The first US death from the Swine Flu happened yesterday at a Houston hospital. A family traveled from Mexico through Brownsville to get medical care for their almost 2 year old son, but he didn't make it in time.

It's hard to know what to do about this. On the one hand are commentators and officials who say it's not an epidemic yet, people die from the flu all the time. Don't worry. On the other hand, Japan has fever sensors at the airport and Egypt is slaughtering all of their pigs in an attempt to prevent an outbreak.

Janet Napolitano claims that there is no reason to close the borders, but really, there is no WAY to close the border with Mexico, even if we wanted to. Obama is warning that schools may have to close.

The government has set up a website, www.pandemicflu.gov, which has planning and prep tips. The usuals are there - wash your hands, use waterless sanitzer, and so on. And then they throw in this apocalyptic stunner: Lay in a 2 week supply of food and water.

A friend has told me that Corpus Christi drugstores are already cleaned out of medicines, and the shelves are bare.

If an epidemic occurs, it will devastate the economy. Schools will close, as will daycares. Parents will have to stay home with their children - and stay away from work. In Mexico, restaurants aren't allowed to serve customers, and can sell take-out only.

What do I think? I'm not predicting the end of the world, however, prudence is a virtue. It is better to be overprepared than to be caught short, especially if you have children.

A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge,
but the simple keep going and suffer for it Proverbs 22:3

But don't go nuts and lose your mind over it.

A simple man believes anything,
but a prudent man gives thought to his steps. Proverbs 14:15

Some precautions:
Wash your hands often with soap.

Use waterless hand sanitzer, and keep it handy in your purse. (My dollar store stocks all kinds of scents and varieties.)

Stay home if you feel sick, and keep the kids home if they are sick.

Consider using masks (remember the SARS scare?)

Store 2 weeks of food and water. (At least 1 gal. per person per day; factor in water needed for cooking and extra washing for sick people). (More on this later.)

My tips on planning a 30 day food supply (non-perishables only)

Don't forget several week's worth of TP! If you get diarrhea, you'll need extra. And paper towels are your friend when keeping germs at bay (especially if you are trying to conserve water!) If there is no water available, you will not be able to do laundry. You might want a backup of disposables if you cloth diaper (and remember that diarrhea symptom? Yeah, disposables!)

If an outbreak hits, the grocery stores, transportation industry, and even food manufacturers will probably be short handed or may even have to close. What I missed most during Ike: eggs. They're called for in a lot of recipes and baked goods!

Have a supply of prescription drugs and over the counter flu relief. Don't forget soap and Pedialyte! Vomiting has been reported with this flu, so get the clear pedialyte. Flavor it with lemonade powder if your kids hate the clear stuff. Orange pedialyte is really hard to get out of carpets - ask me how I know!

In the past, Emetrol has been a godsend. Walmart sells a generic for around $2.

If an outbreak happens in your town, these are your new best friends. Stock up accordingly.


Bleach. Buy plain (not the special scented kinds) so you can purify water if needed.

Lysol


Waterless (alcohol based) hand sanitizer

You may want to rethink the disinfecting wipes. Studies have shown they spread more germs than they kill.

Labels: health, In The News, Natural Disasters, preparedness