Posted on 03/13/2006 10:10:32 AM PST by blam
What You Should Do to Prepare for an Epidemic
Stock Up on Essentials and Have an 'Outbreak Plan'
How To Protect Yourself
Bird Flu
How Would You Know If You Had Avian Flu?
A Bit of Context on the Bird Flu Threat
How To Protect Yourself
By LARA SETRAKIAN
March 12, 2006 — Will there be an outbreak of avian flu that threatens humans? Many experts disagree on when or if a human pandemic will occur, but do say there is a chance that the virus could mutate, leading to widespread infection. In that case, the best thing you and your family can do right now is to prepare for that possibility.
Here's what you need to know to help keep yourself healthy.
Stock up on Essentials
If there is an avian flu pandemic, you'll want to minimize your chance of catching it by staying indoors; you might even be required to stay home if the government asks that people remain in quarantine or "shelter in place." Stocking up today on at least seven days' worth of essentials such as water, nonperishable food, emergency and medical supplies will help you get through an extended time at home if an outbreak happens. Once you've purchased these items, store them in a place where you will not be tempted to dip into them for everyday use. See the checklist below for guidelines on what and how much you need.
Have an Outbreak Plan
It may feel odd or uncomfortable to talk to family members and loved ones about the worst-case pandemic scenario. But if that scenario strikes, you'll all be much better off if you have a plan decided on and ready. Talk with your friends and family about how you'd respond to an epidemic. Figure out how you would care for them and what your first response and responsibilities would be; this is an especially important conversation to have with those with special care needs. Get involved with local groups and community efforts aimed at preparing for a pandemic. If your community has no program in place yet, find out how you and your neighbors can get one started.
Pick up the Habits of Healthy Behavior
The habits that can help keep you healthy in an outbreak are the same good health habits that can keep you from catching the common cold: maintain a balanced diet, exercise regularly and get sufficient rest. Particularly in a flu outbreak situation, it will be important to wash your hands thoroughly and often, reminding loved ones — especially children — to do the same. Be diligent about covering coughs and sneezes with tissues, teaching any children in your family to do the same. Also teach children to stay away from others as much as possible if they are sick and stay home from work or school if you are sick.
Know Your Emergency Contacts and Information Compile the phone numbers you'd need in case of the emergency, keeping the list somewhere safe and visible. Make sure everyone in your household knows where to find it. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, you should include information for:
Local and out-of-town personal emergency contacts
Hospitals near your work, home and school
Family physician
Your state public health department (full list at www.cdc.gov/other.htm#states)
Pharmacy
Employer contact and emergency information
School contact and emergency information
Religious/spiritual organization
Also, know your essential health information such as blood type, allergies, past or current medical conditions, and current medications and their dosages. Make a list of that essential information for all the members of your household. Keep that list safe and make sure everyone in your household knows where it is.
HHS has sample sheets that you can print out and fill in with all your essential contact and health information.
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/planguide/InformationSheet.pdf
What Else Will I Need
Make sure you have:
Food and nonperishable items, such as ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables, and soups, protein or fruit bars, dry cereal or granola, peanut butter or nuts, dried fruit, crackers, canned juices, bottled water, canned or jarred baby food and formula, and pet food.
Medical and practical items, such as prescriptions drugs and medical supplies such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment, soap and water, or alcohol-based hand wash, medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen, thermometer, anti-diarrheal medication, vitamins, fluids with electrolytes, cleansing agent/soap, flashlight, batteries, portable radio, manual can opener, garbage bags and tissues, toilet paper, and disposable diapers.
Source: the Department of Health and Human Services
Check the link below. Pay close attention to the part about schools. When the government is telling you to be prepared to homeschool your kids, you need to pay attention.
http://pandemicflu.gov/plan/tab3.html
Yup. Not to worry, after seven days all the infected government (FEMA) workers will be there to take care of you after they get through the military enforced quarantine, ahem.
How about Soju?
ping to #41..
None of this is any different from preparations for any kind of major emergency.
You may want to read this before buying supplies.
A friend of mine works as a research physician for the CDC, and specifically is working on pandemic flu preparations. This guy is as knowledgeable as one gets on this issue. I was speaking to him late last week to get his take on bird flu.
Like many of you, I was highly skeptical of the purported risk. He feels the immediate risk is moderate, but it is only a matter of time before another flu pandemic strikes. We spoke about vaccines and how time consuming production is. We spoke about gov't response - and he said you will not be able to rely on gov't to handle this adequately. He said that one should be prepared to be *isolated* for a period of weeks, as that is the only sure fire way to be safe.
Ignore these warnings at your own peril.
KimChee is a very spicy pickled cabbage. Usually bordering on fermentation. Consumed in quantity in Korea.
KimChee is a very spicy pickled cabbage. Usually bordering on fermentation. Consumed in quantity in Korea.
It is spicy sauerkraut with some other fermented veggies included.
just spit my water and rice cake all over my keyboard.....
Would you go to work if you had the bird flu?
One of the 'fears' I've read is that many of the doctors and nurses may stay home too. So...
Although it is often used on ducts, the proper name is Duck Tape.
Would that be because it is "canvasback'd"?
My own old "Chinese" proverb.
Keeping the population fearful keeps the wallets open.
If sauerkraut were nuclear, kimchee would be plutonium.
Does anybody know the present stage? Someone on CSpan was saying that the 2 million vaccines presently on hand could be useless if it continues its present mutation. So what is its present mutation? Bird to Bird, Bird to Cat, Bird to Human?
We don't know what we don't know...
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