With the latest reports of the cases of human Avian flu increasing- and spreading- the interest in what Americans need to do is not purely academic or abstract. It entails genuine grave decisions on matters of life and death. Some further areas I want to cover in this blog post include: hygiene, cooking when electricity is either not available or only partially, and wills.
Hygiene:
There are two aspects here, external and internal - the first to do with interactions with the outside world in the grip of Avian H5 N1 flu, and the second pertaining to your household when one or more members becomes ill.
In the external realm, you will want to protect yourself by "social distancing" - avoiding gatherings of people, or even simple social occasions whether weddings, parties or whatever. This sounds harsh, but we know from data compiled during the Spanish flu pandemic that those who were most likely to survive minimized their contacts with the outside word and had few if any occasions to mingle. Mingling in any venue means chances increase for droplet or touch infection, even if you're wearing a flu mask - and you should wear one if you go out, even to shop for other needed odds and ends (e.g. battery chargers, Mag-lites etc.).
Also, it goes without saying that when you return home you wash hands rigorously, no 5 seconds and done. During the recent norovirus outbreak I even went one step further by using antiseptic wipes on the surfaces of any bottles, or cans purchased at the grocery which I intended for immediate use. This after learning that the norovirus can last up to 13 or more days on surfaces. As I already had a wife recovering from H3N2 flu, I didn't want her - or me (as the primary helper) to get norovirus on top of it.
Now, ridicule the films 'Contagion' and 'Fatal Contact- Bird Flu in America' as scare mongering if you will, but the fact is people are often way too 'touch happy' during even seasonal flu outbreaks and this is what brings perdition on them and their families. They touch each other, shake hands, hug in the grocery mart, then touch their noses, face etc. --- and as the CDC character notes in 'Contagion' - up to 3500 times an hour! In a time of Avian Flu, if you happen to go out and about, you want to minimize touching as much as feasible. Use readily disposable latex gloves if you must go out at the height of an epidemic or pandemic, and then the payment will not be as fierce if you touch door knobs, elevator buttons or other contaminated surfaces.
Those who think these precautions are over the top, I suggest you get hold of PBS' documentary on the Spanish flu and watch it, especially the scenes of the bloody vomit and sputum covering hospital beds and the lungs (at autopsy) turned into jello after the subjects shown were infected. This isn't a damned joke, not one bit.
The hygiene principles applied to external agents can be also applied to the household. How did I avoid getting H3N2 flu when my wife had it? A number of precautions, all based on reasonable separation and isolation, which would help in the event Avian Flu takes down any person in your household:
1- Keeping all utensils, dishes etc. separate – each person using his, her own.
2- The infected person covering every sneeze or cough to reduce the likelihood of droplet infection.
3- Washing hands after touching almost everything including laptop (that we sometimes share), phone, or even a door knob. As for phone, using wipes to scrub it down before making or taking a call.
4- No touching of the face if you can help it, including picking at nose, rubbing eyes, putting fingers into mouth etc. Be conscious of what you are doing with fingers, hands!
5- Sleeping in separate bedrooms -if this is feasible- especially as infected people will experience severe coughing bouts at night which they'll not be able control- hence droplets spread through the room.
The above are all in place once a household member gets ill
Cooking when Electricity is a problem:
Let's face it- eating canned foods for three months may not be everyone's cup of tea. For those who want some degree of diversity, you will need to get cooking gear that doesn't depend on electricity - and bear in mind the folks that operate your utility or power station can get sick too!
The methods most recommended in survival handbooks include:
- Two burner Coleman stove
- Small Weber Kettle grill (burns charcoal briquettes but can use other materials)
- Large Weber Propane grill that runs off a 20-lb propane tank.
My preferences go to the first two, since I kind of instinctively distrust propane tanks. But this is still a personal choice. A further note, since water is likely to be in short supply, it is useful to wrap any veggies or meats in aluminum foil before putting onto your heat source. This way you keep the surfaces of your grill or stove clean in a (likely) water -challenged situation and the last thing you want is salmonella with Avian flu going around! Just remember to stock plenty of aluminum foil along with your foods.
Making out a Will:
Incredibly, nearly 2 in 3 Americans have no Will. Though they may pout and whine about the "government" taking their hard earned money, this is where it all gets exposed as nonsense-- since without a will that's exactly what you're allowing to happen! No one likes to think about the inevitable (except maybe the crazed fundies in their salvation and 'Hell' phantasms) but think about it you must - especially when a flu pandemic is facing you. Among the myths that people buy into:
"Joint ownership of accounts, property etc. makes a will unecessary".
