virus than disruption to social services, and the confusion caused by mixed messages from the government.
How leaders handled crises like the 2008 financial crisis and hurricanes — especially Katrina, Sandy and Maria — directly informs many people’s plans, said Anna Maria Bounds, a professor of sociology at Queens College, City University of New York.How leaders handled crises like the 2008 financial crisis and hurricanes — especially Katrina, Sandy and Maria — directly informs many people’s plans, said Anna Maria Bounds, a professor of sociology at Queens College, City University of New York.
“The stereotype of preppers is that they’re paranoid and think that the government is coming for them,” she said. “Whereas people in the city, preppers of color, prepare because they think that government isn’t coming for them.”“The stereotype of preppers is that they’re paranoid and think that the government is coming for them,” she said. “Whereas people in the city, preppers of color, prepare because they think that government isn’t coming for them.”
Ms. Bounds, the author of a book on city prepping, said that preppers were largely split into two very different groups: the super rich, who can afford panic rooms and hideaways, and middle-class people with day jobs such as firefighters, real estate agents and everything else.Ms. Bounds, the author of a book on city prepping, said that preppers were largely split into two very different groups: the super rich, who can afford panic rooms and hideaways, and middle-class people with day jobs such as firefighters, real estate agents and everything else.
“More mainstream people are doing this than I think people realize,” Ms. Bounds said. (Her apartment is prepared for “two weeks, easy.”)“More mainstream people are doing this than I think people realize,” Ms. Bounds said. (Her apartment is prepared for “two weeks, easy.”)
“In a sense of the word, we’re all preppers,” said Mr. Hansen, the expo executive. “If you carry a spare tire in your car, you’re a prepper. If you have a first aid kit, you’re a prepper.”“In a sense of the word, we’re all preppers,” said Mr. Hansen, the expo executive. “If you carry a spare tire in your car, you’re a prepper. If you have a first aid kit, you’re a prepper.”
He said that preppers cut across all demographics and politics, adding, “I think it’s kind of a perfect time for people to start paying attention to their prepper neighbor.”He said that preppers cut across all demographics and politics, adding, “I think it’s kind of a perfect time for people to start paying attention to their prepper neighbor.”
Several preppers said they hoped that concerns about the coronavirus outbreak would raise awareness about preparedness, and that preppers would lose the associations that comes with outlandish characters on reality TV. “A couple wrong turns,” said Mr. Walton, the podcaster, “took emergency preparedness and turned it into a joke.”Several preppers said they hoped that concerns about the coronavirus outbreak would raise awareness about preparedness, and that preppers would lose the associations that comes with outlandish characters on reality TV. “A couple wrong turns,” said Mr. Walton, the podcaster, “took emergency preparedness and turned it into a joke.”
But some preppers, like Mr. Charles of the New York network, do not expect the general public to embrace their “doom and gloomish” perspective — even if, for now, they appreciate the preppers next door.But some preppers, like Mr. Charles of the New York network, do not expect the general public to embrace their “doom and gloomish” perspective — even if, for now, they appreciate the preppers next door.
“As soon as this passes, we’ll be the stupid people preparing again,” he said.“As soon as this passes, we’ll be the stupid people preparing again,” he said.
“We preppers see the world for what it is — the hard world, the true world,” he said. “We’re always going to look crazy because we live on the realistic plane. Everyone else who doesn’t prepare, they live in an imaginary world.”“We preppers see the world for what it is — the hard world, the true world,” he said. “We’re always going to look crazy because we live on the realistic plane. Everyone else who doesn’t prepare, they live in an imaginary world.”