Thinking Ahead: Should Smallpox Become Reality, What Do We Do?

[ChemistCat]

There is a sizeable, cautious, but not hysterical contingent on FR that believes we may have been exposed to smallpox at some time in the last week. It's not something we know is happening. It's something we think is a reasonable scenario in light of other events. I'm starting this thread as a place to discuss what preparations our nation and communities do NOT seem to be making, and what our personal plans of action are if this CONTAGIOUS bioattack vector eclipses anthrax.

[Old Student]

Information I've seen on smallpox indicates it interfered with construction of the pyramids. That is more than a few hundred years ago. (of course, there is a LOT of misinformation out there, also. I believe mine came from the JAMA site.)

[linemann]

The beginning of the onset of the rash signals communicability.

What type of rash. is it redness, lacey, or bumpy?

[Vidalia]

Did you ever think about that little circular scar on your left or right arm, or the one on your butt if your parents were really vain?

Check it out with either your local doc or vet, depending upon whom you parents favoured.

Whiners show up first.......

[meridia]

Be sure to research any vitamins, herbs or nutritional supplements, BEFOREHAND, particularly their side effects and any potential drug interactions.

Selenium supplements are available nationwide at health food stores; however, since it is a metal, do exercise care with supplementation. You do NOT want to build up toxic levels of any metal in your body. Not all people NEED supplementation. For instance, the soils of South Dakota are selenium-rich, so people living there would probably not need further supplementation, not at all.

[FITZ]

You can protect them by completely isolating your family from all contacts or by the vaccine. There are no cures for viruses and anti-viral drugs are very limited in supply and not safe especially for babies.

I think that the vaccine will soon be available. They have some but not enough, it's a live virus that doesn't really need anything added like other vaccines do, they can grow it fast. It's the regulations and quality testing that would delay it from being available, really they can drop those and get it available much faster. In case they don't people can still go back to the way it was done before and find someone who was able to get the vaccine and take it from there. Trying to get to a rural spot in the winter to keep away from all people won't be as easy to do.

[fatima]

Thanks Fitz,learned so much tonight from all and cemcat.Knowledge is power.

[Old Student]

Riley, ChemistCat asked me to ping you.

Proud2bRC, I'm not RC, but my dad and stepmom are. I'm LDS, and the president of our church says much the same thing. There are bad times ahead. There will be good times after them. If we, as a nation, and a people, hold on to God, in whatever form we find him, and to each other, we will get through these times. We may not survive them, but we weren't going to survive the good times, either, some of us.

Note the info about low-tech methods of vaccination earlier in the thread. Unless our families are the first infected, there are ways we can react to save their lives. The original practitioners of vaccination had to stop because of other infections; we understand that better than they did, so we have more effective ways of preventing secondary infections.

Fundamentally, we have to recognize that God has blessed this country for a long time, and blessed the whole world through us. I doubt we have lost his blessing, although we may be getting a warning... It has occured to us that Osama Bin Laden's charisma and perversion of God's word may have Biblical significance. On the other hand, this has caused many organizations in our country that were against prayer only weeks ago to call openly for our prayers. So it may be good in the long run. (What is good in the long run is often terrible in the short run, but that is life.)

[Dan Day]

I've tried to find a picture of the blackpox variant and have had no luck online.

Remember, you asked for it...

[Old Student]

Fatima, breastfeeding is probably the best thing you can do for a baby. This would not be a good time to rush into switching to formula. Stay home, or in open, uncrowded outdoor spaces. Stay away from crowds and malls. It amazes us to see people taking their newborns out during flu season, anyway. This is just a good time to be a little extra cautious. Guard your own health. Get enough rest, some exercise, and maintain a good diet. After that, Inshalla.

Fitz & Fatima, there was info a few years ago about an antiviral drug made from elderberries. We didn't find that elderberry tea was particularly effective against the flu and colds, but it may have helped. (some things are damaged by heat, too. Maybe we should have just eaten fresh elderberries. Who Knows?)

[Old Student]

We've seen that one (it is referenced above), and been told there are worse. Note the IV line. It wasn't over for this one, yet. God help 'em, many years too late...

[Vidalia]

Did you ever think about that little circular scar on your left or right arm, or the one on your butt if your parents were really vain?