This is a common misconception. In fact, joint ownership alone often creates needless state or federal estate taxes and may result in gift taxes being due. It may also deny you complete control over your property while you're still living. Thus, joint ownership is a poor substitute for a will but can work well in conjunction with one.
"A Will is not needed for a small estate".
On the contrary, the smaller the assets or estate the more important it be settled quickly, since delays mean increased expenses cutting down the proceeds. In many cases, an estate is larger than the owner realizes, and it's often undervalued. Still have all those 1952 TOPPS baseball cards? Well, they are part of your estate and if in near mint condition, now worth over $55,000.
Can you prepare a will - last will and testament- on your own? Yes, but it's not a good idea. The reason is that many do-it-yourself wills are declared null and void by the courts. My wife and I got our original will done soon after our marriage (1975) by an attorney in Barbados, it took ten minutes and cost $100 Bds. We got our will revised about ten years ago, to take into account family-beneficiary changes etc. It was done by a local attorney for about $200 and took less than a half hour.
Given such an important piece of the typical American's financial puzzle, it is incredible that more haven't done it. With a possible Avian flu pandemic it is essential it be done, and now may be the time to do it so you can focus your energies on collecting supplies later. Just a bit of advice!
Showing posts with label Spanish flu pandemic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Spanish flu pandemic. Show all posts
Monday, April 15, 2013
Sunday, April 14, 2013
What IF the Bird Flu Pandemic Is Coming: What Do You DO? (1)
The ABC news report last night that a 7-year old Chinese girl has contracted Avian flu in Beijing, nearly 750 miles from Shanghai – the source of the outbreak- ought to send chills down the spine of every sentient being. Though we don’t know exactly how she contracted the disease, whether from a distant wild bird or human – this we do know- this virus is evolving even as I write.
If we soon learn the virus has fully mutated to the highly pathological H5N1 form, and a global pandemic may be imminent what do you do? Of course, the first reaction (dumb!) of many will be denial: ‘It’s just a flu for cripes’ sakes!’, or ‘Look, the government is hyping it to try and get us under control!’ or: ‘I ain’t doin’ nuthin’ until I actually see people in my neighborhood getting’ sick!’
Devoid of any knowledge of the Spanish Flu Pandemic – which killed over 50 million over 1918-19- it is probably human nature to treat any flu outbreak as ‘no biggie’ but that could be a fatal error. I saw what my wife endured, with H3N2 flu and it was perhaps only one or two more days (unless she recovered) before I’d have had to rush her to an ER.
In the case of Avian H5N1 Flu, you'll not likely have weeks to endure and recover, but maybe a day or two. In that time you or a loved one will know if you or your loved one(s) will live or die. And bear in mind here, hospitals will be overrun and switchboards clogged, so there will be little they can do once hordes of Avian-flu infected people begin pouring in. This is also why a Will is essential for any Avian flu planning as well and I will go into that in the next blog.
What do you do when no one is yet ill but the Avian flu is rapidly spreading? First, note a huge difference between the H3N2 outbreak last year and a future Avian flu is that in the former one could still make multiple runs to the supermarket, and supplies didn’t run out. There were only limited numbers of the severely ill, perhaps 10,000 in a given community. This will not be so if Avian flu strikes the U.S. and millions of severe cases emerge within very short time spans. (Refer to the highly pathological effects, symptoms listed in the previous blog post)
Then, multiple runs will be made on every major supermarket, corner grocery and even 7-11s as the outbreak takes down hundreds of thousands in the first week. So you can almost bet that will mean scarcity of grocery supplies within days. Don't be in the position of trying to build up your supplies, food stores when everyone else is, unless you don't mind getting stuck with Kibbles 'n Bits, lima beans and lemons. The cautious move then is to begin (gradually) stockpiling food, water, etc. as soon as the CDC confirms human- to- human transmission of the H5N1 flu. Even if this is in Asia! So yes, that means you set to work BEFORE the first case is confirmed in the U.S. Bear in mind here that this thing can and will be transmitted at the speed of modern jet flight - so after you hear the human-human transmission is verified in China, it may only be a day - perhaps 2 or 3 at most, before the first U.S. case shows up. When that announcement is made by the health authorities, look for all hell to break loose!
