Experts advise Canadians to be prepared in case of coronavirus pandemic
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Canadians have been told to be prepared for the possibility of a coronavirus pandemic, but not much advice has followed on how to survive.
“The emergency preparedness is the same for any kind of emergency,” a Health Canada spokesman said Wednesday,
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However, basic emergency kits — including food, water, battery flashlight and copies of identification — are generally meant for a 72-hour period and generally for environmental power-related issues.
Health Canada doesn’t address whether the kits should be able to last longer than the basic 72-hours, since the quarantine time for the Covid-19 is two weeks.
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The federal health agency didn’t respond to three separate requests to comment on the length of time required or recommended for a Covid-19 survival kit.
The province’s Ministry of Health says people need to add extra items to their basic emergency survival kits in the case of a coronavirus pandemic.
These include alcohol-based hand sanitizer, medicine for headaches, coughs and fever, a thermometer, anti-diarrheal medication and drinks with electrolytes.
But, some epidemiology experts say that while Covid-19 may be novel, people don’t have to buy anything new.
“You don’t need to go out and stock up on lots of things,” Timothy Brewer, a professor of epidemiology at UCLA, told the Washington Post this week.
That isn’t good advice, said John Yamniuk, president of Disaster Recovery Institute Canada, adding a 72-hour survival kit is woefully inadequate if there is a Covid-19 pandemic.
“In this case, the quarantine implemented would be 14 days. There are considerations that need to be addressed,” said Yamniuk, who has a history of pandemic planning.
“If you are quarantined and only have 72 hours of food, what do you do after that.”
He says it is important to have plans because an outbreak would disrupt daily routines.
Those plans would include school closures and transit disruptions.
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“People with pre-existing medical conditions will need to ensure they have enough medication in the household,” he said, adding pet owners must also consider the needs of their animals.
Seventy-two hours is the bare minimum and in the event of a pandemic other measures will obviously be needed, Richard Moreau, director of emergency management for Calian, which among other expertises is a health consulting firm.
“The problem is not everyone can afford (to stockpile) more than 72 hours,” Moreau said. “The biggest thing is to keep an eye on the updates and what the authorities are recommending.”
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