Pandemics

I have been thinking a bit on pandemics again. I know that the “Swine Flu” pandemic we experienced a couple of years ago, turned out to be not too bad. It received much hype and media coverage. Many people scoffed at the governments for making such a big deal out of “nothing”, so to speak. I watched many who took it very seriously and took the opportunity to get a bit more prepared with their pandemic preparations. There was such a controversy over the difference of opinions in whether or not to get vaccinated. It was a bit of a crazy time.

I personally took the opportunity to get more prepared with my preparations that involved anything to do with pandemics. I took the opportunity to learn more about vaccinations and how viruses spread. It was a great learning experience, and an even better trial run. That is probably the most important thing that we could have gained from it, was knowledge of just how fast a virus can travel around the world, and what we should have in our homes to be prepared for when it happens again, because it will happen again!

I would like to go over a few things today that have to do specifically with pandemics.

There are some things that you should have on hand in your homes. N95 masks are probably one of the most important things to have. However, you should be aware that they do have an expiry date. The masks themselves, don't expire, but the elastic that holds them onto your face will over time, break down and eventually it won't hold anymore.

Medical gloves are another thing that are really good to have in your supplies. They are great for dealing with sick members of the family, and also for cleaning and disinfecting in your home.

Hand sanitizer will go a long way to killing germs that always get on our hands. We should always wash with a really good soap and hot water, and then use some hand sanitizer. When we are out in the community, at school, work, or other we should always have some hand sanitizer with us. Our hands are the first place that will pick up a virus that is lingering on a door handle, counter top, or other hard surface area. If we can kill it before it reaches our mouth, nose, or eyes, we will be a great source of helping to eradicate the virus.

A few other items to have on hand would include

for cleaning, food and water to quarantine if necessary, vitamins, and medications.

A pandemic situation could usually will last for two or three months and will come in two or three waves as it travels around the world. The government is usually pretty quick with coming up with a vaccination. Here is a pretty controversial topic. Vaccinations! I personally think that there are vaccinations that are good to get, and then there are those that don't make a big enough difference, that it is worth the risk of taking them. I strongly suggest that everyone do their own research and make their own decisions. Be careful of the websites that you get your information from. Some are obviously very strongly pro or con for the vaccinations, but I suggest that you look carefully at both sides of the argument and then decide from there which vaccines you choose to get. Thank goodness it is still a choice for us. I don't know how long this will remain as a choice, but for now we do have the option.

I guess my worst fear for a pandemic is one of biological warfare, where an enemy would actually let loose a virus with the intent to spread and kill as many people as possible. It is a very real threat, one that we should all consider. Then there are also the bird flu variations that seem to be mutating on a pretty regular basis.  Point being that we shouldn't let our guard down.  I know many people who believed that the Swine Flu was just so hyped up, that I am sure when another pandemic swings around, they probably won't even pay any attention to it.  I, however, will watch and pay very careful attention because I am sure that the Swine Flu was just a practice run for us all.  What did we learn?  What did we do about it?

There are some really good sites with info on pandemics and preparations - 

This is a good site here  it give some good info.

I really like Prepared LDS Family they have some good reads.  This link takes you to their suggestions for pandemic preparedness

And finally here is a great link from Ready.gov  they have some great info and good publications that you can get to learn a bit more about what you can do to get prepared for the next one, which could be a big one.

Learn what you need to, and prepare what you should so that when, not if, the next pandemic strikes, you will be ready for it.  Don't look at the last one we had as a big hype and nothing to serious.  It was very serious, and it should have opened our eyes to just how fast our lives can be changed.  One very small virus could take down a huge portion of the world's population in a very short time. 

Pandemic Preparedness

“Contagin”….. An interesting movie! I went to see it tonight. It got my mind thinking once again about pandemics. Since the Swine Flu, I have kind of put Pandemic preparedness to the back burner, but I think it is time to revisit it. This movie of course is Hollywood’s version of what could happen “if”…… And you know it wasn’t far off on many of it’s ideas. It showed how things could escalate so quickly and what may happen as society breaks down and the government takes control of our lives, in an attempt to control the outbreak. It is worth the watch, but definitely doesn’t leave one with a happy feeling. I think it is worth the watch because it brings about many questions in one’s mind about “what if?”

