Preparing Your Home For A Pandemic

[Winnie G]

Ok this has been on my mind lately and our family has given some thought to the subject.

However, it sunk home watching my husband battle off a flu bug this last week.

This man never gets the flu if he gets any bug a long sleep and he is his old self again.

But for the last six days he was asleep and when awake he hardly ate or drank, since it would visit him again in one form or another, if you catch my drift.

So I started pocking around on the internet looking for information on prevention and ways to boost the ammine system.

What I found was very disappointing. Finley tonight a friend called and suggested I check out dateline on NBC.

The show was about the coming flu pandemic, I know that is the bird flu ever went in to a full pandemic how fast it would sped. Therefore, I was not surprised at the time line they proposed and the speed it would travel.

What I did learn is these pandemics kill off the healthiest first because the ammine systems of the young and healthy go in to over drive and kill those in that category.

Well how scary is that.

So OK back to the internet for information I could get to prepare my home for a pandemic. Again I was sourly disappointed. Its was filled with what to do for your business / employees if a pandemic should occur.

But very little on what as a family we could do.

I stopped storing water some time ago so that is necessary again for our food storage.

Besides your food storage what else is there?

I did find some sites that were “the end is near” kind of sites but I like to know if any of you know were a list of how to prepare your home for a pandemic.

I know we should have a storage that should cover a set period of time if a pandemic comes, but how long? Since drug storage and other short term items we can not store in say a regular storage, fuel and prescription drugs etc. Do any of you know were this information can be found?

[Outshined]

There really aren't any drugs to help if the Bird Flu should ever become transmittable between humans; they'd have to create them after the fact.

Before we get too freaked out, we have to remember that the bird flu has killed about 100 people in the last 3 1/2 years, while regular flu kills about half a million each year.

Just prepare the same way you always do; keep clean habits like washing your hands.

Here is some good info: http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm

[Fiannan]

Not terribly worried about bird flu at the moment. Spent two weeks pretty close to chickens and ducks and all kinds of other interesting creatures in both northern and southern China recently. Jetlag, but nothing else.

Want to prevent flu? Here are proven methods to íncrease your immunity and lessen your chance of getting sick:

Take up aerobic exercise such as running or bicycling. Greatly increases immunity.

So does frequent sex!

Things that help are vitamines and minerals such as Vit-C, zinc, and E. Heard selenium also helps as does L-lysine.

And wash your hands -- especially in you use public transport or work with kids. Also, wash your hands immediately after entering church and having to shake hands with all kinds of people.

[pushka]

Hey Fiannan....you missed one off for the ladies: Have plenty of children! Teehee...only j/k :)

[shanstress70]

Hey Fiannan....you missed one off for the ladies: Have plenty of children! Teehee...only j/k :)

You beat me to it, Pushka!

Just messin' with you though Fiannan.

[Fiannan]

Well, okay. I have a sense of humor. But seriously, here's one in which I have no evidence that having babies protects you from influenza. Although having sex a lot has been shown to increase immune functioning and help protect you from viral infections. Should note, though, that this is one of those "moderation" things. One article I read said that having sex more than a half dozen times a week could leave you more open to disease (I assume that this may be due to sacrifice of sleep more than the exercise involved). I believe the ideal is 3 - 4 times.

[luckynumbersleven]

Ok this has been on my mind lately and our family has given some thought to the subject.

However, it sunk home watching my husband battle off a flu bug this last week.

This man never gets the flu if he gets any bug a long sleep and he is his old self again.

But for the last six days he was asleep and when awake he hardly ate or drank, since it would visit him again in one form or another, if you catch my drift.

So I started pocking around on the internet looking for information on prevention and ways to boost the ammine system.

What I found was very disappointing. Finley tonight a friend called and suggested I check out dateline on NBC.

The show was about the coming flu pandemic, I know that is the bird flu ever went in to a full pandemic how fast it would sped. Therefore, I was not surprised at the time line they proposed and the speed it would travel.

What I did learn is these pandemics kill off the healthiest first because the ammine systems of the young and healthy go in to over drive and kill those in that category.

Well how scary is that.

So OK back to the internet for information I could get to prepare my home for a pandemic. Again I was sourly disappointed. Its was filled with what to do for your business / employees if a pandemic should occur.

But very little on what as a family we could do.

I stopped storing water some time ago so that is necessary again for our food storage.

Besides your food storage what else is there?

I did find some sites that were “the end is near” kind of sites but I like to know if any of you know were a list of how to prepare your home for a pandemic.

I know we should have a storage that should cover a set period of time if a pandemic comes, but how long? Since drug storage and other short term items we can not store in say a regular storage, fuel and prescription drugs etc. Do any of you know were this information can be found?

what freak of a friend suggests you watch an NBC documentary on the "coming pandemic" when your husband is sick w/ the flu?!

[Guest Monica]

After watching the Katrina disaster we all know we need to be as prepared for any sort of disaster. Its not wise or fair to rely on the government or others if we are capable of doing for ourselves. Not only is it a burden, but it will delay help to someone who is really in need.

Now this bird flu thing looks like it can be a very bad thing, if it fully developes.

A few years ago the Lord showed me how we are at the mercy of the community. If the stores close down, we are stuck. Also, i have noticed that some of the foods sold at times are way past expiration dates and at other time some of the shelves have been sold out. Believe it or not this is in a major us city not some 3rd world country.

Some supercenters like super walmart now dont have a warehouse in the back, but rely on round the clock deliveries from trucks.

