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From the best-selling authors of OutbreakManual.

com

THE ULTIMATE
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK
SURVIVAL MANUAL March 2020 Edition

A Lifesaving Companion to Preparing for and Surviving


the Deadly Global Contagion for You and Your Family
Contents

1 A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION ................................... 1


1.1. Brief information about COVID-19 ...................................... 2
1.2. Introduction to Pandemics ................................................. 5
1.3. COVID-19 and Pandemic Risk .......................................... 8
1.4. Phases of a Pandemic ..................................................... 10
1.5. Impact of a Pandemic—to You and Your Community ....... 12
1.6. F.A.Q ................................................................................ 13

2 PREVENTION AND PREPARATION ...............................21


2.1. How Does the Virus Spread Exactly? .............................. 21
2.2. How to Minimize the Virus Transmission ......................... 22
2.1.1. Wash Your Hands Frequently and Thoroughly ....... 23
2.1.2. Use Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizer When
Water and Soap Aren’t Available ..................................... 24
2.1.3. Keep Your Distance and Avoid Crowds .................. 24
2.1.4. Cover Your Mouth and Encourage Others to
Do the Same ................................................................... 26
2.1.5. Keep All Surfaces Clean and Be Cautious with
Things That Belong to Other People ............................... 26
2.1.6. Stay Safe at Work ................................................... 27
2.1.7. Steer Clear From the Public Transport .................... 28
2.1.8. Avoid Using Public Toilets ...................................... 29
2.1.9. Avoid Eating at Restaurants ................................... 30
2.1.10. Wash Your Clothes ................................................ 31
2.3. Plan and Act Before the Worst Happens ......................... 31
2.4. Stockpile for Home .......................................................... 33
2.5. Questionnaire for the Preparation .................................... 36
3 LIFE AND DEATH DURING THE OUTBREAK ................38
3.1. Routine Services Will Be Disrupted ................................. 38
3.2. Pandemic Scenarios ....................................................... 39
3.2.1. The Low Severity Scenario .................................... 39
3.2.2. The Medium Severity Scenario ............................. 41
3.2.3. The High Severity Scenario ................................... 42
3.3. Groceries, Cooking and Food Storing ............................ 43
3.4. Recognizing Symptoms of Distress
During a Pandemic ................................................................. 47
3.5. Disposal of Waste ............................................................ 48
3.6. Dealing With Death During the Outbreak ........................ 50
3.7. How to Defend Against Looting and Banditry ................... 52

4 TREATMENT DURING THE OUTBREAK .......................56


4.1. Taking Care of Your Body and Mind During the Outbreak 56
4.2. Medical Management of COVID-19 at Home .................. 57
4.3. Seeking Medical Help ..................................................... 58
4.4. Over-The-Counter (OTC) Medications ............................. 60
4.5. How to Relieve Specific COVID-19
Symptoms in Adults ................................................................ 61
4.6. How to Relieve Specific COVID-19
Symptoms in Children ............................................................ 62
4.7. Diet Recommendations and Treating Diarrhea ................ 63
4.8. How to Set Up a Quarantine Room ................................. 64

5 COMMUNICATION DURING THE OUTBREAK ..............70


5.1. Volunteering ..................................................................... 70
5.2. Pre-Pandemic Communication ........................................ 70
5.3. Alternative Methods of Communication ........................... 72
6 CONCLUSION ................................................................. 74

7 GLOSSARY .....................................................................75

8 REFERENCES ................................................................78
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A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION
1
We created The Ultimate Coronavirus Outbreak Survival Man-
ual to help you prepare for the global COVID-19 outbreak.

We base this manual on the precautionary principle—it is bet-


ter to overprepare for a life-threatening event than to risk your
own and your family’s existence by not doing enough.

The first thing you must realize is that, at this point, the gov-
ernment’s priorities are different from yours and your family’s.
Don’t expect the government, CDC, or your physician to tell
you what’s going to happen next, or what to do if things go far
south.

During crises such as this, one of the main goals of the pow-
ers that be is to prevent public panic, which may result in bank
runs, panic buying, and breakdown of law and order. That’s
why the government and its agencies will always downplay the
actual risk up until it’s already too late for you to take meaning-
ful action.

All of this makes perfect sense at the national crisis manage-


ment level, but it doesn’t help you or your loved ones person-
ally. You won’t have much time to prepare before the moment
comes that you need to stay in your home for weeks or, per-
haps, even months. The worst thing you can do is hope you’ll
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK SURVIVAL MANUAL

have enough time to rush to the store to get the necessary


supplies.

