I often think of an article I read last year stating that if ”just in time” deliveries to Southern California suddenly stopped it would only take four days to totally wipe out the stores.  I’m here to tell you it’s much, much shorter than that. 

The news of the Swine Flu outbreak became headline news on Sunday, April 26th - by Tuesday morning all the face masks and waterless hand disinfectants were wiped out.  Completely gone.  Right now we’re lucky because shipments haven’t stopped and the stores are restocking as quickly as possible, but if it gets much worse, we can expect necessities to be gone within 24 hours.

No one is hoping this is a false alarm more than those of us who are already prepared.  We understand the potential for this to be a life-altering event and certainly hope that after all is said and done we can say we overreacted.  However, I can’t stress enough that you should have a supply of necessities at home, just in case.  There’s no need to run out and purchase a year’s supply of food and water, but having enough to last a few months might be the best investment you ever make.  Also think about what you would need to take care of a sick person in your home.  Medicines, protective gear and comfort items will disappear rapidly from stores, so get yours now. 

I’ve heard people scoff and say this is hype driven by main stream media, and they might be right.  In the large scheme of things a few hundred people dying of the influenza isn’t much of an impact.  But, let’s not forget that people HAVE died.  What a sad, sad thing to happen anytime for any reason.  I am sickened by the hate on the message boards, some people going so far as to say these people deserve this.  It just reminds me that there is something that scares me more than disease, and that’s mankind.  Our ability to hate so violently and dismiss human life so easily. 

I don’t know about you, but I value every day of this life because I truly believe it’s the only one we get.  I want my children to be healthy and grow up peacefully.  I want them to love their fellow man, no matter how much they disagree with their actions and attitudes.  I want them to know that while we do have an overpopulation problem on this planet, wishing death for anyone isn’t something we do. 

My number one suggestion for you at this point is simple - have a plan.  Decide what’s the best course of action for you and your family and don’t hesitate when the decision is upon you.  Keep aware and weigh everything you read with your own common sense.

I am prepared for whatever comes from this swine flu outbreak.  I hope you are too and I hope all of our preparations are unnecessary.

Since knowledge is everything when it comes to protecting yourself and your family, be sure to check out the Influenza category to the right of this page.

Swine flu is type A influenza and mainly infects pigs - people don’t normally contract swine flu, but as we know from history it has made the leap several times.  This strain is thought to be spread the same way seasonal influenza is spread - through particle droplets in the air and on surfaces.  The best preventative for swine flu is keeping yourself away from those infected.

Educating yourself is the second best preventative measure.  Keep your hands clean, avoid rubbing your nose and eyes and if you start to feel feverish and achy, quarantine yourself after you seek adequate medical care.  People with swine flu are potentially contagious for up to and maybe over 7 days following the first signs of fever.  Children especially may be contagious longer, so you might want to plan on at least two weeks of quarantine to be sure. 

Here are the warning signs of when to seek emergency medical care:

Children

• Fast or troubled breathing
• Bluish skin color
• Not drinking enough liquids
• Not waking up or interacting
• Being so irritable they do not want to be held
• Flu symptoms that improve but then suddenly return with a fever
• Fever with a rash

Adults

• Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath
• Pain or pressure in your chest or abdomen
• Sudden dizziness
• Confusion
• Severe or persistent vomiting

If you or your children have any of these symptoms, see your doctor immediately.  Thankfully no deaths have occurred in the US, and we hope it stays that way.  However, it’s always best to be over-prepared.  If you don’t have enough supplies now is the time to stock up.  Make sure to get extra filters for your humidifiers and pedialyte for the kids.  Already there is a shortage of OTC medications and face masks - get yours ready before they’re unavailable.

I have to say I’m a little concerned about this.  Mainly for my family as we are a short two hours from the Mexico/US border.  While it’s put me on alert, I know I can and will do everything to protect my family, and hopefully it’ll all be unnecessary.  Be prepared and keep aware of new developments and if things get worse, take quick action to keep yourselves away from those infected.

Check out this earlier post about setting up a quarantine room.

I talk a lot about stocking up and gaining knowledge to prepare for an emergency or disaster that may some day affect us.  I also want to emphasize the fact that staying in good health, exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet, and avoiding diseases is almost as important as any other preparations.

I’ve been reading this week about a particularly strong strain of the flu that is currently sweeping over the US.  It’s proved to be highly resistant to traditional treatments, and so should act as a signal to us that we should always be prepared for the possibility of an influenza pandemic.  Not only do we need to be prepared to treat any family members that would contract a treatment resistant virus, but we should do everything in our power to avoid getting sick.  A strong immunity is the best defense against a deadly flu, so here are some foods, mentioned in an article on MSNBC today that help build and maintain a strong immune system:

1.  Red Meat - one of the best sources of iron and zinc that will both keep your immunity strong.  Limit portions to 3oz for optimal health benefits without worrying about fat and cholesterol.

