I've been wondering myself. It may require having enough food and water supplies to stay indoors (away from the public) for a sufficient period.
Surgical masks were popular during the SARS epidemic, but the virus is too small to be stopped by such a mask.
One report, and I don't know if it's credible, says that Tamiflu is not effective against it. Relenza's effectiveness has not yet been reported, one way or the other.
No Morgan. You can take it seriously. You can pay attention when the information does come out. You can take action when action is recommended. You can try to find that information before it hits the mass media, and before the public really wakes up, which may make all the difference. Cynical complacency is a dangerous frame of mind.
I'm not a public health expert; you can find the recommendations of people who are at some of the links below. Because I'm not an expert, and because I tend to low-tech, cheap precautions, I'm going to restrict myself to some common-sense things, most of which are things it would probably be a good idea to do anyway.
First, get your annual flu shot this year. The flu shot does NOT confer protection from avian flu. Nonetheless, it's a good idea. For one thing, avian flu might decide to strike during the flu season; if this happens, you do not want to get both flus in a short period of time. Even the normal flu is a pretty serious illness, and it weakens the body. You do not want to confront avian flu in a weakened state. For another, influenza viruses can mingle with one another when one organism -- you, for instance -- is infected with both. When this happens, it can lead to new strains that can infect people; and this would be a Bad Thing That We Should Try To Prevent. Thus, flu shots.
Second, stock up on things you might need from a drug store. For obvious reasons, drug stores tend to attract sick people. If there's an infectious pandemic, you will not want to go to the drug store more than you have to. Thus, keeping a larger than usual supply of all those drug store things on hand would probably be a good idea.
(There are people who recommend stocking up on everything, as if we were expecting a war. I normally have extra food around, mostly because I hate having to go to the supermarket when I don't feel like it. I am not acquiring lots more. That may just be a reflection of the fact that I usually have a fairly high tolerance for risk and a low tolerance for reactions that strike me as panicky, though.)
Third, if you need to have some medical procedure that you have been putting off, have it now. You do not want to develop a serious need for a hospital in the middle of a pandemic.
Fourth, there are some supplies that will predictably be bought up when people panic. Among them are respiratory masks (NIOSH certified N-95 masks, says the WHO). Opinion is divided on them: they are definitely recommended for symptomatic nursing mothers, and health care workers, but for the rest of us, it's less clear. The reason to get them is that one way flu isspread is "via virus-laden large droplets (particles >5 µm in diameter) that are generated when infected persons cough or sneeze; these large droplets can then be directly deposited onto the mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract of susceptible persons who are near (i.e., within 3 feet) the droplet source." Masks block these droplets. (Note: because airborne flu viruses travel in "virus-laden large droplets" that people cough up, the fact that the virus itself is smaller than the holes on most masks is unimportant. Stopping the droplets is the key.) The reason not to use them is, as far as I can tell, that they might be overkill for those of us who are neither health care workers nor nursing mothers. It is worth thinking about whether you will wish you had some later, and if so, buying them now. (They run around $1-2 apiece; if you buy them, buy enough to last a while. As I said, NIOSH-certified N-95 masks are recommended.
Another thing it would be worth thinking about getting is alcohol-based towelettes (the sort you carry around with you.) They kill viruses, and if you're not near a sink, they can be handy. Alcohol-based are supposedly best; here's a CDC list of ingredients and their efficacy at killing viruses and other things. If you think of other things that are likely to become unavailable as soon as a pandemic starts, and that you will want to have, buy them now.
Fifth, one of the most important things you can do in a pandemic is simply to wash your hands, wash them often, and wash them right. (Note to any compulsives out there: 'often' does not mean hundreds of times a day.) It really makes a big difference; you can see why if you simply reflect on how many of the possible ways in which a virus might try to get into your lungs involve your hands, and how well a serious washing would disrupt them. A blog called Aetiology
puts it well:
"Wash your hands. It’s not sexy advice, I admit. But ever since Semmelweis, it’s been the smartest thing a public health professional can advise. And really, many of us still don’t do it correctly. It is recommended to wash with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds. I know that when I’m in public restrooms (and I work within a hospital building!), I very rarely see people wash that long. So, be a bit more contientious when you wash. Teach your children to do this as well: have them count to 20 or sing their ABC’s while washing their hands. If you’re not around a faucet, hand sanitizers with 70% ethanol are also effective. (To my knowledge, Triclosan, the other common ingredient in hand sanitizers, has not been proven effective at killing viruses--so watch the ingredients and stick to alcohol).
