'Disaster prepper' offers advice on coronavirus outbreak
The term disaster or survival "prepper" may conjure images of bunkers or rations, but Jim Cobb says it is much more practical than you might think.
"(As) I look at it, it's common sense," Cobb said.
Cobb is a disaster readiness consultant and the editor-in-chief of Prepper Survival Guide magazine.
He said he has seen a spike in calls and emails about COVID-19, the coronavirus, and its impact.
"I have people asking me what to do," Cobb said. "'What should I stock up on? What should I buy at the store?' I also have people asking me, 'How bad do you think it's going to get?'"
Cobb's biggest piece of advice is to have at least a few weeks' worth of food on hand that will last.
"We're not talking about buying a pallet's worth of canned beets or a ton of rice. Just buy a little bit extra of what you normally eat," Cobb said.
Cobb also cautions against special "survival food," which he said can be expensive and is not healthy in the long-term, he said.