How would you have prepared?

The only thing I would have done was brought more French cleaning materials back with me after our recent visit there.

The French have a much better selection of ecological and skin gentle products than we do. I doubt we will be back in our house in France in under 6 months and all my skin gentle products will have run out by then and I will be reduced to buying Ecover products that are not that good, certainly not hypo- allergenique and very expensive.

I also bring washing liquid for Dil and DGS, both of whom have eczema and have yet to find anything in the UK as gentle on their skin as French brands.

I know I said I was trying to use the postal services as much as possible but I have just ordered some D Mannose powder, some urine test strips and some probiotics from a company called Sweet Cures. I don't tend to get cystitis these days but I do like to have some handy if I feel a uti coming on. And I meant to buy some pro biotics from Holland and Barrett a few weeks ago but forgot. The test strips are more for the dog; she's still young and hasn't had a season yet. I worry about pyometra etc. If I have test strips I can test her urine if I'm concerned and tell the vet the result. So, along with my vitD, zinc, vit C [which I will only take if I get the virus] I feel that I'm doing everything I can to keep myself healthy. The lovely lady that I bought the zinc from has been delivering to her customers; the packet is in quarantine in the garage at the moment. She even did a shop for an elderly lady that was struggling to get supplies the other day. She's an angel!

I didn't do anything differently. I've shopped online for years, had a good supply of essentials in and bake my own bread.

I feel no need for hand sanitiser as I walk the dog every day, then wash my hands when I get back.

I don't have a thermometer but I'll know if I have a temperature!

labaik, good, I ordered one. The old one has disappeared and is old anyway. Dd is a dentist but they are closed down for the forseeable, thank heavens a filling was replaced just 2 weeks ago. I too keep corsadyl in, hardly ever use it but it is a back up just in case.

It is going to be a long 6 months ahead

And gone out with different groups of friends instead of us all saying 'we must meet up for lunch soon'

I would have made that overdue appointment with the optician and got a new prescription and new specs.

Gone to the dentist. Seen my GP about some things that now wont get delt with as not "emergency"

Had a hair cut. Bought a small freezer so supplement the tiny one we have and done a whole lot more of batch cooking, leaving room for some bread for Mr C. Somehow got the family together, hugged them all, even the son who hates being hugged and enjoyed a relaxed and happy time with them.

Booked a dental appointment. I know I need some work doing. I did get eye test and new glasses.

The only things I would have stocked up on is pasta and wine. DS are back at home because universities are closed and they eat lots of pasta. Well they did eat pasta. They are on rice and potatoes now. And wine because the three men in the house are proving difficult to live with.

I should have made sure we had compost and top soil for the planters. We did get some delivered yesterday but had to pay over the odds for it.

I would have cuddled the grandchildren more. I am so thankful that I did get to see and hold my newest grandson. He will be three months old before I get to hold him again.

craftyone; I do have one of those repair kits, after having a crumbling tooth one Easter whilst on holiday in the middle of nowhere at a bank holiday! Flossing had dislodged a filling! I am being very careful with what I eat; brushing very gently and rinsing with chlorhexadine [sp] mouthwash on a regular basis; also using Corsodyl toothpaste sometimes. I so wish I'd had it crowned at my last check up; dentist was quite happy to do it....

I'm not sure that I would have done anything too differently. I tried to stock up on my preferred painkiller weeks ago but the supply has always been intermittent - now it's out of stock.
Hand sanitiser is something I always keep in the glove box and it's about half-full. Again its supply is intermittent but I would've bought one more if it was available.
I would have gone to the computer shop to sort out a small problem if I could - now it's shut for the duration so I'll have to put up with it.
I would have liked to have prevented the small attack of oral thrush which delayed my implants. As the dentist is shut I'll have to go about with a gum full of ironmongery until he opens again. The dentures go in when I leave the house. Ho hum.

stockpiling takes place when many people want the same items and then stockpiling is grabbing more than is needed.

