SwineFlu cases

fieldops

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This Swineflu problem is really starting an uproar in spots. Lots of rumors and speculation as well. Hopefully it does not turn into a more serious situation. I've always been a preparedness person and have considered pandemics in my long term planning. I know there are many well prepared people on this board as well like Sub_Umbra and others. What do people think of this situation?
 

fieldops

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I hate news like this! Hope they can contain it...


Yeah, me too. I was hopeful when they said that the disease was fairly mild. Unfortunately, after reading up on the 1918 flu, I found that the initial wave then was mild also. I hope things works out ok. The recession is enough already.
 

AlexGT

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Most affected were in rural communities (Oaxaca) where access to nutritious foods and modern hospitals and medicines are rare, and most people usually decide to rest and take analgesics.

I like that they have acted to close down schools on friday and possibly for next week and open all general hospitals, IMSS and ISSSTE and rural clinics, 24/7 to take care of the sick.

Hope they contain and it doesn't mutate.

AlexGT

For some reason, the US infected persons have all recovered. Maybe better medicine here, not sure. Check out the following site...it's got excellent info. It's a good place to keep an eye out for infectious disease.

http://www.promedmail.org
 

R@ndom

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Sorry to hear that . Us in Australia has it good in a pandemic. As an island nation closing borders is a piece of cake. Also one of the drugs that works against it is developed here about 5 kays from my house. Good luck to the American and Mexican cpfers. :thumbsup:
 

dano

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Another sky-is-falling media story (i.e. like the Bird Flu nonsense a few years back). It's not something that should effect anyone's everyday routine.
 

fieldops

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Another sky-is-falling media story (i.e. like the Bird Flu nonsense a few years back). It's not something that should effect anyone's everyday routine.

I sure hope you're right. The recession has taken enough out of us as it is.
 

LuxLuthor

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I sure hope you're right. The recession has taken enough out of us as it is.
Another sky-is-falling media story (i.e. like the Bird Flu nonsense a few years back). It's not something that should effect anyone's everyday routine.
I don't think it is quite as simple as how dano characterized it. Mexico's Calderon has declared a state of emergency, and closed down all business, school, and public events in Mexico City.

While people's irrational fears amplify something like this, it is going to have quite a real impact, and already has had. This is already way bigger than the bird flu scenario.
 

R@ndom

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This is bad... The leader of the green party in Australia wants a complete blockade of airports... :sad: . This is almost the same virus that killed 50 million people in 1918.
 

Flashanator

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This is real scary!!!!

I'm serious, if this heads to Australia, I'm gonna camp out in the middle of nowhere with food for months, avoid contact with anyone.
 

Sub_Umbra

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Pandemics and bioterror threats frighten me much more than events that seem to get the most coverage over the last few years, like hurricanes. With hurricanes and some other types of threats the population really has a lot going for it:

• 72 or more hours of warning prior to the event

• "Last minute" opportunity (of sorts) to stock up on food, water, RX meds, cells, etc

• Opportunity to flee if desired

Pandemic/bioterror events, however, leave no such options as they are come as you are partys. Official government response to serious events of this sort will involve what is referred to as Shelter In Place strategies. While I think that this is the proper response for those threats we must remember that the term Shelter In Place is used in an attempt temporarily avoid some of the panic that begins the instant that the word quarantine is used. Essentially that's all that Shelter In Place is.

Stepping back for a moment it's not hard to see why pandemic/bioterror events have the potential to create far more havoc than a hurricane, quake, fire, flood or major power outage. The vast majority of your neighbors don't have a two week supply of food/water/RX etc for their loved ones but as poorly thought out as their situation is, at least for many serious emergencies they may quickly do what they think will prepare themselves or just flee. Not so in the case of a pandemic/bioterror event.

I written a few times that in any serious disaster you will most likely actually be hit with two disasters: the first is the event itself and the second disaster will be the ill-prepared, poorly thought out response from your local, regional and national governments. In a pandemic/bioterror event we will likely face a third disaster in addition to those just mentioned -- because of the Shelter In Place response and the overwhelming lack of accepting responsibility on a personal and family level you will likely find yourself cooped up in your house as your foodless, waterless neighbors quickly go nuts and start trying to think of ways to keep their kids from starving.

They won't be allowed to flee. The quarantine will go far beyond the official plan in many locales. History tells us that panic will cause local LE and often ordinary citizens to block roads, highways, railways, airports, etc -- these unofficial actions will just be self preservation taking over and will occur here and there in addition to the national government's quarantine effort. It will be hard to find people in civil transportation who will want to leave their families and expose themselves to what's out there.

What quarantine/Shelter In Place really means is that everyone will be forced to sit tight with their families where they are, with whatever they've got on hand while the government begins the hugely complex task of designing and implementing ad hoc distribution systems for food/water, RX meds, and energy -- perhaps on a national scale. It's also important to realize that just because you hear on your radio that the Authorities are beginning to distribute food (or whatever) at various points that definitely does not mean that you will want to be among the first to have to rely on them. These new distribution networks certainly will not work well, especially in the beginning. When they begin they will be totally overwhelmed. Some will go there for what was promised on the radio and they will die there. You will need to listen to your radio and have enough stock so that you won't have to rely on the new net until it's safer. While it may seem obvious, a three week stock will give you more options than a two week stock and a two week stock will be much better than just one week if only for the above reason. You don't want to be in the mobs that show up in the beginning of mass distribution.

This all means that the threat of a breakdown of the social order will have much greater potential in these scenarios. It means that no matter how well stocked you are you may have to take early action to protect yourself from those outside your house. Now is the time to stock that big roll of six mil black plastic for blacking out windows.

In the aftermath of Katrina I couldn't wait for my neighbors to get out. Unprepared neighbors are a very real threat to preppers.

The Bug-Out-Bag is a great tool but it should be mentioned that it will be of limited utility in quarantine situations.
 
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Empath

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It looks as if quarantines won't be an option. Federal opinion is that the spread of the disease cannot be contained.

http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=356&z=34

There are some common sense precautions you can take to protect yourself and others.

http://www.emergencyemail.org/newsemergency/anmviewer.asp?a=353&z=29

Mexico's deaths have now exceeded 80.

The Emergency Email Network has just started posting advisements and alerts regarding this flu. You can sign up at the Emergency Email Network.
 

DM51

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It's worth pointing out (in case none of the links given so far have mentioned it) that wearing a disposable mask is not an indication that the user is panicking or over-reacting. It's a sign that he/she is being sensible and considerate.

These masks will not prevent users from contracting the disease, but they will help prevent them from passing it on.
 

WadeF

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On average over 90 people die everyday from the flu in the USA, about 36,000 per year. So why are we all scared of this Swine flu that only killed 81 people so far, in Mexico. Could have been elderly, immune compromised, etc, that died. People who didn't get help or take care of themselves, etc. Over 1,000 other people in Mexico that had it lived. No one in the USA has died from it yet. We have drugs that can treat it.

What's the big fuss? The media is getting the best of some of you.
 
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