That’s why to survive and stay healthy, you need to rely on


yourself – keep yourself informed (while separating relevant
information from the noise), prepare mentally, and take quick,
proactive measures.

Read on and learn how you and people around you can be bet-
ter prepared to survive this deadly global virus outbreak.

You will be glad you did.

1.1. Brief information about COVID-19


Naming
COVID-19—previously known as “2019 novel coronavirus” or
“2019-nCoV”—is the official name of the new disease.

SARS-CoV-2, or severe acute respiratory syndrome corona-


virus (informally called “coronavirus” or “novel coronavirus”),
causes COVID-19.

Symptoms
For COVID-19 symptomatic cases, reported illnesses range
from mild symptoms to severe illness and death. Asymptomatic
cases (the virus infection with no apparent signs of the illness)
with transmission exist, and they are more common than it was
previously thought.

COVID-19 typically causes flu-like symptoms, including a fever


and cough. In some patients–especially the elderly and peo-
2
A VERY SHORT INTRODUCTION

ple with chronic medical conditions–the symptoms can develop


into pneumonia with shortness of breath, chest tightness, and
chest pain.

Symptomatic COVID-19 cases often start with a fever, followed


by a dry cough. In about one week, the disease can lead to
shortness of breath, with 1 out of 5 patients requiring treatment
at a hospital, and often in ICU.

COVID-19 seems to rarely cause a runny nose, sneezing, or


sore throat as these symptoms have been observed in only
about 5% of patients.

COVID-19 symptoms can include:

% Fever % Muscle ache and fa-


tigue
% Cough (more common-
ly – dry, productive is % Abdominal pain
also possible) % Diarrhea
% Headache % Nausea
% Shortness of breath % Appetite loss
Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear in as few as 2 days or as
long as 14 days after exposure.

The typical way COVID-19 symptoms progress among patients: 

% Day 1: Patients run a fever. They may also experience


fatigue, muscle pain, and a dry cough. A small minority
of them may have had diarrhea or nausea one to two
days before.

3
CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK SURVIVAL MANUAL

% Day 5: Patients may have shortness of breath — es-


pecially if they are older or have a preexisting medical
condition.
% Day 7: This is how long it takes, on average, before pa-
tients are hospitalized.
% Day 8: At this point, patients with severe cases develop
acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), an illness
that occurs when fluid builds up the lungs. ARDS is of-
ten fatal.
% Day 10: If patients have worsening symptoms, this is
the time in the disease’s progression when they’re most
likely to be admitted to the ICU. These patients proba-
bly have more abdominal pain and appetite loss than
patients with milder cases.
% Day 17: On average, people who recover from
COVID-19 are discharged from the hospital after two-
and-a-half weeks.
As per medical data, about 80% of people with COVID-19 suf-
fer from relatively mild cases and can recover at home. 15%
of COVID-19 cases are severe, resulting in pneumonia and
shortness of breath. 5% of cases are critical and are known to
include respiratory failure, septic shock, and multi-organ failure.
At the moment, the case fatality rate (CFR) of COVID-19 is es-
timated to be within the range of 2-2.3%.

Diagnosis
Whenever you (or someone you know) experience some of
these symptoms, it’s a good idea to get in touch with your local

4
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PREVENTION AND PREPARATION

2.4. Stockpile for Home


Non-perishable food is crucially important because, during a
severe virus outbreak, you might not have access to refrigera-
tion. You should have enough non-perishable food and water for
each family member for at least 1 to 3 months. You’ll also need
other necessities that you can use to survive without electricity,
pharmacies and stores.

Here is what you will need:

Foods
You should purchase canned meats, such as seafood, poultry,
and dehydrated meats. It is important to have a good source of
protein to consume during a pandemic. Grass-fed meats are
the best ones to buy. You should also stock canned tuna, mack-
erel, sardines, and salmon, which are rich in Omega-3 fatty
acids. It is not a bad idea to purchase hot dogs, smoked salmon
and sausages for your refrigerator as well.

Some other foods to have in your stock would include:

% Dehydrated eggs, powdered milk, and whey protein.


