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What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Late winter/ early spring seems to be a good time for us to go through our stores and make sure we use up all those things that are nearing expiration. We had some nasty medical bills this year so having a stocked pantry was a blessing. But, that did mean that many stores are gone. Since the H7 situation appears volatile I think I will do a little re-stocking now, and be ready to hit the markets if things look like they are heading south fast. I will wait on the vegetables until after canning season since I prefer those to be 'canned' in glass jars.

This is also a good time to figure out what we ran out of and what we have way too much of in the pantry. Anyone need some peach or raspberry jam? :rolleyes: jk I did make way too much of both but, since we had a bumper crop I couldn't let it go to waste. We ate all the dried peaches in about 6 weeks so if we get another big year I will dry most of them. On the not so happy side of the equation, we lost about 6/7 pounds of pasta. Virtually all of it tasted rancid. I kept it in the kitchen rather than in the cooler pantry and the quality deteriorated fast.
 
Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Shannon said:
I did get a flu shot, both this year and every year. I have asthma so inevitably if I get the flu I get pneumonia. I also depend on medicines I do not get from my doctor. Turmeric (curcumin), vitamin D and garlic are also on my list of must haves daily, as well as instant availability of three other herbs. Those are tinctures of elderberries and mullein and dried cordecepts, a mushroom well known for boosting your immune system. The mullein is flu specific and so too are the elderberries but they also boost your immune system. If I know I have been exposed to some 'bug' I will add those to my daily routine. Otherwise, I wait until I start to feel the least bit sick then I add them at slightly higher doses then I would as a preventative.
Click to expand...

You reminded me that this year when I had a very hard time with some sort of respiratory tract illness I didn't have elderberry extract around as I did in 2009 . I was thinking a mushroom extract along with some other immune boosters I use would be 'good enough' since it helped us get over the after effects of something we had in 2009, but I wonder if there is a synergy between the two? This year I did have a nasty environmental exposure to wood smoke, though, (and maybe some garbage burning on top of that), prior to and during the illness that might not have been as severe as in 2009, so it's hard to say. Also the pathogens involved might have been different: it did seem like the flu in 2009 and a cold virus this time, but I don't know for sure.
 
Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Emily, I never have read of a synergy between the two but so little testing is done on these kinds of alternatives so who would know? Interestingly enough, my son found the same to be true when he was suffering from a severe bronchial infection that just wouldn't clear up. Two days on elderberry and cordecepts and he went from unable to work to almost well. The third day he said he felt fine.



I was looking at some food preservation sites and came across two ways to freeze dry food at home. WOW! Freeze dried foods are expensive to buy if done by someone else. So, I am going to try these processes at home and let you know my results. I am also going to "can" some bacon. A lot of people who are prepping for any disaster rely on beans as a staple. A nice bit of bacon while they are cooking really does add to the flavor.
 
Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

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Thank you.
 
Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Some of us are talking about the increase of H7N9 cases in China here.

Today I called the pharmacy to re-order my 90 days supply of my maintenance drug. I am trying to stay current with this.

Tomorrow I am going to see how many hand santitizer bottles I have. I like to keep one in my purse and one in my car glove box. I prefer the hand wipes but I am out of those.

I do not see H7N9 as a spreading world wide pandemic right now, but I do not think the Chinese government has any credibility - so I do not expect that they will be truthful if H7N9 begins to spread widely human-to-human. The most obvious example of their ineptness/outright lying is the poor woman who became sick this month with H5N1 in Beijing and then returned to Canada to die there. The Chinese government says they have no H5N1 in Beijing.
 
Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

It's a new year. Time to schedule those medical and dental appointments you have been putting off. I bit into a hard cereal grain and cracked a tooth .:( An uncooked wheat berry. It was a 15 year-old crown so it was nearing the end of its natural life. In any case, having a severe toothache when I am trying to stay home is no fun. I braved the dentists office, where it seemed half the office was coughing, then went home to my trusty bottle of elderberry extract. I have been taking 1 Tbl. twice a day. Slightly more than one week later and I am glad to say none of the local 'bugs' got me.
 
Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

I notice Dr. Frieden's statement:

snip

"..Editor’s note: Dr. Tom Frieden is the director for the Center for Disease Control. The views expressed are his own.
Today marks the Lunar New Year – and the world’s largest annual migration. There will be more than 3.6 billion transit trips within China, in addition to countless international trips. Yet this celebration comes at a time of growing concern about the H7N9 avian influenza virus. And this concern is not unfounded – should this virus change into a form that easily spreads between people, the world’s next pandemic could occur in the next three weeks..."

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?p=523458#post523458


Today I am going to buy a couple of boxes of gloves. I use them for doing anything "ucky" around the house in addition to preventing illness. I am going to take a look at my rubbing alcohol supply and also Vitamin D and garlic.

I do not see anything that indicates H7N9 is spreading outside Eastern China but I will feel better if I have some supplies of my normal disease avoidance gear.

As a reminder - I AM NOT A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL AND I AM NOT OFFERING MEDICAL ADVICE.

Everyone should take notice of this continuing avian flu outbreak in China.

There is no available vaccine and due to my age, I would not be eligible to receive any vaccine under any priority scenario. I would probably not have access for a year - at least 2 waves of flu in any pandemic. So vaccine consideration for me is out.
 
Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

And mr Frieden has not calculated the average number of people transitating through Shanghai-Shenzhen-Hong Kong port/airport hub in the last two months?

If the Lunar Year event may represent a flashpoint for a new emerging pathogen, the usual travel business in the area is too big that the danger is Always present.

A similar comparison is valid for the Middle East and MERS. But for the international travel hubs in Southern China the risk is year-round.

Mr Frieden also should have said that there are not means to slow pandemic influenza progression once it started.

Almost a year is past from first H7N9 emersion but we are continuing to cope with the same identical fanfare, also quite expired after more than a decade of false alarms or overhype of danger.

The best defense would have been to suspend or reduce poultry traffic but this was not taken into consideration on both side of the Pacific.

Vaccine is almost useless in the scenario depicted by mr Frieden.

99.99% of world population is vulnerable and will continue to be at the mercy of any kind of infectious disease characterized by rapid spread, high transmissibility and substantial morbidity and mortality rate, by the overall state of health care infrastructure, medical supplies and widespread shortage of health workers both in developing and affluent regions.

Prevent an infectious disease event should be the Paramount activity of a national health agency, but in this case foreign policies are much more important.
 
Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Re: What FluTrackers Are Personally Doing About H7N9

Please consider changing the title of this thread to:

"What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza"

or another similar, more non-specific, influenza related title?

There are quite a few possibilities out there than just H7N9 and the information is pertinent (and educational) to any given situation where a novel influenza wreaks havoc in the world.
 
Re: "What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

Re: "What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

Done. :)
 
Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

I bought the gloves today from a big warehouse type of retail operation. I think I got a pretty good price. Tomorrow I am looking for reasonably priced hand wipes.

I am going into full disease avoidance mode to get my family accustomed to a more stringent cleanliness standard. This is good for them considering the progression of community spread MRSA:

1) Wipes in all cars. To clean hands, handles, steering wheel frequently. Also for use in restaurant and eating situations.

2) Constantly wiping down all door knobs, handles, bathrooms, kitchen, remotes, etc.

3) Asking family to wipe down work stations and providing the wipes for this. Some work places will provide cleaning materials. Some will not.

4) Asking family to routinely stand 4-6 feet away from people in public/work etc.

5) Passing out hand sanitizers to everyone. Some little ones for purses and some big ones for desk top. To be used when hand washing at a sink with running water is not possible.

6) No sharing drinks, food, eating utensils, etc.

7) Quickly address any cut so that it does not become infected. A bacterial infection can complicate a flu illness.
 
Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

I assume this is because of your norovirus experience

I got 1000 glasses-cleaners containing alcohol,
clean your glasses to remove pathogens from your fingers
 
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Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

Today we are adding some staples to our supplies but first we are going to weigh what we have. My husband and I are using the LDS (Mormon) list of emergency supplies needed. This is just a jumping off point but it does make a logical place to begin. Most of the supplies are good for 20-30 years if kept in a cool dry place. That makes me happy. Wasting food and money is not an option. Neither is simply praying that a flu virus never goes pandemic. Being proactive makes my whole family feel better. I despise feeling helpless. LOL sort of reminds me of how I felt in college when my homework wasn't done and the prof called on me.
 
Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

The horrible weather we've been having has been a great reminder to keep necessities on hand. It's gone from sub-zero temps to bad roads/storm warnings; getting out to go to the store when we want to or need to isn't always an option.

Having ample supplies on hand = peace of mind.

I think the most important thing I've done is get my pneumonia shot. I'm amazed at the numbers of people who don't; especially after looking at the P&I stats since I became a flubie.

I always carry hand sanitizer and use it often when I'm out during flu season. I try to keep 6 feet between myself and others. I go shopping in the off hours when there are the fewest people in the stores.
 
Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

It should be reminded that hand sanitized have to be employed with caution in case of people with respiratory diseases such as asthma since the fumes from alcohol may cause trouble.

In addition, alcohol containing prepration should be used in well ventilated ambient avoiding opening bottles in cars, closets and in any case when airflow is reduced.

Children have to be monitored in order to avoid they drink the liquid that is highly toxic.

Hand saniziters are drug-like preparations and have to be managed with care as other OTC products from home cleaning, soap et similar.

When possible may be useful frequent handwashing with warm water and soap instead.

Remember that hand sanitizer can damage skin and mucosal membranes. Use with caution!

More info at US FDA site: http://www.fda.gov/default.htm
 
Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

Yes, hand washing with soap and running water is always preferable. :)

I put individual packages of over-the-counter antibiotic cream and bandages into the bundles so cuts and scrapes can be addressed on the go.

Also, I added travel sized mouth wash for rinsing and gargling.

AGAIN - I DO NOT HOLD ANY MEDICAL LICENSES AND I AM NOT OFFERING MEDICAL ADVICE.

I am posting what I am doing in my life. I have talked to my adult children about H7N9 and MRSA. In the next few days I am talking to more relatives, friends, neighbors. I don't care if they think I am "nutty".

None of what I am doing may matter at all but, like Shannon, at least I feel better.

If you have a fever and/or bleeding and/or trouble breathing and/or in pain - get off the computer and seek medical help!
 
Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

Ok, at individual level this may be of some utility.

I would like to focus the attention on the following issue:

1) despite sustained high GDP growth in the US (around 3.5% estimated), there are many millions of people in need, very poor;

2) this means that there are:

a) unemployed individuals,

b) ill empoloyed (working poors),

c) migrants (even illegally entered),

d) children of the above categories, also in need,

e) elderly persons belonging to the above categories,

f) disadvantaged communities in de-instrustrialized area;

3) since most of these individuals have not access to basic health care, enough food (and of sufficient quality), correct infomations, we should address:

a) the need of reach these individuals to

- increase their awareness,

- provide information,

- gather resources,

- build community-care,

b) take into consideration that if there are millions of people without basic needs addressed, even very higly prepared ones will suffer because of health care overflow, social disruption etc.

Briefly, self-preparedness, self-consciousness are not enough to make we safe.

If you are not safe we will be not too!
 
Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

Giuseppe, that is a fair question. What I have done personally for my community.

Reviewed our emergency disaster plan.

Talked to my personal physician about alternate therapies if traditional therapies are either unavailable or, are no longer effective. (He/she was actually quite interested in what I had to say. Luckily for me She/he knew of me prior to my moving to this new location from following FT.)

Plant a row for the hungry. I actually plant more than one row but who's counting? I also have planted some extra medicinal herbs to help others should that need arise. I plan to give some of these herbs to local alternative care doctors in the area, as well as some to my personal physician.

I always talk about the flu to friends, family and acquaintances, whenever a new development arises. I don't care if they decide I am a nutcase. I am much better informed than most and, I think others make that assumption as well.
 
Re: What FluTrackers are Personally Doing About a Future Pandemic Influenza

Thank you Shannon, you're nice.

I would also like to know Members' opinion about involving other web communities in preps activities and disadvantaged people inclusion.
 
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