The Y2K scare, though bogus, did provide an insight into how much food to cache. You are basically looking at a minimum of perhaps 3 months in isolation (with little or no gov't help) and possibly local quarantines, once the flu strikes. Obviously, with runs on supermarkets the rule, there’ s little room for mathematical error. You begin by stocking as many diverse canned goods as possible: tuna, salmon, Spam, pineapple, chicken, beans, corn, spinach, whatever your family can go with and over a fairly long time. (In the next blog I will discuss cooking options, even if there’s no electric.)
How much to stockpile? That begins with the size of your household. Let’s say there are three people: 2 parents and one child. You will likely need (daily) the equivalent of 2 gallons of fresh water, and eight cans of tuna (or 4 cans tuna, 4 cans Spam) and three cans of corn (or three cans of beans, or pineapples). The sheer volume of stocked food is also another reason why it’s ridiculous to try and grab everything needed once the flu lands in your area. By then, you’ll only be able to get the dregs! So, what you’re likely looking at is a 2-3 week time interval to try to collect all the canned goods, water you estimate you will need.
Btw, that implies having a manual can opener – since electricity can’t be assumed to remain unaffected!
Re: water, remember to fill any bathtubs as well, since if the water ceases to be available (remember it depends on pumping which depends on electricity) you will still be able to flush the toilet. Use the available water filled in bathtubs and in any other containers you can find to flush toilets. Save the purchased bottled water for drinking. Since this flu brings on a “cytokine storm” as an over reaction of many human immune systems (see prior blog) and is liable to cause severe diarrhea and vomiting, you will definitely want to have enough to flush toilets!
Other items you will need to buy and store before the U.S. outbreak:
1- Functioning cellular phone with well-charged battery (rapid re-chargers should also be kept in reserve)
2- Obtain one or more dependable self-winding watches so you don't have to use batteries, or chargers to get the time.
3- Flashlights (e.g. Mag-lite) , and also keyring-sized LED lights such as those from Photon-Microlight,which can be worn on a ring.
4- A small AM/FM radio - to receive emergency broadcasts - and note there are several compact, magneto-driven wind up models (Eton Emergency radio) available for most uses. Battery -operated models are also ok, provided you have on hand extra long life batteries.
5- A good First Aid kit, which contains adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, burn cream and other supplies. It's also a good idea to have plenty of boxes of spare antiseptic wipes on hand to wipe down surfaces if one or more in your household becomes ill.
6- Disposable dust masks to filter out air pollutants (e.g. from mass- disposal pyres) if you need to go outside. Also be sure to have a good supply of face masks, or "flu masks" - see e.g. .
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/swine-flu-h1n1-and-face-masks especially in the early phases of the U.S. Avian incursion.
7- Cash. Always have enough cash available, for example if food stores run out - or other critical stores (batteries) - and you may have only scalpers to buy from. One Survival Handbook recommends having on hand at least ten $100 bills, and at least twenty smaller denomination ($20) especially since if the electricity supply is interrupted there won't be any working ATMs.
More in Part 2 (Including hygiene, cooking without electricity and Will preparation)
If we soon learn the virus has fully mutated to the highly pathological H5N1 form, and a global pandemic may be imminent what do you do? Of course, the first reaction (dumb!) of many will be denial: ‘It’s just a flu for cripes’ sakes!’, or ‘Look, the government is hyping it to try and get us under control!’ or: ‘I ain’t doin’ nuthin’ until I actually see people in my neighborhood getting’ sick!’
Devoid of any knowledge of the Spanish Flu Pandemic – which killed over 50 million over 1918-19- it is probably human nature to treat any flu outbreak as ‘no biggie’ but that could be a fatal error. I saw what my wife endured, with H3N2 flu and it was perhaps only one or two more days (unless she recovered) before I’d have had to rush her to an ER.
In the case of Avian H5N1 Flu, you'll not likely have weeks to endure and recover, but maybe a day or two. In that time you or a loved one will know if you or your loved one(s) will live or die. And bear in mind here, hospitals will be overrun and switchboards clogged, so there will be little they can do once hordes of Avian-flu infected people begin pouring in. This is also why a Will is essential for any Avian flu planning as well and I will go into that in the next blog.