Many on GN have been prudent and having lived through rationing after the war and with mums who saved every bit of string, believe me being prudent is well ingrained. TBH I cannot say how many times having a good stockcupboard has been the saving of my family, from flu in 78 and living miles from anywhere, whiteouts, being snowed suddenly for 6 weeks. I kept everyone well fed and looked after. That is being prudent

As soon as the corona concept entered people`s mentality, that is when I abandoned shopping, except for milk. Leaving the stores entirely to those with minimalistic stockcupboard ideas, no cashflow or no forsight.

I would have made appointments for me and my furry family at the vet and dentist. It's a bit alarming to get a toothache in the middle of this mess. I did stock up on (but didn't "hoard") essentials at the beginning of the month when I read info. from the WHO and CDC, etc., so feel OK there.

MawB, hope your grandson recovers well and that the virus doesn't spread in his immediate family.
It's curious what some see as prudent foresight and others see as hoarding resources we all need.
We usually have one pack of paracetamol in the house, we still have one pack as it was one of the first things to disappear from the shelves, along with soap and toilet paper of course.

If I'd thought on, the first thing I would have done is bring that spaniels groom appointment forward. She looks gorgeous with her long silky coat but the amount of brushing and combing needed every day to help maintain that is huge.

I would have signed up for the local milk delivery and for deliveries from the supermarket in our village. It's impossible to sign up currently despite hours sent on the site. We are over 70 and I'm in a high risk category. We did one of the 'vulnerable elderly' 7am shops 10 days ago, awful, we won't be risking that again.

each pack was a day`s worth of paracetamol ie enough for 7 days of covid. Yes I just bought 2 packs at a time when there were plenty on the shelves and I stopped when I had the optimum amount in

Labaik, there are no emergency appointments for the dentist. Dental pracices have closed down except for advice or prescriptions for antibiotics. I would buy a temporary repair kit. I used to take a kit on holiday with me and actually used it once. It worked. Also NHS dentists are being asked to help staff the new hospitals

Goodness Craftyone eight packs of paracetamol!

I bought one pack of 32 at the chemist’s the other day, and thought I had done well.
I realise you had yours in already.

I would not have done anything differently. I started in december, my cupboards and freezer were full by mid february. I stocked up with paracetamol, hand sanitiser, masks, tissues, gloves, soap, disinfectants and toilet roll. None of it stock piling, just prudent preparations, 8 packs of paracetamol, 7 for the virus and one for normal aches. Orders for seeds and gardening equipment were all brought forward, masses of compost bought throughout february and stacked ready for spring planting.

If anything, I would have had my hair cut at 4 weeks and shorter

I could kick myself. I knew it was coming but didn’t prepare much. I bought a couple of small bottles of sanitizer and sorted some stuff out at the bank. That was it.

I should have done a huge online shop and stocked up on medicines AND bought masks. Now they’re all out of stock. My Chinese friends tell me to wear a mask and don’t understand when I tell them the UK doesn’t even have them for medical staff.

I would not have procrastinated about getting my hair cut. I always do it (childhood trauma thing I think). I should've just gone and got it done.

Actually, I think we would have had a party! There's four birthdays looming, two of which are for children and sadly we won't be able to all get together for any one of them?

I would not have done anything differently apart from buying a few more books to keep me occupied. I did download two last night on my Kindle. Ive nowhere to store tons and tons of food, so would not have bought much extra than my usual shop.

I agree Maddyone I'm baffled by the concentration on hand sanitizer and masks. Both things we are repeatedly told are not useful (maybe masks are for a short while if you are coughing, but if you are coughing you should be strictly isolated). The vast majority of hand sanitizer isn't alcohol based.

I would not have gone to my winter home on Lanzarote. As soon as we became aware of the situation we booked flights home. So far two have been cancelled and now booked for the 3rd April. I am not convinced it will happen. We have now been in full lockdown for two weeks exactly. I live this Island but there is only one hospital and they don’t need old English folk taking up their places. I also, after two weeks of isolating, terrified of being among people on the plane and at the airport.

We live in the middle of the countryside and our nearest small supermarket is 7 miles away. Since moving here 11 years ago I have always been paranoid about running out of things so I always have plenty of loo roll, pain killers, milk, bread etc. However, I really didn't notice this coming until it was here. I still can't work out why.