Avian Flu: Not to scare but to prepare mode

[nliedel]

I have been asking myself about the generator - would like to have one anyway, but in this case I keep wondering that - if it gets so bad we need one for some time, then how realistic to think you could have a supply of gas to really get you through? It kind of falls under something you should have anyway just to be prepared for power outages - just since '91 we have experienced 2 where we were without power for five days.

You have an excellent point. For a few days a generator would be great. I lost a lot in hurricane Opal (and moved back north ). A generator would have been a good idea there. If the power was out for weeks? Then forget it. Where are you going to get the gas?

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm gonna admit it! I'm one of those folks who keeps at least 2 weeks worth of food in the pantry. You just never know. Earthquake, snow storm, whatever - might as well be prepared. As far as my chickens go, we have all folks who own poultry walk through a bleach/water solution before they can come into our property. Just a precaution but in other states last year they ended up sending government workers onto folks property to euthanize ALL their chickens just because the flu had entered the county, even if they showed NO symptoms. The only flocks that were spared were those that the owners could prove that they'd followed all biohazard rules. Geez, I must sound like a nut but we do get concerned.

No, you are not a nut. We live in Ct, and have friends who farm. We were just discussing the possibility of the Avian flu coming here. We think that the bird affected will be the ones that run free. We see so many in our area who keep yard birds, and I think they will be the first affected. The pro's know how to safegaurd their animals.

I also have a fully stocked pantry "just in case". We lost power for 6 days, several years ago, and it was not fun. It is nice to be self sufficient if the need arises.

 

[RachelEllen]

There are two reasons that I have read. If they quarantine everything, town to town, region to region, whatever, that will mean a total shut down - including people going to work. Also, if this flu is as epidemic and deadly as it is feared, no one will want to leave their homes and therefore no one will be around to run businesses. This includes getting medical personnel to show up at hospitals. Economic/financial chaos isn't out the realm of possibility under the worst case scenarios.

I just hope and pray that we don't come close to this.

Kind of a side note, but I also wondered how the hospitals to run. It's not just medical personnel. It's all the support staff as well. How long could the hospital run if there were no one to clean and turn over rooms, supply food to patients (and staff), empty sharps buckets, run lab tests, fix the computer systems, answer phone calls, stock kits from central supply etc, etc, etc.

 

[mickeysgal]

Kind of a side note, but I also wondered how the hospitals to run. It's not just medical personnel. It's all the support staff as well. How long could the hospital run if there were no one to clean and turn over rooms, supply food to patients (and staff), empty sharps buckets, run lab tests, fix the computer systems, answer phone calls, stock kits from central supply etc, etc, etc.

Exactly. When you stop and think about this, you realize how quickly normal, everyday life processes can break down and go completely haywire. Thats why it is going to be so important for our local communities to have aggressive procedures in place to handle an emergency of this calibur. Unfortunately, I don't think the nation, the individual states, down to our local towns are anywhere close to being prepared for something of this potential magnitude. Hurricane Katrina should have been a wake-up call for all involved in planning and executing emergency procedures. Knowing my town...I know we're not ready.

 

[disneyfan551]

You guys have convinced me to become proactive. I will get prepared JIC, but try not to worry about what may happen. Great thread.

 

[Cindyluwho]

No, you are not a nut. We live in Ct, and have friends who farm. We were just discussing the possibility of the Avian flu coming here. We think that the bird affected will be the ones that run free. We see so many in our area who keep yard birds, and I think they will be the first affected. The pro's know how to safegaurd their animals.

I totally agree with you. The virus is being transmitted by migratory birds and if you're own flock is out running among the wild birds there's a much greater chance for transmission. Keeping them in pens that not only keep them in but keep the wild birds out the only way to keep them safe. My biggest fear is if the state finds just one case of bird flu in the county they will do their darndest to irradicate every single captive bird - even if they are symptom free, even if you can prove with blood tests that they are disease free. This has happened in California, Arizona & Nevada in the past few years and we weren't even dealing with this particular flu virus. The only way you could keep them off your property was by proving that you followed strict biohazard rules. If you even allowed the government workers into your yard they then claimed that your flock had been exposed BY THEM!! We keep a sign posted at the front of our house that says no one is to enter the premises without first walking through the bleach solution. What a pain! But, bird flus pass through every couple of years and I'm not taking a chance.

 

[Nevergrow'nup]

What is everyone stocking up on JIC? (besides 3 months of booze ) Just looking for ideas. There was a website on tv the other day but I didn't block my ear and the info flew out the other.

 

[Free4Life11]

I am wondering if chickens can fly.

If so, I'm thinking these "free range" chickens might not be such a good idea. At least if they're kept cooped up in a building, they might get the bird flu!

 

[damo]

But SARS didn't go away on its own.
Travel was temporarily suspended to Toronto.

From where? I live in Toronto and unless you were displaying symptoms, there was no suspension of travel.

Sars in Toronto was so overhyped that it wasn't even funny.

 

[DawnCt1]

From where? I live in Toronto and unless you were displaying symptoms, there was no suspension of travel.

Sars in Toronto was so overhyped that it wasn't even funny.

