Avian Flu Preparedness Project

Freepers. ^ | July 29, 2005 | various FReepers

[Judith Anne]

This thread is for specific questions and answers about preparing for Avian Flu in the US. News articles and discussion about the Avian Flu can be found here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1399613/posts

Everyone who was on the Avian Flu Surveillance Project ping list will be on this ping list. If you want on or off this list, please let me or Dog Gone know. Thanks.

[Yaelle]

On the NOVA special last night, they interviewed people from rural villages, who did seem to have a solid lack of awareness of the seriousness of this flu, yet who all were aware of it. It leads me to believe that in Southeast Asia, people all know about this deadly flu and that they WOULD seek medical help ASAP. So I do not think that "many cases" are going unreported.

[xVIer]

Thank you for the ping Judith...I am keeping a close eye on this. Glad to hear from you, take care!

[Yaelle]

Some of the sites on that natural antiflu immune booster (Sambucol) compared it favorably to Tamiflu. At least it's easier to get for nonmedical people.

[Gabz]

Preparation means you don't have to worry. Preparation is the antithesis of panic. If you don't have car insurance, that's when you'll have an accident, if you do, you won't. Isn't that the way it always is?

Bingo - and the auto insurance analogy is perfect and one everyone can understand.

[Judith Anne]

So I do not think that "many cases" are going unreported.

I agree. Well said. In addition, one bit of information: If you look at the CIDRAP link I posted above, CIDRAP counts not only cases confirmed by "official" sources, but also uses credible reports that have more than one source--one more reason to watch their numbers...

[Judith Anne]

Sambucol was developed in Israel, and there is solid research supporting its use as an effective antiviral. It can be used daily as a preventative, too...

[Guenevere]

.....I remember...

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Laz, roll the chair away from the keyboard...lean forward and breath...in and out...in and out...calming down?

Time for decaf...

[genefromjersey]

Thanks, JA !

[redgolum]

In private, I have been telling all of my close friends and family to get ready. Many already have been. I don't ask their specifics, or tell them mine unless the connect somehow (a few of us have a bolt hole in the back country that we can all share, with a quarantine area).

That, and I have been praying.

One more thing. Tamiflu has not been effective in the cases so far.

[Yaelle]

Great to hear back from you, JA! Hope you will have time to stick around.

Re the prescriptions online -- Are they safe to order from? Does anyone know which ones are reputable? Also, should it be Tamiflu or that aerosol one, Relenza? Maybe it would be better to do the breathing one, get it right into the lungs?

Your preparedness ideas are great. The food stored could also be for earthquake, storm, or other power loss situations. Beef jerky, canned foods, cartons of clear broth, etc.

I am sure we would need good masks as well, to attempt to keep other family members from getting it.

[Yaelle]

Sounds almost like we have identified what the Spanish Flu of 1918 really was.

It was an avian flu.

But with only 5% death rate. G-d help us if this one stays as deadly as it is now.

[Gabz]

Yup.........but there is no reason to not do simple things (such as getting a flu shot as you suggest) in preparation to possibly stave the inevitsble off for awhile.

[Judith Anne]

Places like drugstore.com, etc. are safe to order from, in my opinion.

I wouldn't order from a foreign site.

I'm no expert on ordering drugs online, I've never done it. I've read information from others who have, some report that the delivery dates are extended, others have no problem.

Tamiflu IS effective, as is Amantadine. Relenza, I don't know about. There are some reports that Sambucol is getting hard to get, others have no problem.

[Serb5150]

Fantastic information, thank you so much for posting this. Could you please add me to your ping list?

[RadioAstronomer]

What I did for Y2K even though I knew that imbedded processors would not be affected anyway. :-)

[Judith Anne]

Sure. You're on it. ;-D

[Judith Anne]

Exactly.

What is the point in not being prepared for life's potential emergencies?

A hundred years ago, people had to get food ready during the summer months to last them through the winter--either to grow it and preserve it, or buy it and preserve it, or trade for it and preserve it.

Now, we live in a just-in-time economy, and we think that's normal...we think it's the only way to live. A good portion of Americans and some who have read these threads think that if you get ready ahead of time for a potential catastrophe, you're a fear-mongering primitive back-to-nature antitech luddite.

Which is fine with me, of course. I'm disguised as a high-maintenance latte sippin' diamond-collecting empty-headed boomer consumer. ;-D What the scoffers don't know about my stashes and caches won't hurt them. Or me. ;-D

[Judith Anne]

;-D

[steve86]

Judith Anne, is amantadine again becoming effective against the latest variants? If so, that is a godsend as governments may have reasonable stocks of it.

I've never had a problem ordering from foreign pharmacies. Just don't be tempted (speaking to other folks) to include tranquilizers, sleeping pills, or any scheduled drug in the order. Actually, most or all of the online pharmacies that used to handle those items no longer ship to the U.S. because so many of their packages were being seized. Mail orders I've had from Mexico and Canada have never even been opened enroute nor do they have any kind of customs stamp. In many cases the actual pharmaceutical products were manufactured in India, Germany, or Austria (or Mexico or Canada). Sometimes I have a U.S. prescription for these medications and sometimes I don't. Haven't had any problems with the drugs themselves.