swine flu, part II

as a quick update, i believe at last count that the US is now up to at least 68 confirmed cases of swine flu (including 2 deaths in california, which are "suspected," but not "confirmed" to be from swine flu). i just read an interesting article advising that the best prevention is basically to stay out of public places and to limit your contact with others (obviously, you will want to stay far far away from anyone who is infected) and to stay home.

an excerpt:

We're going to have a problem’“If it causes person-to-person transmission in the
community in a virulent form, we’re going to have a problem,” said Dr. Brian Currie, an infectious disease expert at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

In that scenario, public health officials would be called upon to enact voluntary plans that could keep people away from work, out of school and in their homes for as long as it takes to quell the threat of infection. Businesses would be advised to let workers telecommute, Longini said. Sports teams would be encouraged to cancel practices and games and parents would be urged to keep small children at home, avoiding even playgroups and parks.

so how long could you stay home with your current supplies? do you have everything you need in case you have to be in for awhile? if you have a minute, read the whole article here.

the church also has a great webpage to give you some additional guidelines on pandemic preparedness. click here to see it.