If you’re sick, please, please, please stay home. Adults are contagious for ~5 days and children for up to 21 days after becoming sick. Don’t go and expose others when you’re coughing, sneezing and hacking all over the place.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Again, think about how many times you do this every day. This is one way influenza can enter a body. Also, re-train yourself not to cover your mouth with your hands when you cough: use a tissue, or the crook of your arm—-something that won’t come into contact as often with surfaces, or with other people."
Is this gonna ruin my backpacking trip to New Zealand in April...my plane goes via Soeul, North Korea...????
Dang!!!
I guess I haven't been paying attention to the news. Whenever Bush talks, I turn him off....I was wondering what he was babbling about the bird flu...I guess I thought it was one more of his multiple distractions from how incompetent he really is...but...I guess that's another thread!
Something else you might want to consider is preparing for something entertaining and comforting in case there is an epidemic and you find it best to stay home. Buy a new game the children would enjoy and put it away. Maybe a couple of good books for adults, or a brand new movie? Put it away and forget it until the time comes....and if it doesn't come, you've got a great head start on next year's Christmas or birthday gifts.
Get a supply of sanitizing cleaning towels for door knobs and telephones and put some by every phone so they get used! Get yourself a couple of pair of inexpensive washable gloves to wear when you are out and have to touch public surfaces such as grocery carts. Put them on just as you enter the store, and when you take them off, pop them in your pocket so you con't transfer anything to where you don't want it (like your car door handle or steering wheel). When you take them off don't do it the usually way: pull from the cuff down over the fingers so they're inside out and stuff them in your pocket right away. You could purchase a box of disposable gloves and leave some in your glove compartment just for this purpose too.
I'm not this neurotic normally, however, I'm one of those very high risk people and I need to take extra preventions especially in an epidemic situation.
Wash your hands with soap and water. Do it often. A thorough wash means you use soap and water while you recide the alphabet to yourself and make sure you get above the wrists a little and in between your fingers too.
Here in joisey if a school district is experiencing the onset of an epidemic, they usually close school for a day or so and let everyone get well. NJ is THE most densely populated sate in the country, so perhaps that's the reason. I know other states and other large cities do this too, but not as often as we do. I know this from all the years I taught here.
And I might add, proper handwashing isn't just a good idea when there's the threat of a pandemic. It's a good idea ALL the time. Germs on the hands are the culprits in the spread of many, many diseases.
I can't tell you how many studies I've read that found healthcare workers (including docs and nurses!) weren't washing their hands properly or for an adequate length of time. Amazing.
On the preventive side, doing things to boost your immune system isn't a bad idea, either. Good nutrition, exercise, fresh air, and exposure to sunshine (10 minutes a day on normally exposed skin WITHOUT sunblocker--yes, I heard it straight from the mouth of an infections disease expert) are so important.
Reservatrol has been shown to be effective in preventing heart disease. The much maligned French have not even one third of the instances of heart disease compared to Americans even though they smoke more and eat more fatty foods. They also drink about ten times more wine per person than do we. Now this bit of news about how red wine could save humanity from the scourge of avian flu!!!
Easy does it though. Remember in addition to being capable of producing so much pleasure as a beverage as well as inspiring so much passion in those of us oenophiles, it is also a drug and should be respected as such.
Oh yeah its always the birds fault. I happen to have a tip from a very good source that it was a dirty germy mud rolling flying pig in a cheap bird suit that started this whole thing. Now don't irritate me or I will cough on the whole lot of you...
China has acknowledged their lack of transparancy and is working towards more openess regarding natural and manmade disasters. I'm not expecting perfection in this regards, I'm just hopeful when the crunch time hits that we'll know enough in advance to restrict air travel and imports.
BBC News stated that the father and son were involved in the cock fighting trade and came in contact with the virus that way, either from direct contact with infected blood or from direct contact with phlem from sucking out their respiratory tract manually.