I thought I might share a bit about pandemics. I have no doubt that at some point we will have to deal with something very serious. Whether it will be the “Bird Flu”, some other virus, or perhaps something that we haven't even heard of yet, who really knows? But I think we should all be aware and be prepared for whatever it might be.

I want to share just a bit about past pandemics we have had.

1918 – Spanish Influenza – killed approximately 100 million people.

1957 – 1958 – Asian Flu – approximately 2 million deaths

1968 – 1969 and 1970 – 1972 – killed approximately 33,800 people

2009 – Swine Flu – approximately 11,00 deaths

A Pandemic occurs when there is a new virus or disease that there is little or no immunity to, and then is spreads easily from person to person. It is global and effects global populations. It can be mild, moderate, or very severe causing death. Check out this site http://www.who.int/csr/disease/influenza/pandemic/en/ to see how they classify a pandemic and to learn more about what to prepare, and get a checklist.

Pandemics can last up to 2 years with the infection coming in several different waves, that will usually last up to 8 weeks at a time. This is where it is really important for everyone to have a 3 month supply of food and supplies in your home, and be prepared to shelter in place if and when need occurs. Your food should be easy to prepare meals and foods that are familiar to your family. This is not the time to start experimenting with long term food storage. And easy to prepare would be, so that any family member could prepare them if mom and / or dad happen to get sick.

Think of a worst case scenario such as trucks stop running because the truckers are sick, or the warehouses that stock the food for the truckers to carry to the store don't have the employees because they are sick. It wouldn't take long for the public works in your city to shut down if people are sick, and soon garbage would pile up, perhaps the water won't get treated because the only people that know what to do are sick or dead, and the maintenance on the other utilities will not be kept up since many people are too sick to maintain them. It wouldn't take very long for stores to run out of food, and even if they did have food, (which is a big if), they might not have the people to keep it up and running. Looting would be taking place. People tend to go a bit crazy. What if the hospital was overflowing with sick patients, but the nurses and doctors are short staffed because they are sick themselves, or they just plain refuse to work because they don’t want to get sick? Perhaps your city will enforce a quarantine, nobody in and nobody out. Believe me, they likely have plans in place to enforce just such a scenario.

Items and services that we take for granted will become nearly or completely unavailable. There are so many if's, and what if's in this kind of a situation, and the best thing to do, is to ask yourself and your family some of these what if's. Sit down with them and take a hard look at what would really happen, and then make a plan to prepare for that worst case scenario. Preparing for the worst case scenario, is just smart planning, and then no matter what hits, you will be able to deal with it.

Michael O. Leavitt, Secretary of Health and Human Services, 2006 – 2009 said, “Any community (or family) that fails to prepare and expects the federal government to come to the rescue is tragically wrong.”

So really how can we prepare for such a wide spread, crazy event? Here are a few ideas and links to follow.

1. Do your best to stay healthy and fit. This is not always a guarantee of safety, but is a good place to start.

2. Make sure to have a 3 month supply of prescription medications on hand, or any other types of medicines you think you will need. Don't count on running to the drug store to get them, because every other person in your local area will be thinking the same thing and if you aren't the first one there, well you just won't get it. Have pain relievers, cough syrup, cold and flu medicines, etc.

3. Learn how to prevent the spreading of germs. Proper hand washing, coughing, sneezing, social distancing, (avoid large groups, keep your distance – six feet – when you do have to communicate) are all things that you should be practicing right now so that in an emergency, it will just be common sense to do them. You can read more here on washing hands properly. Handwashing Hand sanitizers are so important. Carry them with you all the time. Use them when you are out in public. Carry wipes with you and clean buggy handles, door handles, and things like that before you touch them. Sanitize your hands after touching. Here Coughs and sneezes you can find information about proper sneezing and coughing.