2.  Yogurt- you’ve probably heard a lot about probiotics lately and yogurt is the best source.  It also provides calcium and vitamin D - all good things!

3.  Chicken Soup- it is really a good remedy for the common cold, but also contains amino acids that help prevent and cure bronchitis and other upper-respiratory illnesses.

4.  Sweet Potatoes - beta-carotene keeps your skin healthy which will help fight viruses and bacteria passed by touching.

5.  Tea - drinking tea regularly helps your bodies cells put out up to 10 times more virus fighting cells than normal.  Drink it regularly.

6.  Mushrooms - all kinds of mushrooms boost your white blood cell count which in turn helps you fight infections faster. 

7.  Fish and Shellfish - all types help boost your immune system.

8.  Garlic - we know garlic is a powerful antibiotic and it also lowers your cancer risk. 

9.  Oats and Barley- both contain beta-glucan which is a powerful antimacrobial with antioxidant properties.

In my continued quest to prepare myself and my family for survival - I’ve made a commitment to myself to eat a healthy diet.  You’ll notice that most of these foods are either whole grains or vegetables.  What doctors have been telling us to eat for years.  Are you doing it?  I try to eat a healthy, well balanced diet, but sometimes it’s easy to grab that bag of chips or something not so good for us.  While treats are okay in moderation, I’m committed to making a greater lifestyle change by eating more whole foods and less junk.  It’ll be good for my health and good for my survival.

There may come a time when your only option for helping sick loved ones is to nurse them at home yourself.  Unfortunately all predictions for a modern flu pandemic include the precaution that there will not be enough hospital beds, doctors, nurses and respirators to accommodate those likely to contract a deadly influenza.  I’ve researched several different ways to set up a quarantine room and I’d like to share my plans with you.  Hopefully this will inspire you to have a plan yourself!  For the purpose of this plan, let’s assume that your husband contracts the deadly influenza, and you’re the only one available to care for him.  To me, thinking about my kids contracting it is too scary, so we’ll start with spouses.

Most houses have a master bedroom or suite with an attached bathroom.  This is the best set up for a quarantine room.  The best first prevention of spreading a deadly virus is staying away from those that have it.  Do not allow infected family members to roam the house, touching the fridge and faucets with their germs.  So, if you have a master bedroom with a bath, you’re almost set.  Otherwise, pick a room that is close to a bathroom that can be used exclusively by the sick person.  You also want this room to have a window or sliding doorway for ventilation.  Fresh air is your friend - you don’t want to close sick people off in a room with no air circulation.  Even better, have a fan ready to blow out contaminated air while you’re tending to your loved one.

I have purchased five large sheets of plastic drop cloth from the hardware store.  You could also use old plastic shower curtains.  With duct tape, secure this plastic sheet a few feet from the door leading from your hallway into the quarantine room.  Leave the bottom half loose so you can easily lift and fit into the space between the plastic and the door.  This will hopefully stop airborne germs from entering the main part of your home.  The other plastic sheeting should be used to section off an area of the room for the caregiver to change clothes.  This is where you can put on your sick room clothes.  You should not care for a sick one and then wear the same shirt, pants and socks to walk around the rest of your house. 

I’ve been thinking that I want my sick room clothes to be long sleeved, long pants, socks and maybe a shower cap.  That way the exposed areas (hands and face) are easy-to-clean and you don’t have to shower every time.  You also want a box of gloves and disposable masks.

One note about masks:  I think I’ve decided to stock up on as many painter’s masks as I can.  I know that the N95 respirators are the only masks thought to effectively filter the flu virus, they’re just too expensive for me to stock up any quantity.  These masks are not reusable.  Think about it, if your husband does get ill, you’ll be in the room several times a day.  At around $13 per filter, that’s pretty expensive.  So, I’ve decided that for myself, I’ll use whatever precaution that is readily available to me.

On a table in your sectioned off change area you should keep hand sanitizer, antibacterial wipes, kleenex, and a spray bottle with bleach.  It’s been said that if you mix 1 gallon of water with 1 cup bleach and 1 cup vinegar, you have a very potent bleach that will kill a deadly influenza virus.  I can’t find any factual documentation about this, but it did kill the black fungi in my shower that nothing else would remove.  I’ve heard this mixture is recommended for killing anthrax - so I guess it’s worth a try.