What do you do when no one is yet ill but the Avian flu is rapidly spreading? First, note a huge difference between the H3N2 outbreak last year and a future Avian flu is that in the former one could still make multiple runs to the supermarket, and supplies didn’t run out. There were only limited numbers of the severely ill, perhaps 10,000 in a given community. This will not be so if Avian flu strikes the U.S. and millions of severe cases emerge within very short time spans. (Refer to the highly pathological effects, symptoms listed in the previous blog post)
Then, multiple runs will be made on every major supermarket, corner grocery and even 7-11s as the outbreak takes down hundreds of thousands in the first week. So you can almost bet that will mean scarcity of grocery supplies within days. Don't be in the position of trying to build up your supplies, food stores when everyone else is, unless you don't mind getting stuck with Kibbles 'n Bits, lima beans and lemons. The cautious move then is to begin (gradually) stockpiling food, water, etc. as soon as the CDC confirms human- to- human transmission of the H5N1 flu. Even if this is in Asia! So yes, that means you set to work BEFORE the first case is confirmed in the U.S. Bear in mind here that this thing can and will be transmitted at the speed of modern jet flight - so after you hear the human-human transmission is verified in China, it may only be a day - perhaps 2 or 3 at most, before the first U.S. case shows up. When that announcement is made by the health authorities, look for all hell to break loose!
The Y2K scare, though bogus, did provide an insight into how much food to cache. You are basically looking at a minimum of perhaps 3 months in isolation (with little or no gov't help) and possibly local quarantines, once the flu strikes. Obviously, with runs on supermarkets the rule, there’ s little room for mathematical error. You begin by stocking as many diverse canned goods as possible: tuna, salmon, Spam, pineapple, chicken, beans, corn, spinach, whatever your family can go with and over a fairly long time. (In the next blog I will discuss cooking options, even if there’s no electric.)
How much to stockpile? That begins with the size of your household. Let’s say there are three people: 2 parents and one child. You will likely need (daily) the equivalent of 2 gallons of fresh water, and eight cans of tuna (or 4 cans tuna, 4 cans Spam) and three cans of corn (or three cans of beans, or pineapples). The sheer volume of stocked food is also another reason why it’s ridiculous to try and grab everything needed once the flu lands in your area. By then, you’ll only be able to get the dregs! So, what you’re likely looking at is a 2-3 week time interval to try to collect all the canned goods, water you estimate you will need.
Btw, that implies having a manual can opener – since electricity can’t be assumed to remain unaffected!
Re: water, remember to fill any bathtubs as well, since if the water ceases to be available (remember it depends on pumping which depends on electricity) you will still be able to flush the toilet. Use the available water filled in bathtubs and in any other containers you can find to flush toilets. Save the purchased bottled water for drinking. Since this flu brings on a “cytokine storm” as an over reaction of many human immune systems (see prior blog) and is liable to cause severe diarrhea and vomiting, you will definitely want to have enough to flush toilets!
Other items you will need to buy and store before the U.S. outbreak:
1- Functioning cellular phone with well-charged battery (rapid re-chargers should also be kept in reserve)
2- Obtain one or more dependable self-winding watches so you don't have to use batteries, or chargers to get the time.
3- Flashlights (e.g. Mag-lite) , and also keyring-sized LED lights such as those from Photon-Microlight,which can be worn on a ring.
4- A small AM/FM radio - to receive emergency broadcasts - and note there are several compact, magneto-driven wind up models (Eton Emergency radio) available for most uses. Battery -operated models are also ok, provided you have on hand extra long life batteries.
5- A good First Aid kit, which contains adhesive bandages, antiseptic wipes, burn cream and other supplies. It's also a good idea to have plenty of boxes of spare antiseptic wipes on hand to wipe down surfaces if one or more in your household becomes ill.
6- Disposable dust masks to filter out air pollutants (e.g. from mass- disposal pyres) if you need to go outside. Also be sure to have a good supply of face masks, or "flu masks" - see e.g. .
http://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/features/swine-flu-h1n1-and-face-masks especially in the early phases of the U.S. Avian incursion.
7- Cash. Always have enough cash available, for example if food stores run out - or other critical stores (batteries) - and you may have only scalpers to buy from. One Survival Handbook recommends having on hand at least ten $100 bills, and at least twenty smaller denomination ($20) especially since if the electricity supply is interrupted there won't be any working ATMs.
More in Part 2 (Including hygiene, cooking without electricity and Will preparation)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)