4. Have on hand masks, gloves, flu medicines, and anything that your family would usually use when someone has the flu. Make sure you have enough of these things on hand to last you for several weeks. For example, if you like jello, or chicken noodle soup, or gingerale, now is the time to stock up on these things. Remember lots of toilet paper, cleaning supplies, paper towels, bleach and things like that. Take into consideration personal hygiene, sanitation, clothes washing, trash, cooking, power, heating, communication, and entertainment. At the following link you can find some planning helps Personal Pandemic Planning Prepare to quarantine yourself in your home, whether you might be sick or might just not want to get sick. You may have to stay in your home for quite some time, until it passes. Here are a couple of links to follow about sheltering in place Shelter in Place and here Shelter in Place

5. Think ahead about your home, and where you would be able to put a sick person to quarantine as much as possible from other members of the family. Easy access to a bathroom, some form of entertainment like a tv in the room, and least possibility of spreading the germs. Things you might want to have in a sick room: thermometers, rubbing alcohol, humidifiers, garbage bags, disinfectant wipes, sanitizers, and anything else that might help the situation. Here is a site that tells a bit about that here isolation and quarantine

There are so many different ways to prepare for something like this. Do some research. Check with your local government websites, most of them will have information for you.

Here is a great rehydration recipe for someone who is sick and in jeopardy of dehydration.

1 tsp salt

8 tsp sugar

5 cups clean drinking water. You can add flavoring such as Kool-Aid to make it taste a bit better. Sitr the mixture well until all dissolved. Give liberally to a sick patient as they can take it, to prevent dehydration.

An idea that I use to prepare for things such as pandemic, would be to place all items you might need that go together into a rubbermaid type bin and label it well. For example I have a bin called my flu bin. It has all my meds, masks, gloves, bed pads, straws for easy drinking, and things like that in it. I have a bin for activities, like coloring books, games, and crafts. Ideas for bins might be, 72 hour emergency bins, lighting bins, heating bins, a sanitation bin, sewing bin, birthing bin, disposable eating, first aid, bedding, communication bin, laundry bin, cold weather clothing, household tools, baby bin, wool blankets, and so on. I will do more posts on the different things you can have in these bins, but for now work on preparing a flu bin and a shelter in place bin.

Your shelter in place bin should include duct tape and sheets of plastic cut to fit over doors, windows, vents, cracks, and so forth of the room that you might need to shelter in place. You won’t likely use the ones over the doors and windows if someone is sick in the room, but you will want to cover the vents in and out of the room so the virus doesn’t spread. You could hang a plastic sheet over the door that would also help the spread of germs as the door is opened and closed when the caregiver comes in. This bin could also be used in case of chemical spills or dangerous goods, where a person or family needed to close themselves into a room for a short period of time. You would then duct tape the plastic over all possible air flow into or out of the room, until it is safe to remove. A radio would be beneficial in this situation so that you could monitor the situation in your area.

Here are a few links to check out which will give you much more information.

www.getpandemicready.org

http://pandemicflu.utah.gov/

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/

Good Home Treatment of Influenza by Grattan Woodson, MD – an excellent resource manual for every home.

Birdflu Manual

WEEKLY WISDOM #7

Motivational Monday

– Benjamin Franklin said "Failing to prepare is simply preparing to fail."

Can we afford to be wrong?

Is it better have, what you don't need – or – need what you don't have?

Is it better to have a little too much – than to have a little too little?

Is it better to be prepared a little too soon – than one day late?

The United States grain inventories are at their lowest level, in history, according to record keeping by the U.S.D.A. In 1960 they had a 1095 day, or 3 year supply of grain reserves. In 2005 they had a 1 day reserve! 70% of the One-Day reserve consisted of unprocessed wheat and the remaining 30% was fresh milk, cheese, peanuts and lentils.

Can we afford to be wrong?

Timely Tuesday

– The WHO (World Health Organization) predicts that the world is now closer to a pandemic than in the past 50 years. The influenza season is about to begin according to Dr. Paul Schnee, who visited us last Thursday evening. Today put together a "flu kit". Think of the things that you would need to take care of your family when the nasty flu season hits. Start adding to your kit. Have it ready with any medical supplies that you will anticipate that you may need. Dr. Schnee made it very clear that these items will likely not be available at the greatest time we will need them so we should gather them now! Have food stored, savings (cash), alternate communication methods, and skill knowledge available. Look forward to after the New Year when we have an evening to learn basic nursing skills and hygiene skills to be able to care for our loved ones in our home!