You also want to keep dishwashing liquid, towels and washcloths near the sink as you should not wash the sick patient’s dishes and utensils in the kitchen.  Everything the patient uses should be kept in the quarantine room.  Think about any personal comfort items that you might need - lip balm, lotion, a heating pad, books and magazines and even a television, oh and you definately want a cool mist humidifier.  In fact, you should have several humidifiers and a large stock of filters.  Do not use the humidifier in the sick room for any other purpose.  Once your husband is well, throw that one out!  I guess you could disinfect it, but to me, it’s not worth risking contamination - that’s why I have several stocked up!

You’ll also want to keep two large trash cans and plastic liners in the sick room.  One is for soiled linens and clothing and the other is for trash.  Always use gloves when taking out the trash from the quarantine room, and preferably take it out through an outside door rather than walking it through the house.  You can launder items as usual in your washer, using plenty of bleach.  Only real chlorine bleach is effective at killing the influenza virus in the washing machine.  Hang sick room wash outside in the sun if you can, otherwise set your dryer on the hottest setting.

You will need to wash your hands probably a couple hundred times per day, wear a mask and keep yourself well rested and hydrated. 

So, there you have a basic quarantine room set up.  Now, what types of medications and first aid items should you stock up on?  My list tomorrow.

Did you know close to 20 million people died of the influenza between 1917 - 1919?  To put that in perspective, that’s more than died during World War I.  I was reading an article a few days ago that stated the threat of Bird Flu becoming a pandemic has decreased this year, down drastically from 2005.  This is reassuring, but doesn’t mean we should stop being diligent about our preparations. 

The earliest records of flu like symptoms dates back to 400 B.C. - that’s Hippocrates’ time.  In more recent history, flu pandemics and epidemics occured in 1957, 1968 and 1976.  Back in 400 B.C., most people didn’t know how the flu virus spread, so didn’t take simple precautions that could prevent the spread; washing hands, covering coughs and wearing protective equipment when treating infected people. 

There are many interesting articles about the Spanish Influenza, including first hand accounts of survivors.  Here’s a link to the amazing stories of some survivors:

http://www.pandemicflu.gov/storybook/index.html

Knowledge is power in this day and age.  The government has published more information in the last 3 years regarding flu pandemics, than we’ve ever seen before.  This should act as a warning to us to prepare for the inevitable.  Hopefully, it won’t happen in our lifetime, but if it does some of us will be ready. 

Do you have a plan for your family in case of a flu pandemic?  Do you know how to care for an ill family member?  Tomorrow I’ll post my plan for our home sick room and share what items I feel would be beneficial to stock up on now.

I mentioned that there are a few things you can do to decrease your risk of catching the flu during a pandemic.  Probably the best method of prevention is avoiding anyone that might have it.  This might not be practical for a lot of people, but if you’re around someone that’s coughing and sneezing into the air, chances are you’ll get it.  But, this is not always the case.  If you’ve read anything about the Spanish Influenza you know that in some households, all the kids and Dad contracted it, but Mom didn’t.  Sometimes everyone died except the baby.  Sometimes no one got it.  The thing to remember is the virus doesn’t “think” about it’s victims.  It’s an equal-opportunity infector!  I’m lucky enough to have a job that I could do at home, so my first level plan is to keep myself and my kids quarantined.  I have a slight problem though because Dad won’t have this convenience.  So even quarantine won’t work 100% since we’ll have someone going out of the house. 

You’ve probably read a lot about masks and respirators.  The N95 particle respirator is the only mask know to probably filter the influenza virus particles.  The key word being probably.  And at over $12 per mask, it’s an expensive probably.  I’ve stocked up on regular particle masks that will basically provide protection from wet particles being coughed or sneezed - this is most effective when the sick person wears it.  In this case I feel it will mitigate my risk.  Masks aren’t made for children, so seclusion is the best prevention factor for them.

Influenza is airborne, but unless you’re out in public, you’ll probably contract it through touch.  People pass their germs to each other by rubbing their eyes, noses or sneezing and touching items that everyone else touches - faucets, doorknobs or the refrigerator handle.  So, if someone in your household does have the virus, or is out in public often, you may want to restrict their access to the common areas of your house.  If you’re the main caregiver to your kids, or an elderly person, and you’ve had access to the public, you should plan on wearing a mask and washing your hands A LOT when providing care.  They may still contract it from you, but any mitigation of the risk is worth it.

I’ve started taking Vitamin C every day - just for my overall health, but there is a large following that believe it can prevent or cure influenza.  Vitamin C is a highly effective antioxidant, so there may be some fact to this.  Really though, it doesn’t hurt to stock up.  The main thing to remember is too much Vitamin C can give you diarrhea and some other, mild side effects.  However, these usually aren’t present in those taking it for influenza in high doses.  The Food & Drug Administration in 2007 approved clinical trials for high-dose Vitamin C treatment for those with untreatable cancer.  If this stuff is thought to treat cancer, my idea is it’s probably effective in some way on the flu.  Be especially careful when giving Vitamin C to children as diarrhea can be deadly - always check the dosage before administering. 

