Prepare / Pandemic
How do you prepare for a pandemic?
Everyone who lived through 2020 knows the feeling of being two weeks behind the shelves.
Preparing for the next outbreak is mostly quiet, boring work done in advance: a stocked pantry, a medication buffer, and a simple plan for a sick household member.
This guide covers that work, step by step.
The hygiene and home-care basics on this page are aligned with CDC guidance. CDC: hygiene and respiratory illness
The first hours: set up before anyone is sick
- Pick one room, and a bathroom if possible, as the sick room before anyone falls ill.
- Assign a single caregiver who limits contact with the rest of the household.
- Stage a mask, gloves, disinfectant, and a lined trash bin just outside the sick room.
- Stock 30 or more days of food and essentials so you can avoid crowds during infection peaks.
- Refill prescriptions early and build toward a 90-day buffer before shortages hit.
- Plan your errand system: batch trips, one designated runner who masks and washes up on return.
What to stock
| Item | Per person, per day | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Water (drinking and hygiene) | 1 gallon (about 4 liters) | The ready.gov standard including hygiene. Survive//Protocol plans a 3 liter (about 0.8 gal) drinking minimum and raises it in hot climates. Rotate stored water every 6 to 12 months. |
| White rice | 7 oz (200 g) | Keeps 25+ years sealed, dry, and cool. |
| Dried beans and lentils | 3.5 oz (100 g) | Keeps 10+ years sealed. |
| Rolled oats | 2.8 oz (80 g) | Keeps 2 years, longer sealed. |
| Pasta | 3.5 oz (100 g) | Keeps 2 to 3 years. |
| Canned protein (fish or meat) | 5.3 oz (150 g) | Keeps 2 to 5 years. |
| Canned vegetables | 4.2 oz (120 g) | Keeps 2 to 5 years. |
| Cooking oil | 1 fl oz (30 ml) | Keeps 1 to 2 years. |
| Salt | 0.35 oz (10 g) | Keeps indefinitely. |
| Sugar or honey | 0.7 oz (20 g) | Honey keeps indefinitely. |
| Powdered milk | 1 oz (30 g) | Keeps 2 to 10 years sealed. |
| Multivitamins | 1 tablet | Keeps about 2 years. |
| Electrolyte powder | 1 serving every 2 days | For fever and dehydration. Keeps 2 to 3 years. |
| N95 respirators and gloves | A small supply per person | For the caregiver and the designated runner. |
| Thermometer and pulse oximeter | 1 per household | Track temperature and oxygen. Know your local emergency threshold. |
| Fever and OTC medicine | A course per person | Rest, fluids, electrolytes, and over-the-counter medicine manage most illness at home. |
Amounts are per person, per day. Multiply by your household size and the number of days you want to cover. Survive//Protocol does this math for you, from 1 week to 1 year.
Skills to learn now
- Hand hygiene that actually protects: soap for 20 seconds after any shared-surface contact, with 60%+ alcohol gel as the backup.
- Air management: open a window periodically or run a HEPA filter in shared spaces.
- Surface discipline: clean high-touch points such as handles, taps, and phones daily with disinfectant.
- Home monitoring: track temperature and oxygen with a cheap pulse oximeter and know the number that means call for help.
- Delivery handling: disinfect or quarantine incoming packages if the pathogen spreads by surfaces.
If you have kids, elderly, or pets
- Children and elderly family members: add comfort items, extra warmth, and familiar routines, and increase your water and medication buffers.
- Pets: store a week or more of food per animal, any pet medication, and pack a leash or carrier with your emergency kit.
- Infants: over-stock formula, bottles, diapers, and wipes. These vanish from shelves first.
- Immunocompromised members: keep extra masks on hand and be stricter about the caregiver and runner protocols.
Common mistakes
- Setting up the sick room after someone is already ill.
- Letting everyone care for the sick person instead of one designated caregiver.
- Running prescriptions down to the last week before refilling.
- Shopping in peaks with the crowds instead of batching errands with one runner.
- Ignoring ventilation. Airflow in shared spaces is one of the cheapest protections there is.
FAQ
How much food should I store for a pandemic?
Stock 30 or more days of food and essentials. The goal is to avoid crowds entirely during infection peaks.
What about prescription medication?
Refill early and build toward a 90-day buffer of any prescription medicines before shortages hit.
How do I care for a sick family member without infecting everyone?
One pre-chosen sick room, one designated caregiver, protective gear staged outside the door, daily disinfection of high-touch surfaces, and steady airflow in shared spaces.
What should I monitor at home?
Temperature and blood oxygen, with a thermometer and a cheap pulse oximeter. Treat fever and dehydration with rest, fluids, electrolytes, and OTC medicine, and know your local emergency threshold.
Related guides: Power outage · Financial crisis · Nuclear fallout