Coronavirus (COVID-19): How to prep your vegan family, key information & essentials

When we began our self-isolation, we told basically no one about it, as we did not want to be teased or called “exaggerated”. The fact is that since mid-February we have only been out of our home for essentials, going to work, and not much else (currently we are able to work from home so not going out at all thankfully!). The last time we visited the supermarket was weeks ago, and we made sure long ago that we had all the food, medicine, and cleaning products that we may need in the following months. Below you will find a complete list of essential products.

Important facts to know about COVID-19:

• COVID-19 is much more contagious than regular seasonal flu.
• Unlike seasonal flu and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), people infected with COVID-19 become highly contagious long before symptoms develop. This means that they can go shopping and socialize and spread the virus everywhere, while with other infectious diseases they would be sick in bed, and therefore limit the number of people they could infect.
• COVID-19 is not only much more spreadable than the common flu, it is also much more deadly. Mortality rates will range from less than 1 percent for younger people with excellent access to hospital care, to more than 10 percent for people over the age of fifty who lack access to intensive care in case of complications. Smokers and people with diabetes or cardiovascular disease face a much higher risk of infection and complications.
• The most common complication of COVID-19 is pneumonia, which requires specialized equipment and nursing skills to treat it. During a large-scale outbreak, the demand for respirators and qualified nurses to operate this equipment will undoubtedly far exceed supply. Most hospitals generally operate at near full capacity, even in “normal” times. If the number of serious cases increases in a given city, there is no chance that there will be enough hospital beds, doctors and nurses at all for everyone.
• Each of us must do everything possible to avoid getting COVID-19. Don’t be complacent about the fact that if you are young getting infected means that you are likely to develop only a mild case. There is still a significant chance that your case will develop into pneumonia and require intensive care. Also, imagine the guilt you would feel your whole life if you infected elderly or ill friends or family, and they end up dying. Could you forgive yourself? We know we couldn’t.

What does self-isolation mean?

• Self-isolation means staying away from situations where you could infect other people. This means any situation where you can come into close contact with other people, such as social gatherings, work, schools, daycare centres, preschools, universities, polytechnic schools and other education providers, religious gatherings, healthcare centres and care for the elderly, prisons, sports meetings, bars, restaurants, and all kinds of public gatherings.

Hygiene

• Be sure to wash your hands often using soap and water and rubbing for at least 20 seconds, making sure you don’t forget to wash the back of your hands, between your fingers, and under your nails. If you have to go outside, remember to wash your hands as soon as you return, before touching anything. It is also important to wash your hands every time you receive mail. Don’t touch your face!
• When you return home, take off your shoes at the door, take off your clothes, and throw them directly into the washing machine. Shower well, making sure to wash your hair thoroughly.
• Cover your nose and mouth with a disposable tissue when you cough or sneeze, and then throw it away, in a lined bin.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces (door knobs, mobile phones, laptops, ipads, etc.) using wipes, or a common household cleaning product.

What should we avoid?

• Handshakes, hugs, kisses, and any kind of physical contact.
• Entering indoor public spaces. The virus of an infected person can spread many meters and remain in the air.
• Sharing car trips, as well as travelling on buses, trains, and planes.

FOODS, MEDICINES AND ESSENTIAL CLEANING PRODUCTS

If you haven’t started preparing yet, start now. You don’t want to risk infection by making unnecessary trips to the supermarket and pharmacy. Try to acquire nutritious and imperishable food items for a minimum of two weeks, because in case you get infected, you should not have to go out of your home to buy anything essential, and infect others.

Over-the-Counter Medicine and Supplements

• Paracetamol: If you have a high fever, it will reduce it.
• Strepsils: relieves sore throat.
• Oral rehydration solution: used to replace body losses when there is vomiting and / or diarrhea, when you sweat a lot from a high fever, or when you lose your appetite, or do not have energy to eat.
• Vitamin B12: a nutrient that helps keep neurons and blood cells healthy. In addition, it contributes to the elaboration of DNA, the genetic material present in all cells. It also prevents a type of anemia, called megaloblastic anemia, which causes tiredness and weakness in people.
• Vitamin D3: It is stored in the fatty tissues of the body and allows the bones to absorb calcium and phosphorus, which are essential to keep the bone system healthy.
• Multivitamin: necessary because you are probably not going to be consuming a wide variety of foods, in order to ensure that we are not lacking any essential vitamin.
• Menstrual cup and reusable menstrual pads for women: for healthier and more ecological intimate hygiene.

Food per person for a minimum of 3 weeks

• Legumes (chickpeas, lentils, white, red, and black beans, etc.) — 5 kg
• Canned legumes — 14 cans
• Whole wheat pasta — 5 kg
• Brown rice — 5 kg
• Raw nuts (cashews, almonds, walnuts, peanuts, etc.) — 2 kg
• Sugar-free peanut butter and tahini — 2 kg
• Pure date syrup — 1/2 litre
• Whole flax seeds — 500 g
• Oats and rye flakes – 4 kg
• Potatoes (ideally, store them in a large cardboard box and cover the inside with newspaper. Then place the potatoes inside and sprinkle black pepper on top to protect them from insects. Finally, cover them with more sheets of newspaper and place the box in a cool dry place.) — 10 kg
• Canned whole peeled tomatoes — 5 kg
• Canned tomato sauce — 4 kg
• Fortified unsweetened soy milk and oat milk — 12 litres
• Dried hibiscus flowers (high in antioxidants, hibiscus far outweighs green tea. It also has anti-inflammatory properties, helps decrease high blood pressure, helps decrease uric acid levels in gout patients, and improves blood levels. cholesterol and triglycerides in pre-diabetics and diabetics — 1 kg
• Canola oil and vinegar of your choice, and soy sauce or tamari – 2 litres
• Baking soda and active-dry yeast
• Raw sugar and iodized salt
• Whole wheat or gluten-free flour — 5 kg
• Nutritional yeast (often used to emulate the flavor of cheese and to thicken sauces and dressings. High-value food supplement, source of complete protein and vitamins, being particularly rich in vitamins of the B complex. Contains folates, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, iron, selenium, magnesium and zinc, and low in sodium and fat. — 500 g
• Turmeric, black pepper, cumin, onion powder, garlic powder, and other seasonings of your choice.
• Blueberry powder (very high in antioxidants) – 1 kg
• Bottled water — 40 litres *

* We do not believe that the water supply will be affected by this pandemic.

Please, don’t forget to have more than enough food for your fur babies to last for at least 2 months!

Cleaning products

• Bleach, ammonia, floors and surfaces cleaner
• Hand soap, shower gel, shampoo, toilet paper
• Liquid dish soap, dishwasher detergent
• Laundry detergent and conditioner

If you found our guide useful, please share it on social media, and email it to everyone who needs to prepare. There is no time to lose, and together (but each in their own house!) we can fight this pandemic and help save the lives of the people we care about!