Start today and prepare for this. Now is the time! It is only a matter of time, so plan for the worst, and pray for the least!

Workin' Wednesday

– Today add to your 72 hr kits some things for general sanitation. You can create a portable toilet out of a five gallon bucket with a tight fitting lid. Fill it with a plastic bags for liners, toilet paper, twist ties, disinfectant, powdered chlorinated lime, deodorant and insecticides, ziploc bags, wipes, toothpaste and toothbrush, shampoo, soap, feminine supplies, kleenex, chapstick, bug spray, hair brush, mirror, hand towel, face cloths, and anything else you think your family will need for sanitation.

After you have it filled, snap the lid on and put it with your 72 hour kits and you have ready made, transportable, washroom.

Thrifty Thursday – How about going through some of your old clothes and shoes today. Some of your old winter clothes may prove useful in your 72 hour kits, or in your car travel kits for the winter. Some old but sturdy shoes could be used instead of thrown out. Think of how you could reuse items, instead of throwing them out. I believe there will come a day when we will wish we had learned this principle of thrift. So start today with this one small task of sorting and finding other uses for the clothes or shoes we would normally toss. I remember a time when instead of throwing something out, my mother and grandmother would cut off all of the buttons, zippers, pockets, or anything else reusable, so that they could use it on something else. It is a forgotten art!

Food Storage Friday

– Here is a great way to use your food storage and save a little bit of money. It is called Cream of Whatever Soup Mix - From your storage you use:

2 cups powdered non fat dry milk

¾ cup cornstarch

¼ cup instant chicken or vegetable bouillon

2 tbsp dried onnion flakes

1 tsp basil leaves,

1 tsp thyme leaves

dash of pepper

Combine ingredients and stir until evenly mixed. To substitute for 1 can of condensed cream of whatever soup, combine 1/3 cup dry mix with 1 ¼ cups cold water. Heat and stir until it thickens. Use as you would canned soup. Makes the equivalent of 9 cans of soup at the cost of pennies per recipe.

Mushroom soup: add ½ cup finely chopped mushrooms

Celery: add ¼ cup minced celery

Potato: add 1 cup cooked diced potatoes

Chicken: add any amount of cooked chicken

Vegetable: add ¾ cup cooked vegetables

Broccoli: add 1 cup cooked chopped broccoli

Weekly Wisdom #6

Motivational Monday – Tonight for home evening – Try your "Lights out" home evening. Do everything as if there were no power. Make a whole evening of it. Then when done, take some time to talk with your kids about it, and what you need to have extra in your home to prepare for it. Scripture you could relate to this.....

"Wherefore," the Savior tells us, "be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom – For behold, verily, verily, I say unto you, that I come quickly." D&C 33:17 - 18

Timely Tuesday – A disaster may, and likely will, disrupt power. Stash some Cash!!! Find all your toonies and loonies and add a couple of $5 bills to your 72 hr kits today. Remember when life falls apart, and you need cash, small bills are what you need. So make it a habit to stash these away and start today by adding some to each 72 hr kit. You will also need small change to make phone calls, or a prepaid calling card.

Workin' Wednesday – Find all of your empty two-liter pop bottles. Wash them out and then fill them with water. Put them out of the way in a closet, or in the back of a cupboard, or on a shelf somewhere. Or if you don't have any empty pop bottles, go to somewhere and buy a case of water bottles, or Costco for example, and buy a large bottle of water for $5, and tuck it away. Now you have added to your water storage a bit more.

Thrifty Thursday – Today is the day to get educated!!! Become prepared!!!! Have peace of mind!!!! Go to the Pandemic Preparedness Evening at the church! It is not a matter of IF it will come, IT IS A MATTER OF WHEN! We should be prepared to isolate ourselves in our homes for 3 months or longer – and we need to start preparing NOW!