We had dinner with the physician who worked day and night in one of your hospitals in Toronto. I will have to ask DH which hospital and who the doc was. He quickly became your foremost authority on SARS and at the time it was going on, he said that he thought it "was never going to end". There may not have been suspension of travel within Toronto but I believe there was suspension of travel in and out of some cities to and from Toronto by air and certainly, travel to China was suspended.

 

[damo]

We had dinner with the physician who worked day and night in one of your hospitals in Toronto. I will have to ask DH which hospital and who the doc was. He quickly became your foremost authority on SARS and at the time it was going on, he said that he thought it "was never going to end". There may not have been suspension of travel within Toronto but I believe there was suspension of travel in and out of some cities to and from Toronto by air and certainly, travel to China was suspended.

I'm sure it was a nightmare for the Scarborough Grace hospital that was involved.

Some companies suspended travel of their employees to and from Toronto and there was a travel advisory from the WHO advising against non necessary travel. The CDC warned US travellers against visiting hospitals in Toronto but never advised them to stay away.

 

[DawnCt1]

I'm sure it was a nightmare for the Scarborough Grace hospital that was involved.

Some companies suspended travel of their employees to and from Toronto and there was a travel advisory from the WHO advising against non necessary travel. The CDC warned US travellers against visiting hospitals in Toronto but never advised them to stay away.

Was there also a Sinai hospital? For some reason that name sticks in my head. It could be in another city however.

 

[nliedel]

Chickens can sort of fly but not much. They can get into a tree to roost at night but long than from the ground to a tree? Forget it.

 

[damo]

Was there also a Sinai hospital? For some reason that name sticks in my head. It could be in another city however.

Mount Sinai hospital is another hospital in Toronto but it didn't have the major outbreak. All hospitals were under huge infectious disease watch though and took all the necessary precautions.

 

[Glynis]

What is everyone stocking up on JIC? (besides 3 months of booze ) Just looking for ideas. There was a website on tv the other day but I didn't block my ear and the info flew out the other.

I'm stocking up on things like toilet paper, tuna fish, mac and cheese dinners, canned meats, meats I can freeze (hamburger, chicken, elk, venison), ready made dinners like spagettios, (things my kids will eat), candles, matches, propane, vitamins, juice, vegetables, fruits, etc. I'm also stocking up on special treats for my kids. If we (worst case scenario) have to be kept inside for any amount of time, I want them to have something to make it more fun, so I'm stocking up on fruit snacks, pudding mixes, card games, books, crayons, coloring books, school workbooks, etc.

Like I said, I'm planning for worst case scenario. If it gets bad, I'll be prepared, and if it doesn't, at least I will have been ready.

 

[Nancyg56]

I'm stocking up on things like toilet paper, tuna fish, mac and cheese dinners, canned meats, meats I can freeze (hamburger, chicken, elk, venison), ready made dinners like spagettios, (things my kids will eat), candles, matches, propane, vitamins, juice, vegetables, fruits, etc. I'm also stocking up on special treats for my kids. If we (worst case scenario) have to be kept inside for any amount of time, I want them to have something to make it more fun, so I'm stocking up on fruit snacks, pudding mixes, card games, books, crayons, coloring books, school workbooks, etc.

Like I said, I'm planning for worst case scenario. If it gets bad, I'll be prepared, and if it doesn't, at least I will have been ready.

It's kind of like storm planning, but a little more. We planned ahead for y2k, and I was not sorry. I figured that I couuld use the stores that I had on hand if nothing happened, and if something did, well I was ready. If major companies have a plan, I can come up with one for my family.

 

[DVC Sadie]

We always get prepared for hurricanes so now I am just buying more of the same sort of supplies, especially dog food, vitamins, toilet paper, paper towels, canned meats and canned foods. We will be buying 5 gallon containers of water and keeping about 20 drums of gas to run generators and chainsaws. I figure if we don't need the supplies for the bird flu we will probably need it for the hurricanes they say are coming this year. If neither happen (I hope not) we will just use the items in our everyday life or donate the items to a charity.

 

[C.Ann]

We always get prepared for hurricanes so now I am just buying more of the same sort of supplies, especially dog food, vitamins, toilet paper, paper towels, canned meats and canned foods. We will be buying 5 gallon containers of water and keeping about 20 drums of gas to run generators and chainsaws. I figure if we don't need the supplies for the bird flu we will probably need it for the hurricanes they say are coming this year. If neither happen (I hope not) we will just use the items in our everyday life or donate the items to a charity.

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Where will you keep (store) 20 drums of gasoline???? That sounds very dangerous to me..

 

[Glynis]

We always get prepared for hurricanes so now I am just buying more of the same sort of supplies, especially dog food, vitamins, toilet paper, paper towels, canned meats and canned foods. We will be buying 5 gallon containers of water and keeping about 20 drums of gas to run generators and chainsaws. I figure if we don't need the supplies for the bird flu we will probably need it for the hurricanes they say are coming this year. If neither happen (I hope not) we will just use the items in our everyday life or donate the items to a charity.

Thanks for reminding me of dog food. I'd better put that on my list. Keep the ideas coming!

 

[DVC Sadie]

Thanks for reminding me of dog food. I'd better put that on my list. Keep the ideas coming!

No problem. After Katrina last year dog food was one of the hardest things to find even after the few stores were re-stocked after being looted. Oh yes we also bought a lot of bullets this year.