I usualy dont follow the news. I thought I heard Pres. Bush talking about this.Its been low profile lately, since Katrina.
I worked in Surgery, and in order for germs to spread they have to have a host and certain conditions for them to survive.....This is an air born germ that can spread by sharing the same airt can drift in air. A certain micro type of filter has to be used for protection..not all masks are designed to capture the germ.
I've sent hand gel pumps to school for the kid's lockers, but whether they will use them in the 3 min passing time I don't know! I think some of the small wipes would work well, might send those, too.
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Another region in European Russia has confirmed an outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus and Malta quarantined a ship carrying dead birds to try to stop the virus spreading to the European Union. The latest incident of bird flu in European Russia killed 12 hens at a private dacha, after which authorities culled 53 ducks and hens at the locality and imposed a quarantine. The outbreak was in Tambov, 400 km (250 miles) southeast of Moscow last week, a senior regional animal health official said on Monday.
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mstar1
I hope everyone here at GSpot is taking their necessary precautions --this isn't gonna be good
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satori001
Mortality rate is not 1 in 30, so far.
It's closer to 1 in 2.
China seems to be the source. As with SARS, China seems to be less than forthcoming about H5N1, and that may be a big problem.
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Morgan
how does one prepare?
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satori001
I've been wondering myself. It may require having enough food and water supplies to stay indoors (away from the public) for a sufficient period.
Surgical masks were popular during the SARS epidemic, but the virus is too small to be stopped by such a mask.
One report, and I don't know if it's credible, says that Tamiflu is not effective against it. Relenza's effectiveness has not yet been reported, one way or the other.
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Morgan
So in other words, although I am paranoid enough without this information - it's just one more thing I can't really do anything about beyond worry.
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satori001
No Morgan. You can take it seriously. You can pay attention when the information does come out. You can take action when action is recommended. You can try to find that information before it hits the mass media, and before the public really wakes up, which may make all the difference. Cynical complacency is a dangerous frame of mind.
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Jim
I guess it's a good time to stop picking my nose.
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mstar1
I'm not a public health expert; you can find the recommendations of people who are at some of the links below. Because I'm not an expert, and because I tend to low-tech, cheap precautions, I'm going to restrict myself to some common-sense things, most of which are things it would probably be a good idea to do anyway.
First, get your annual flu shot this year. The flu shot does NOT confer protection from avian flu. Nonetheless, it's a good idea. For one thing, avian flu might decide to strike during the flu season; if this happens, you do not want to get both flus in a short period of time. Even the normal flu is a pretty serious illness, and it weakens the body. You do not want to confront avian flu in a weakened state. For another, influenza viruses can mingle with one another when one organism -- you, for instance -- is infected with both. When this happens, it can lead to new strains that can infect people; and this would be a Bad Thing That We Should Try To Prevent. Thus, flu shots.
Second, stock up on things you might need from a drug store. For obvious reasons, drug stores tend to attract sick people. If there's an infectious pandemic, you will not want to go to the drug store more than you have to. Thus, keeping a larger than usual supply of all those drug store things on hand would probably be a good idea.
(There are people who recommend stocking up on everything, as if we were expecting a war. I normally have extra food around, mostly because I hate having to go to the supermarket when I don't feel like it. I am not acquiring lots more. That may just be a reflection of the fact that I usually have a fairly high tolerance for risk and a low tolerance for reactions that strike me as panicky, though.)
Third, if you need to have some medical procedure that you have been putting off, have it now. You do not want to develop a serious need for a hospital in the middle of a pandemic.
Fourth, there are some supplies that will predictably be bought up when people panic. Among them are respiratory masks (NIOSH certified N-95 masks, says the WHO). Opinion is divided on them: they are definitely recommended for symptomatic nursing mothers, and health care workers, but for the rest of us, it's less clear. The reason to get them is that one way flu isspread is "via virus-laden large droplets (particles >5 µm in diameter) that are generated when infected persons cough or sneeze; these large droplets can then be directly deposited onto the mucosal surfaces of the upper respiratory tract of susceptible persons who are near (i.e., within 3 feet) the droplet source." Masks block these droplets. (Note: because airborne flu viruses travel in "virus-laden large droplets" that people cough up, the fact that the virus itself is smaller than the holes on most masks is unimportant. Stopping the droplets is the key.) The reason not to use them is, as far as I can tell, that they might be overkill for those of us who are neither health care workers nor nursing mothers. It is worth thinking about whether you will wish you had some later, and if so, buying them now. (They run around $1-2 apiece; if you buy them, buy enough to last a while. As I said, NIOSH-certified N-95 masks are recommended.