Now many have been speaking about bird flu on the news and on television and it just so happens that this is the time of year for restocking the pantry for emergency provisions.

So if you dont prepare out of concern, at least do it out of obedience to God.

[Ray]

I'm looking forward to raising our own chickens, and am working to prepare the facilities. The fresh eggs and meat are said to taste better than any we can buy from a store... and we'll be that much closer to independence. :)

We already have our own well, and next year we'll have a big garden. The land we just bought is still in development, but we can already breathe better air. :)

[shanstress70]

I'm looking forward to raising our own chickens, and am working to prepare the facilities. The fresh eggs and meat are said to taste better than any we can buy from a store... and we'll be that much closer to independence. :)

We already have our own well, and next year we'll have a big garden. The land we just bought is still in development, but we can already breathe better air. :)

I would love to be able to do those things, Ray. On our small lot in the city limits (1/4 acre), about all I can do is my flower beds and a tomato patch. I do enjoy doing what I can though. I see us staying in the city limits until my child is out of school, then I can see my DH and I buying a place away from everything. I'm working on finding some land up in the NC mountains (where I'm from) to start building a rustic cabin on, then we plan to upgrade it over the years until it is acceptable for us to live in full-time when we retire. Maybe then I can raise chickens!

[Ray]

Why are you waiting until your child is out of school?...there are good schools in the country too. :)

And your money will go "farther" than living in the city, if you do all the things you can do. :)

And btw, I'll be driving 20 minutues to catch an express bus, which will take another 40 minutes to get me to work (with lots of time for good reading!). And that's about the same amount of time it takes me from the suburbs, at least from where we were last living. Right now we're staying with some friends (in their basement "apartment") until our house is finished. But when we move we'll then have a very nice 2400 sq ft single level (triple wide manufactured) house on 2 acres (mostly flat)... with a wonderful view of trees and the river below from 1350 feet high! :)

And we'll have spent less than the selling price of our last house including the features we're adding! :)

Heh, but I'm not trying to change YOUR plans for you. This is simply the best way for us, and we are also empty nesters now... but I would have done it sooner if I'd given it some more careful consideration. :)

[shanstress70]

Why are you waiting until your child is out of school?...there are good schools in the country too. :)

That all sounds great, Ray! The reason why we're waiting is because we are in a wonderful school district... the best in the state. I went to school where I'd like to eventually live, and a far cry from the best. I also love all of the parks and greenways where we like to bike. I know there are even more beautiful places in the country, but I like not having to commute to work, and to be able to ride the bike or walk to the grocery store. And it's not like our city is a metropolis or anything... it's Raleigh NC... so it has a small town feel to it anyway. But one day...!

[Ray]

Raleigh is where they filmed the Andy Griffith and Mayberry RFD TV shows, isn't it? (those are some more of my favorite TV shows btw, and the family of the returned missionary who "converted" me to the Church is also living there. :) )

And btw, we had a really nice long bike path close to where we last lived too, and I will miss having that close by, but the town where we are moving to also has a nice path that follows the Columbia river... and the "downtown" of that small town is only 3 miles from our house. :)

That's sad news about the "bad" school near you, though, and I can see why school is important, but you could choose to home teach them or have them home taught by some of your neighbors.

Heh, anyway. I'm glad you're a "country" girl (in your heart). :)

[shanstress70]

Raleigh is where they filmed the Andy Griffith and Mayberry RFD TV shows, isn't it? (those are some more of my favorite TV shows btw, and the family of the returned missionary who "converted" me to the Church is also living there. :) )

And btw, we had a really nice long bike path close to where we last lived too, and I will miss having that close by, but the town where we are moving to also has a nice path that follows the Columbia river... and the "downtown" of that small town is only 3 miles from our house. :)

That's sad news about the "bad" school near you, though, and I can see why school is important, but you could choose to home teach them or have them home taught by some of your neighbors.

Heh, anyway. I'm glad you're a "country" girl (in your heart). :)

Andy Griffith is one of my old favorites as well. They actually filmed them in Mt. Airy which is about 2 hours from Raleigh, and very close to where I grew up. Although Andy and Barney talked about going to Raleigh occasionally on the show. If you're ever around these Southeastern parts, you should visit Mt. Airy. It's a beautiful little town with lots of references to the show... even the Snappy Lunch restaurant where Andy and Barney got a pork chop sandwich for lunch every day. I heard they are awesome, but I haven't tried it. Several years ago when I was a software trainer, I got to spend a couple of weeks there on business. quite and enjoyable time!

'Mayberry' (Mt Airy) website

[Ray]

Hmmm. Software trainer, from near Raleigh, who was once a member of the Church.

Do you happen to know someone named Brenda, whose last (maiden) name rhymes with Raleigh?

And yes, if we ever get over and down that way, I'd like to visit those towns. :)

[shanstress70]

Hmmm. Software trainer, from near Raleigh, who was once a member of the Church.

Do you happen to know someone named Brenda, whose last (maiden) name rhymes with Raleigh?

And yes, if we ever get over and down that way, I'd like to visit those towns. :)

Nope... the name Brenda doesn't ring a bell.

And I actually live IN Raleigh now, although I grew up a couple of hours away from here. And I'm still in the software industry, but no longer a trainer... thank goodness... too much traveling!

[Ray]

Yeah, that's what she said too. She worked for Mariott before and immediately after her mission.

Anyway, I hope all things will work out well for you, Shannon... just like I hope and pray for the very best for everybody. :)