>>"normal" plagues will have the problem that reducing the population will lower probability of new infection. Herbert's idea of gender selective mortality is a clever way to jump that hurdle neccessary&imminient in the plot - but for real pandemics species crossing vectors are necessary as travel will be stopped as much as possible. Now if the vector would include some flying birds or cockraches hitching a ride with food transports could hit us like fleas and rats in the middle ages
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>In that case, start producing and eating food, not the industrial junk sold as "food". That should put you far ahead of the medieval people, who were undernourished and thus didn't have much of a chance with their immune systems. Simple hygiene, and real food.

I am a city dweller - and those were living off food grown elsewhere about always ;-) And no, sadly enough I don't have my latifundium or at least villa rustica to move to in such emergencies - currently wondering if diversifying into some forest area might make economical sense, but agricultural land coupled with leasing is difficult over here, if not uneconomic at current payment level here vs. transport cost say from poland. Myself not buying much industrial junk food, also buying 1/3 to 1/2 of food from local producers on market days and not via supermarket, but not inclined to garden myself: division of labour and specializaton has its benefits and only needs to be curbed of trying to license/block genetic seed material and some thought about what is good enough to consume.

>Simple hygiene

With this I agree totally: 1 shower/bath per day plus after sports/bodily work is enough. Regularly taking out garbage and cleaning before food prep is enough. Heavy usage of cleaning material will enhance your chances for hay fever and asthma - having some germs around is good for you. And if a lonely spider tries to live off insects, who am I to decide roach spray is better, even if some are somewhat frightened by them, as long as I give the spider a workout recreating all-to-visible nets ? Trying to live according to the habits of previous high-culture (think japanese, chinese, roman) cultures in some aspects is probably better than our over-cleaned (TV-marketed) norm.