Another thing it would be worth thinking about getting is alcohol-based towelettes (the sort you carry around with you.) They kill viruses, and if you're not near a sink, they can be handy. Alcohol-based are supposedly best; here's a CDC list of ingredients and their efficacy at killing viruses and other things. If you think of other things that are likely to become unavailable as soon as a pandemic starts, and that you will want to have, buy them now.
Fifth, one of the most important things you can do in a pandemic is simply to wash your hands, wash them often, and wash them right. (Note to any compulsives out there: 'often' does not mean hundreds of times a day.) It really makes a big difference; you can see why if you simply reflect on how many of the possible ways in which a virus might try to get into your lungs involve your hands, and how well a serious washing would disrupt them. A blog called Aetiology
puts it well:
"Wash your hands. It’s not sexy advice, I admit. But ever since Semmelweis, it’s been the smartest thing a public health professional can advise. And really, many of us still don’t do it correctly. It is recommended to wash with soap and running water for at least 20 seconds. I know that when I’m in public restrooms (and I work within a hospital building!), I very rarely see people wash that long. So, be a bit more contientious when you wash. Teach your children to do this as well: have them count to 20 or sing their ABC’s while washing their hands. If you’re not around a faucet, hand sanitizers with 70% ethanol are also effective. (To my knowledge, Triclosan, the other common ingredient in hand sanitizers, has not been proven effective at killing viruses--so watch the ingredients and stick to alcohol).
If you’re sick, please, please, please stay home. Adults are contagious for ~5 days and children for up to 21 days after becoming sick. Don’t go and expose others when you’re coughing, sneezing and hacking all over the place.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth. Again, think about how many times you do this every day. This is one way influenza can enter a body. Also, re-train yourself not to cover your mouth with your hands when you cough: use a tissue, or the crook of your arm—-something that won’t come into contact as often with surfaces, or with other people."
• The Flu Wikihas a lot of good resources. It has: a resource page with a lot of really good links; a scientific information page; a preparedness page, and lots more.
• The CDC Avian Flu page. It has links to all sorts of topics. One that I did not find at first, and that might be really useful to someone, is the CDC guidance for pregnant woman and new mothers.
• WHO Avian Flu page
• The Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy's Avian Flu page
• Nature's Avian Flu collection (much of it free)
• Two good articles from Foreign Affairs: 1, 2
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Wacky Funster
Dang!!!
Is this gonna ruin my backpacking trip to New Zealand in April...my plane goes via Soeul, North Korea...????
Dang!!!
I guess I haven't been paying attention to the news. Whenever Bush talks, I turn him off....I was wondering what he was babbling about the bird flu...I guess I thought it was one more of his multiple distractions from how incompetent he really is...but...I guess that's another thread!
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krys
Something else you might want to consider is preparing for something entertaining and comforting in case there is an epidemic and you find it best to stay home. Buy a new game the children would enjoy and put it away. Maybe a couple of good books for adults, or a brand new movie? Put it away and forget it until the time comes....and if it doesn't come, you've got a great head start on next year's Christmas or birthday gifts.
Get a supply of sanitizing cleaning towels for door knobs and telephones and put some by every phone so they get used! Get yourself a couple of pair of inexpensive washable gloves to wear when you are out and have to touch public surfaces such as grocery carts. Put them on just as you enter the store, and when you take them off, pop them in your pocket so you con't transfer anything to where you don't want it (like your car door handle or steering wheel). When you take them off don't do it the usually way: pull from the cuff down over the fingers so they're inside out and stuff them in your pocket right away. You could purchase a box of disposable gloves and leave some in your glove compartment just for this purpose too.
I'm not this neurotic normally, however, I'm one of those very high risk people and I need to take extra preventions especially in an epidemic situation.
Wash your hands with soap and water. Do it often. A thorough wash means you use soap and water while you recide the alphabet to yourself and make sure you get above the wrists a little and in between your fingers too.