% Wax-encased hard cheeses. (Wax stops bacteria and
mold from growing on the cheese. It also reduces mois-
ture exposure in order to keep the cheese fresh for a
longer time.)
% Green tea / coffee (boosts cognitive function and alert-
ness)
% Dark chocolate / Nuts / Candy Bars as a morale-boost-
ing option
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CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK SURVIVAL MANUAL

% Sugar / Salt (For food preservation)


% Materials for oral rehydration solution (e.g., salt, instant
baby rice cereal)
% Baby formula or any other special foods needed
% At least 1 month supply of bottled drinking water (1 to 2
gallons per day for each person)
% Store pet food (one-month supply)

Non-Food Items
Your emergency kit should include non-food items as well.
Some of which could be the following:

% First-aid kit that includes:


$ Tourniquet
$ Pressure dressing
$ Z-fold gauze
$ Coban roll
$ Trauma shears
$ Chest seals
$ Tweezers
$ Irrigation syringe
$ Vaseline
$ Silk medical tape roll
$ Needle & thread
$ Moleskin
$ Rolled gauze
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LIFE AND DEATH DURING THE
3
OUTBREAK

3.1. Routine Services Will Be Disrupted


You cannot expect routine services to be available during a
severe pandemic. You will have a hard time withdrawing cash
from local ATMs and banks. All of your local government offic-
es, schools, post offices, TV stations, cable providers, electric
companies, internet companies, radio stations, businesses,
and stores will be closed or limited in their services and prod-
ucts.

Communication and Transport Disruption

Gas stations will be out of fuel. There won’t be any or very little
public transportation available. Instead, a quarantine or even a
strict curfew will be applied to your area.

Information about the outbreak will be limited and often inaccu-


rate due to the rapidly changing situation and the sheer number
of infected people. The lines of communication, such as access
to the internet, may be disrupted as well.

Impact on Mental Health

People will become isolated with all the restrictions and limited
services in their communities. Some of your friends and family
LIFE AND DEATH DURING THE OUTBREAK

members will likely become severely ill. If they pass away, it


will be very hard on you mentally. As more time passes, you’ll
experience more fear and anxiety over the situation.

Everyone in your community will be on their own, and this will


put an additional mental strain on you. Therefore, self-preserva-
tion is the ability you need to master quickly. However, there will
be people—pregnant women, senior citizens, and children—
who are unable to care for themselves. It will be your duty to
help them the best way you can.

3.2. Pandemic Scenarios


A pandemic can impact society in a number of different ways
based on its severity. We have outlined three different realistic
scenarios that can help you to prepare for the future that, hope-
fully, never comes.

3.2.1. The Low Severity Scenario

The best way to avoid a viral infection is to stay away from the
people and objects that have the virus. Of course, this is more
difficult than it sounds unless you stay in your home throughout
the entire pandemic. In that case, it is a low severity scenario.

However, it is a little more complicated for people who live in


apartment buildings, flats, terrace houses, or semi-detached
houses. Think about the population and airflow of these envi-
ronments. For example, the ventilation system of an apartment
building links all the units together in terms of airflow. In other
words, air circulates throughout all the units of the apartment

39
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CORONAVIRUS OUTBREAK SURVIVAL MANUAL

Children
% Chronically ill child
% Breathing pattern change
% Highly irritable
% Severe dehydration symptoms
% Difficulty breathing
% Pale skin
% Blue lips
% The fontanel on top of the child’s head appears sunken
or full
% Seems to be confused
% Inability to move
% Seizures

4.4. Over-The-Counter (OTC) Medications


Your over-the-counter medication should only treat 1 symptom
and have 1 active ingredient. This will reduce the chance of
having an adverse reaction to the medication. Also, don’t take
any other medications if they don’t have any effect on your
symptoms. If you are taking multiple medications, make sure
they don’t have the same active ingredient in them. If they do,
then you don’t need to take both of them. Experiment with a
standard strength medication and see how well that works for
you. If it doesn’t do much, then upgrade to extra strength and
see how that goes.

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TREATMENT DURING THE OUTBREAK

You should always follow the instructions of your medication


as described on its label. Please be aware of the possible side
effects of taking the medication and the medications you’re not
supposed to take with it.

Don’t take medications that are past their expiration dates. If


you must throw them out, take them to a pharmacy for proper
disposal instead. Never let children have access to any of your
medications.

4.5. How to Relieve Specific COVID-19


Symptoms in Adults
Important! At all times seek professional medical assistance!
Solutions to relieve COVID-19 symptoms do not treat the dis-
ease.

Pneumonia is an inflammatory disorder of the lungs caused by


an infection of the airways. It is a serious condition, and home
remedies cannot be used to treat it. However, they can help
ease the symptoms.

Fever and Muscle Pain

Take Tylenol or any other acetaminophen-based medication.


Only take it for a short-term basis because it can negatively
affect the kidneys and liver if taken too long. Ibuprofen can be
taken as an alternative.

Shortness of Breath and Dry Cough

You can relieve a dry cough by taking dextromethorphan.

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