You’ve all heard of Tamiflu.  It may be effective in preventing or shortening the flu virus, but honestly I don’t believe there will be enough during a pandemic.  You could ask your doctor if you could have some to stock up.  You might also want to try Oscillococcinum, which is a homeopathic medicine that is marketed to relieve flu symptoms.  There is some evidence from doctor’s writings that during the Spanish Influenza, Oscillococcinum was highly effective.  You can find Oscillococcinum at most health food stores, and all over the internet. 

No one knows if or when we’ll have an influenza pandemic.  But, you can prepare yourself and your family by stocking up on items that may ease your symptoms or prevent infection, getting plenty of rest, washing your hands and avoiding the public.  Frankly, I hope you never need to use any of this information, but if you do the best medicine is to Be Prepared.

As with all suggestions on this site, this isn’t intended to be medical advice.  Please see your doctor when taking any over the counter or herbal items.

In any emergency situation, a parent’s worse nightmare other than running out of food and water is some medical emergency happening to their child.  I remember one night, about 2 years ago, my middle son put a small plastic disc from a bug keeper lid in his mouth, it flipped around, and he suddenly was choking.  Dad of course, stood there yelling “he’s choking, he’s choking”, and looking at me across the room.  I ran over, grabbed him up, turned him over and thumped him as hard as I could between the shoulder blades with the heel of my hand.  The piece flew out of his mouth, crashed to the floor and he was fine.  The technique I had used was taught to me about 5 years prior at a first-aid class I happened to take.  I never thought I’d end up using it on one of my own children, but I’m glad I knew what to do.  Knowing exactly what to do kept me from panicking, unlike the other unprepared parent in our house.  Basic CPR and first-aid training, supplemented with your own research could end up saving a life during a disaster situation. 

If we are unfortunately hit with some type of pandemic flu virus (a possibility that even the government has repeatedly warned us about), knowing some basics about healthcare and medicine could mean the difference between living through it and being a casualty.  I’ve thought about the scary scenerio of our wonderful Pediatrician’s office overwhelmed with coughing, sick children and parents fighting each other to be first in line.  And, who knows if doctors will even see any patients - they may be busy saving their own children or other family members.

Do you know what every site, including the CDC’s lists at the most effective method of controlling a pandemic flu?  Thoroughly washing your hands.  That’s it.  There is no miracle cure that will save us.  Just good old soap and water.  Kind of scary huh?  The good news is you can take just a few other precautionary steps to make sure you’re stocked up and ready in the event of a flu pandemic.  Tomorrow I’ll talk about specific things that could prevent you or your family from becoming a tragic story.

Are you planning on getting the flu shot?  It seems like that’s all anyone asks related to the flu.  Nevermind that thousands of seniors and children die ever year from what seems like just an inconvenience.  I don’t usually get the flu shot myself, although if I have the kids at the doctor, they usually get it.  My husband also is getting it this year, and I’m happy about that.  He’s had pnemonia every year for the last three years, so I think it’s necessary for him to get it maybe it’ll save me a few headaches this winter!  I’ve seen more cases in the news of children dying of complications from influenza and most often it’s because of severe dehydration.  I wanted to provide some information about making your own Oral Rehydration Solution, and it might be a good idea to stock up on a few bottles from the store for your car in case of an emergency when these supplies aren’t available.

Recipe for Oral Rehydration Solution:

1 teaspoon Salt

8 teaspoons Sugar

One liter of clean or boiled drinking water (this is about 5 - 200 ml cups)

Stir this mixture until the salt and sugar dissolve.

That’s it, pretty easy.  How do you measure 1 liter at home if you don’t live in Canada?  If you have a regular glass Pyrex measuring cup, there is a 1/2 liter measure on the back side.  If you don’t have one of these measuring cups already, you might want to get one - there are many inexpensive liter measuring cups available at the dollar store. 

It’s important to remember that if your child won’t drink this solution, keep them hydrated with anything they will drink, milk, juice or clear sodas.  Seek medical attention immediately if your child can’t keep any fluids down - this could be a very serious issue.  It’s better to be a paranoid parent than have a tragedy that could have been prevented.  I’ve found that it’s sometimes best to have my kids take a small sip every 5 - 10 minutes.  That way a small amount of fluids are being absorbed, but it’s not overwhelming for their tummies. 

Keep this recipe in a safe place.  If an emergency disaster happens to you, you may not be able to get to the store, or you may not be allowed to go to the store.  Be prepared and you won’t have to worry.