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excathedra
thank you for this thread and the advice suggestions
i'm worried about my son who is now in middle school - a BIG middle school - 1,275 students
i'm scared
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mstar1
This may make some of you a bit happier:
Red Wine as Antiviral
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krys
Exie,
Here in joisey if a school district is experiencing the onset of an epidemic, they usually close school for a day or so and let everyone get well. NJ is THE most densely populated sate in the country, so perhaps that's the reason. I know other states and other large cities do this too, but not as often as we do. I know this from all the years I taught here.
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Linda Z
That's some great advice, mstar and krys!
And I might add, proper handwashing isn't just a good idea when there's the threat of a pandemic. It's a good idea ALL the time. Germs on the hands are the culprits in the spread of many, many diseases.
I can't tell you how many studies I've read that found healthcare workers (including docs and nurses!) weren't washing their hands properly or for an adequate length of time. Amazing.
On the preventive side, doing things to boost your immune system isn't a bad idea, either. Good nutrition, exercise, fresh air, and exposure to sunshine (10 minutes a day on normally exposed skin WITHOUT sunblocker--yes, I heard it straight from the mouth of an infections disease expert) are so important.
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oenophile
DRINK RED WINE!!!!
Reservatrol has been shown to be effective in preventing heart disease. The much maligned French have not even one third of the instances of heart disease compared to Americans even though they smoke more and eat more fatty foods. They also drink about ten times more wine per person than do we. Now this bit of news about how red wine could save humanity from the scourge of avian flu!!!
Easy does it though. Remember in addition to being capable of producing so much pleasure as a beverage as well as inspiring so much passion in those of us oenophiles, it is also a drug and should be respected as such.
A VOTRE SANTE! (To your health)
Robin
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WhiteDove
Oh yeah its always the birds fault. I happen to have a tip from a very good source that it was a dirty germy mud rolling flying pig in a cheap bird suit that started this whole thing. Now don't irritate me or I will cough on the whole lot of you...
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Wonton Soup
China has acknowledged their lack of transparancy and is working towards more openess regarding natural and manmade disasters. I'm not expecting perfection in this regards, I'm just hopeful when the crunch time hits that we'll know enough in advance to restrict air travel and imports.
BBC News stated that the father and son were involved in the cock fighting trade and came in contact with the virus that way, either from direct contact with infected blood or from direct contact with phlem from sucking out their respiratory tract manually.
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coolchef1248 @adelphia.net
my two cents as a chef
if this thing happenes to us
which i don't think it will
do not eat in resteraunts
believe it on not
there are many bad things happening in most of them
stay well
and a general rule for washings hands is to sing happy birthday under very hot water
sing it to yourself or people may look at you funny!
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excathedra
mstar my dear, should i suggest red wine for the 6th, 7th and 8th grade lunatics :lol:
tanks kryssie
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likeaneagle
I usualy dont follow the news. I thought I heard Pres. Bush talking about this.Its been low profile lately, since Katrina.
I worked in Surgery, and in order for germs to spread they have to have a host and certain conditions for them to survive.....This is an air born germ that can spread by sharing the same airt can drift in air. A certain micro type of filter has to be used for protection..not all masks are designed to capture the germ.
Stay out of CHina town....
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Bramble
I've sent hand gel pumps to school for the kid's lockers, but whether they will use them in the 3 min passing time I don't know! I think some of the small wipes would work well, might send those, too.
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Psalm 71 one
silly ole bird . . .
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Tom Strange
thanks for all the info and the links... I went to them and found the WHO FAQ page about H5N1 very helpful... you might as well...
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satori001
October 24
New bird flu cases in European Russia
Reuters - 2 hours, 9 minutes ago
MOSCOW (Reuters) - Another region in European Russia has confirmed an outbreak of the deadly bird flu virus and Malta quarantined a ship carrying dead birds to try to stop the virus spreading to the European Union. The latest incident of bird flu in European Russia killed 12 hens at a private dacha, after which authorities culled 53 ducks and hens at the locality and imposed a quarantine. The outbreak was in Tambov, 400 km (250 miles) southeast of Moscow last week, a senior regional animal health official said on Monday.
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