Food Storage Friday – Research has shown that the average American household has less than a week's supply of food on hand. This is also shown to be the case with the average supermarket. Food storage becomes more than good insurance if you practice storing what you use and using what you store. It is a wise investment! Learn how to use the recommended long term storage foods in with your daily diet. It will not only have some great health benefits, but will save you money and give you a feeling of great security.

Wheat Hamburger Casserole

1 cup cooked wheat

1 can corn, drained

1 finely chopped onion (substitute dehydrated)

1 finely chopped green pepper (substitute dehydrated)

1 lb hamburger (substitute TVP)

2 cans tomato sauce (substitute bottled tomatoes)

¾ cup water

grated cheese

Put wheat on the bottom of a casserole pan. Layer half of corn, onion, pepper, beef and sauce. Repeat layers. Pour water over top. Cover and bake at 350 for 1 hour. Top with grated cheese. Serves 8.

Weekly wisdom

WEEKLY WISDOM

#5

Motivational Monday – Harold B. Lee said, "During the last eleven years, there have been occasional "dress rehearsals" in the Welfare Program with floods and disasters, wars and overwhelming destructions, all no doubt, looking to a day when greater problems confronting this people may demand greater abilities and facilities to meet them." December 20, Church News 1947. Even back then the Lord gave them "mini- classes" to teach them.

"The Lord and his prophets over many generations have focused considerable attention on the events leading up to the Millennium. They have described in detail the great turmoil and tribulation that will occur during that time. Realizing that only a prepared people will be able to safely survive the events that will unfold, we have been given instructions, preparatory experiences, opportunity and – with some sacrifice – the financial means necessary to become a prepared people." Neil H. Leash Author of Prophetic Statements on Food Storage for Latter Day Saints.

Timely Tuesday – Winter preparedness - Winter weather too often catches people unprepared. Researchers say that 70 percent of the fatalities related to ice and snow occur in automobiles, and about 25 percent of all winter related fatalities are people that are caught off guard, out in the storm. What winter weather preparations are you making? Do you have an emergency kit in each of your vehicles. As well as this kit in your vehicles you should have a shovel, scraper, flashlight, wind up radio or battery, water, extra warm clothes, blankets, sand, booster cables, emergency flares, and fluorescent distress triangle.

Workin' Wednesday - If you have to evacuate your house, you may have as little as 10 minutes. Under these circumstances, trying to think of what to save is very difficult. Take some time now to think about what items you would try to take with you. Write down a list of the high priority items you would take if you only had 10 minutes to evacuate your house. Remember, you may have to carry everything. If you have time during an evacuation, you may want to take steps to secure your house. Give some thought to what things you need to do to secure your house. Write down your plans and keep the paper in a safe and accessible location. Practise a drill for your Family Home Evening.

Thrifty Thursday - Flu pandemics occur three or four times each century. There were three flu pandemics in the last century (1918, 1957 and 1968). It is certain that another influenza pandemic will occur, but there is no way of predicting when that might be, nor the level of illness that may result. If it isn't the bird flu, it will be another strain of influenza virus. Historically, pandemics have occurred about three times every century; there is no reason to believe that our century will be any different. Do you have enough medications in your home if you had to shelter in? Make a list of what you would need and start gathering.

Food Storage Friday – Tomatoes are a great source of calcium and iron. They are also a great source of vitamin C, some B's, and A. The vitamin C content increases as the vegetable ripens. The nutritional value of the tomato is good for weight loss, eye disorders, liver disorders, diabetes, and many other health problems. They are just an all around great fruit / vegetable. And we can get them for soooo cheap. At least here where we live. Tomatoes could be that major source to prevent "scurvey" in our food storage. Have some home canned or store bought canned tomatoes in your food storage and learn how to use them!

SAUSAGE LENTIL STEW

2 quarts water

2-1/4 cups (about 1 pound) lentils, picked over and rinsed

9 to 12 ounces summer sausage, sliced and quartered

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons dried onion

1 can diced tomatoes or 1 quart

1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste

4 beef bouillon cubes

Combine ingredients in a 4 quart Dutch oven or soup pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover. Simmer 1 hour. Serves 6 to 8.