Check it out with either your local doc or vet, depending upon whom you parents favoured.

Whiners show up first.......

[bjcintennessee]

Appreciate the info. Would like to know the best treatment for infected persons. Surely we know more today about proper treatment than when this disease was so devastating.

Also, isn't there some law that states that if biological weapons are used, we are justified in retaliating with nuclear weapons? If so, then why is it not even being discussed?

[StockAyatollah]

I thought smallpox would be almost impossible for the terrorist to get because only two labs (USA & Russia) have the virus and the security is very tight?

I thought that too. But then the feds announced they will be increasing the # of smallpox vaccine doses from 2 million to 300 million. What does that tell you? Would they be doing so if there were not, here comes that expression again, a "credible threat"?

[ChemistCat]

I have babies who do not have that scar on their arms. And my scar is so old it probably means nothing.

I don't think I need to post all of the evidence of how much these EVIL people hate us and how little they care about human suffering. I'm damned if I'm going to keep defending the need for a thread like this. If the moderators felt it was inappropriate, then they could have pulled it.

1. It's pretty well established that smallpox is in the hands of unfriendly types. We can keep hoping that's not so, but it would be pretty stupid to pretend it's not possible.

2. Smallpox, as with any INFECTIOUS agent, can be prepared for. There are reasonable and not particularly drastic actions that can reduce the risk of contracting smallpox.

3. There may well be information and medical technology out there that can REDUCE the risk of DYING from smallpox, or being blinded by it, or having horrible scars afterward. I have not yet found that information. This is one of the reasons I started this thread.

4. I'm not Chicken Little and while others may be ostriches with their heads in the sand I think the better choice is to be a God-fearing sensible AMERICAN who gathers the facts and makes decisions. The Lord helps those who help themselves. You can call it whining all you want, but I don't want my babies blistered all over to coddle someone else's PC sensibilities.

If you figure out a way to make everything go back to the way it was before 9/11 LET ME KNOW. Until then, I want information that will help me protect my family. Having prepared neighbors is half the battle. If you want to drive on on an icy road having NO CLUE what to do if you skid, be my guest. Maybe you and harrier up there are right, and there won't BE a skid.

[fatima]

Thanks Old Student.

[TLBSHOW]

http://www.nytimes.com/auth/login?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2001/11/04/national/04CDC.html The government has begun taking steps to cope with the possibility of a terrorist attack involving smallpox by training doctors to recognize the disease and by vaccinating small teams of experts who would rush to any part of the country to contain and treat a suspected outbreak.

Officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is taking the steps, say they have no evidence that anyone is readying a terrorist attack using smallpox, a disease that was eradicated worldwide 21 years ago. But they say smallpox is so deadly that it is important to prepare for any attack.

The smallpox virus is known to exist only in laboratories in the United States and Russia. But germ warfare experts suspect that other countries, including North Korea and Iraq, may have secretly obtained stocks. It is greatly feared as a weapon because it is contagious and has a high death rate. And much of the world's population is susceptible.

Last week, the disease centers vaccinated about 140 members of epidemiologic teams that can be summoned at a moment's notice to examine a suspected case anywhere in the country.

This week, the centers will begin a series of training courses in smallpox for certain of its own employees and state and local health workers. Additional courses will be held over the next several weeks at the federal agency's headquarters here.

[GOPJ]

I missed something here, why do you think people have already been infected with smallpox? Doesn't the "pox" on your arm (from an old vaccination), get irritated if it's reintroduced to smallpox?

"Yeah. Everything you said is true. But if smallpox is already incubating in our population, we can only deal with what IS, not what will be next summer, or what habits we WISH our government had concerning epidemics."

[GOPJ]

I missed something here, why do you think people have already been infected with smallpox? Doesn't the "pox" on your arm (from an old vaccination), get irritated if it's reintroduced to smallpox?

"Yeah. Everything you said is true. But if smallpox is already incubating in our population, we can only deal with what IS, not what will be next summer, or what habits we WISH our government had concerning epidemics."

[horsewhispersc]

Me, I got my wine cellar, cheese olives and my bread and pasta machines, I'll be in Lock down mode with an ear to the news with short wave radio and my eyes on the net! .....keep safe