What You Should Do To Prepare For An Epidemic (DHHS)

How Would You Know If You Had Avian Flu?
A Bit of Context on the Bird Flu Threat
How To Protect Yourself

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.

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.

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.

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:

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.

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.

Good posts from you and some others here.

We really cannot do anything about people who think there will be a vaccine, that modern sanitation etc. are so much better than 1918 that we will have only mild illness, that secondary bacterial infections caused most deaths, etc.

Since we cannot fix the wilfully ignorant, it must not be our job and we can quit trying.

I've lived in the country for decades, and was born the oldest child of people who grew up in huge families during the Great Depression. Being "stocked up" is just a way of life, and I don't mean saving nails or old wood. At the worst of times, we would be able to feed ourselves for three months. In September of most years, we have enough for a year.

Most people cannot imagine a breakout of h2h in their town or city--but all it takes is one sick international traveler, someone they might never meet, infecting 10 or so people and then the city might have to shut down the schools, theatres, stadiums, churches, the hospitals would be overwhelmed with (at least) the worried well, it would be pretty hard to get truckers to deliver into a town that was known to have scary flu cases...

Those draconian measures might keep most people from getting sick in that city, for that wave. If the people understood, if they took it seriously, if they didn't assume they were healthy and didn't care about the flu, if they didn't need to go out for diapers and formula, or cigarettes and beer...

I've stocked up on everything, because it's what I do. Mormons in Utah do it, as a way of life. Some people think they're too civilized to need to, I guess...

US Officials advising to prepare for 6 week quarantine

Threat of avian flu prompts call for preparedness

By Molly Albertson
Cape Gazette staff

A statewide summit about a possible pandemic has left locals squawking about bird flu.

Federal officials on a nationwide awareness tour urged communities to prepare in advance for worst-case scenarios, including a possible six-week quarantine, if avian flu becomes a virus transmitted from person to person.

“You need to do this now. You need a plan and a strategy for preparedness,” said Alfonso Martinez-Fonts Jr., special assistant to the secretary for the private sector of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Small communities and even neighborhoods need to organize, officials said, because if a pandemic strikes, many people will be confined to their homes. Under quarantine, people will have no way to get to hospitals, grocery stores or town centers, officials said at the Feb. 21 meeting in Dover.

Pandemic planning requires addressing the role of schools, businesses, public agencies, faith-based organizations and others, said U.S. Department of Health and Human Service Deputy Secretary Alex Azar.

“This is an ever-present threat,” U.S. Surgeon General Richard H. Carmona said.

Few local plans

But Rehoboth Beach and Dewey Beach don’t have emergency plans for any event, and certainly not a pandemic.

While Lewes has an Emergency Operations Plan it does not include any possible outbreaks of illness, said Nelson Wiles, who is responsible for the plan.

“Its not something we’re considering right now. Its not a major threat as far as we’re aware,” said Wiles.

Other town officials are responding to the pleas. “We don’t have a coherent plan, but we’re going to write one,” said Rehoboth Beach Mayor Sam Cooper, who attended the summit.

Cooper said $25,000 will be budgeted to hire a consultant to write a plan that will include a pandemic flu outbreak as well as natural disasters.

Dewey Beach acknowledged the need for an emergency plan at the Jan 11 town meeting. “We have a plan, but it is insufficient,” town attorney Rob Witsil said. Dewey is also organizing an emergency preparedness plan committee.

“We know what we need to do,” said Town Manager Gordon Elliott, who has been going to emergency planning meetings for months.

Beebe Medical Center does have a plan in case of emergency, said Dr. Paul Cowan, staff physician and coordinator of disaster planning. “We have identified areas that are not used for primary patient care that we could use,” he said. For instance, the pre-operation area and the visitors’ café could be converted for patient care if other areas were beyond capacity.

No direction for action

The summit seemed to provide questions rather than clarity to locals who attended. “The state says they’ve done all this planning, but I don’t know how we can bring it to our community,” Cooper said.

In a public discussion with Martinez-Fonts and FEMA Program Coordinator Branch Chief Karin Crawford, many fears were brought to light and described as real possibilities, but no solutions were offered.

“There is a real possibility of lawlessness and you need to prevent that,” Crawford said. In a pandemic one-third of the population could be sick, while another one-third would be staying home, leaving a skeleton crew to run daily operations, she said.

“Do we need to worry about this or is the state going to handle this?” asked Cooper about the many details such as trash pick-up, power outages, and even burial of dead.

“If every house is supposed to have food in case of a quarantine that lasts a few weeks, what about the rental homes in Dewey where people are in and out every week?” asked Commissioner Dell Tush about one of the suggestions for individual preparation.

“If the county can’t bring anything to the table, what are we supposed to do?” Cooper asked.

Wiles said the state does not require municipalities to enact plans for the possible pandemic.

Delaware leads in many areas of avian flu preparedness, according to Gov. Ruth Ann Minner, but local communities need to step up their plans, she said during the summit. The poultry industry has its own plan that includes steps taken when or if birds get the flu.

As part of the federal preparedness plan, $698,960 was awarded to Delaware for planning focused on practical, community-based procedures that could prevent or delay the spread of the flu, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt said. But municipalities are still left wondering just what to do in case of an outbreak

Semper Dubious

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.