swine flu, part III

as of this morning, a 23-month old toddler has died in texas, marking the first fatality in the US from the swine flu (also known as the H1N1 virus). the CDC is still advising that the best way to protect yourself is to practice good hygiene. wash your hands often (me - this means every few minutes, even if the last thing i touched was the kitchen faucet when i washed my hands 8 minutes ago - i'm a little crazy). cover your mouth with your arm or sleeve when you cough or sneeze and although it may not be as environmentally friendly, use disposable disinfectant supplies (sorry mother earth, i hope you'll understand). use paper towels and kleenex, not reusable hankies, cloths or sponges.

and perhaps the easiest, cheapest and most effective way to fight germs is alcohol-based hand sanitizer. seriously, stock up on this stuff today. here's how:
(1) go to wal-mart, the grocery store, walgreens, cvs, the dollar store, wherever
(2) buy tons of this stuff. gallons.
(3) put it in your car, in your purse, and in just about every room of your house
(4) use it all the time

here is the news story of the toddler. very very sad.

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.

the swine flu

so by now everyone is probably aware of the swine flu -- if you're not, then you live in a bubble, so turn on the news for 20 seconds and you'll hear it.

Q: what is the swine flu?

A: Influenza is a virus that infects people, birds, pigs and other animals such as ferrets. Swine flu, or swine influenza, is a form of the virus that normally infects pigs. There are many forms of flu, and the different varieties have the ability to exchange genes with one another. The form of flu that originated in Mexico is a genetic mixture of viruses that have been seen in pigs, birds and people. It’s being called a swine flu because the overall structure of the virus is of the type that affects pigs, said Keiji Fukuda, a WHO official.

some are saying that is this is the pandemic that we've been overdue for for a couple years, some are saying it's no big deal.

Q: What’s a flu pandemic?

A: Flu pandemics occur when new influenza viruses emerge that spread quickly and few people have immunity to them. While influenza viruses were only discovered about a century ago, researchers believe flu pandemics hit about
twice or three times each century. Some pandemics are relatively mild, killing
just a few million people globally. The most severe flu pandemic on record was
the 1918 Spanish Flu, and researchers estimate it killed about 50 million people
around the world.

i have no plans to debate whether or not we're all going to be wiped out, but i do know this: our prophets and leader have been counseling us for years and years build our food storage, be self-reliant, save some money for a rainy day and to be prepared so we can take care of our families and each other for when the time comes that it is necessary. this scare with the swine flu is a really great reminder for us to really evaluate or own levels of preparedness for ourselves and our families and to see if there is anything else we can be doing to be better prepared, just in case.

Q: so what should we be doing now?

A: keep working on your 3-month supply. if you had to stay inside for anywhere from a matter of days up until a few months, could you?

remember to think of ALL the things you would need - not just food. remember items like prescription medications, cash, diapers, baby wipes, and on and on. make a list of the things that your family specifically needs.

everyone should stock up on items like bleach, disinfectant wipes, trash bags, laundry detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, alcohol-based hand sanitizer and other items that you would need to keep your home as germ-free as possible.

at this point, the us government has declared this a "public health emergency," but has not yet declared the swine flu a pandemic, although has acknowledged that it could come to that. there is no need to panic, but let's all take extra precautions:

Q: How else can I protect myself from swine flu?

A: Personal hygiene measures, such as avoiding people who are coughing or sneezing and frequent hand-washing, may prevent flu infection. Those who aren’t health professionals should avoid contact with sick people, or those who are coughing or sneezing. People who get sick with flu symptoms should stay home. Studies have suggested that closing schools, theaters, and canceling gatherings in the early stages of a pandemic can limit its spread. Such measures would likely take place if health officials determine that the virus is spreading quickly enough and is deadly enough to cause a pandemic.

but really, this is a good kick in the butt to keep building up your supply and make sure that if this did become the worst case scenario, you and your family would be protected and prepared.

this article has a great q&a about the swine flu and it's symptoms, how it spreads and how to prevent it.

and this is kind of cool, it's a map that tracks confirmed cases of the swine flu. if it's going to freak you out and make you check every 25 minutes to see if it's near you, don't look at it. but if not, you can stay up to date.

bleach

so this is kind of random, but i think it's important and easy enough, so i'll talk about it. bleach is a useful and also super awesome item that we should all have in our home storage and i'll tell you why:

(1) laundry uses and general household cleaning -- clorox has a list of uses that i never would have thought of

(2) you can use it to disinfect water and make it potable for drinking - see here for step-by-step instructions on how to do that

(3) and these last two are the very best reasons: it can kill and kinds of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other harmful bugs that you really don't want around you or your family (for a list of all that cannot stand up to bleach, click here)

(4) in the case of a pandemic -- believe that it's coming or not, but many say it's only a matter of time -- you would really want some way to keep your home free of germs as best as possible, and bleach is the cheapest and most efficient way to kill germs

and at just a few dollars, i'd say it's a pretty smart investment.

and of course, the lawyer in me can't leave out this word of caution: bleach is hazardous if ingested or inhaled, and should be used and stored with care, and out of reach of your children or pets. oh, and don't mix it with other household chemicals.