So...Is phase 5 the "Quick, go buy out the grocery store" phase?

[Junkdrawer]

Any panic buying where you live? :shrug:

[lamp_shade]

1. Not yet.... but I'm certainly no fool and am taking this thing seriously.

[brooklynite]

2. No, but you're supposed to have emergency supplies as a matter of course...

[GreenPartyVoter]

22. Exactly. Be prepared.

[MercutioATC]

29. That message would be SO much easier to get across if we had a PREPAREDNESS FORUM here at DU...

...unfortunately, the powers that be don't seem to find one appropriate.

[madeline_con]

68. Gosh, yeh, that request was put in LAST hurricane season.

I wonder if we'll get one this year!

[TheCowsCameHome]

3. What would a person panic buy?

[-..__...]

9. It's a safe bet that it won't be...

pork chops, bacon, ham, etc.

[nadinbrzezinski]

27. Why not? This is not a food borne illness

[-..__...]

38. I'm well aware of that... (I should have used the "sarcasm" tag).

but even though the fear of illness from pork products is unwarranted, there's plenty of people out there who will still be skittish about it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

47. Granted, we mostly don't eat pork

but that is for other, quite unrelated, health reasons

[-..__...]

59. I could survive off of bacon alone!

:9

Baby back pork ribs...

Baked ham...

Pork chops...

Other than poultry (chicken, turkey), it's one of the few meat products that's affordable.

[The Hope Mobile]

129. me too!

Bratwurst too

[Delphinus]

118. Maybe not,

but the public is not "schooled" in this and they hear swine flu and think, no pork. Seriously.

[jbnow]

108. Then we shouldn't eat birds or humans either...unless well cooked nt

[Tangerine LaBamba]

10. Toilet paper, milk, and bread

What I like to think of as "The Snow White Casserole," if they cooked up all three items together.

I suppose the toilet paper will work as Kleenex, and, of course, there'll be a huge run on soap, since no one has soap at home, not ever.

This is just more silliness.

[MercutioATC]

40. The things they SHOULD have already stocked...

Basic medical supplies. Tylenol. Cough medicine. Immodium. Gatorade mix. Rice. Canned goods. Toilet paper. Soap. Coffee.

Gas up the car. Fill prescriptions.

None of this is "silliness". You're not out one penny by buying things you normally use ahead of time and it's simple good sense to be prepared to be able to live off what you have on hand for three or four weeks.

I'm atheist, but the Mormons have one thing right...they're prepared (ideally) for a year.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

45. But I have all those things on hand ........

If you have to go out of your way to buy toilet paper, I'd say you're running a rather shabby home.

If you don't have your scrips up to date, that's silliness.

If you live in a home without Tylenol, cough medicine, Immodium, soap, coffee, toilet paper, canned goods, rice, and I would rather die of thirst than drink Gatorade, even with a murderous fever, you're living sloppy.

It's not just Mormons. I have no religious beliefs, either, but I keep a well-stocked home because that's just how I run a house...............

[MercutioATC]

51. Then you're a "prepper" without even trying.

I agree with you, but there are a lot of people who don't have the same view of how to keep a house.

There's nothing wrong with encouraging those people to get with the program and reevaluate their situation.

[Hannah Bell]

113. otoh, some people still have several 50-# bags of rice from the great rice scare of ought-eight.

anyone on DU who's not stocked, locked & loaded by now is clearly not paying attention to the most popular threads!

[Shell Beau]

82. Not everyone is like that though. I try to be.

But some people are last minute type people. My friend will not buy toilet paper until it is time to buy toilet paper. Me? Well that is one thing I don't like to run short on. Plus some people aren't home enough for it to be a big issue. We all do things differently.

[TankLV]

97. If you have to go out of your way to buy toilet paper, I'd say you're running a rather shabby home.

Or maybe you're just having the SHITS...

or a shitty WEEK...

[muriel_volestrangler]

120. Other items in that list are optional too

For instance, I don't think I've taken cough medicine since I was 10 or so, and wouldn't see the need to start using it now. I think I've only used Immodium once in the last 20 years or so, so it wouldn't be that surprising to find people who don't always keep it in the house. It's not 'sloppy' to not regularly use canned goods - while I do, it's for convenience, not because they're part of a balanced diet. Coffee is just personal taste, like Gatorade.

[DeschutesRiver]

91. Completely agree - if people would think about it for a moment

WHO just raised this to Level 5, which in part means that nations need to be finalizing their preparations for what is expected to be a Level 6 pandemic event. So if nations are being advised to get their final plans in order, why do I still see a lot of individuals wondering why they should be bothering or saying this just isn't a big deal yet, or the millions of other excuses I hear? Why should individuals think they are exempt from making preparations to survive? Do they think the WHO is just making this up for fun and giggles?

World govs have been given the mandate to make sure they are ready for an imminent event - what a scary word - so how can anyone not get a clue on this? I too have no ties to any organized religion, but yes, the Mormons are solid gold on this issue. Sensible and prudent to be stocking what you can, and if people just store what they usually use and need, it is just buying the usual a bit in advance. Good also if there is worse to come in the economy, a personal job loss, etc.

Only problem with it that I've seen is the amount of people who live on convenience foods alone - expensive, require a lot of space to store boxed pre-made meals. For them, it would be a good time to google some simple cooking sites to find some meal recipes made with easily storable basics.

[MercutioATC]

92. Hell, just buy some rice and some Spaghettios.

Both store for a long time. They're cheap and require no cooking skills.

If you just add $5 to your weekly grocery budget, you'll end up with a pile of extra food in a couple of months.

[DeschutesRiver]

94. That is what stymies me on this issue - it seems like a no brainer

I bet that quite a few of the people who think this is overblown and too difficult to do had great grandparents with what they'd now consider ridiculous amounts of food on hand at home. Yes, there were no JIT grocery stores back then, but I know my grands and great grandparents completely understood that without food or water, there is no way to survive life's unpredictability.

Here is an article I just read - my gut tells me that our president, like other world leaders, the CDC, WHO, etc are seeing many things that we citizens are not privy to, and they don't like what they are seeing. It is a delicate balance between getting people to use their common sense and look out for themselves a bit, and causing panic. P.S. I don't think there are a ton of people who can even cook rice anymore - the first time I found out that a few people were unclear about the use of a microwave, I was gob smacked. But I will add top ramen to your list:)

< Fair Use: For Educational / Research / Discussion Purposes Only >
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/04...y4979182.shtml
April 29, 2009 8:31 PM, by Declan McCullagh

Obama Suggests Americans Create Swine Flu "Contingency Plans"

President Obama began a press conference to mark his 100th day in office with a topic he probably wouldn't have expected a week ago: advising Americans to take "very sensible precautions" against the swine flu but not to "panic."

Mr. Obama appeared as though he was trying to strike a delicate verbal balance between underreaction and overreaction, saying that the federal government was closely coordinating with state and other health officials and suggesting simple precautions such as hand-washing and keeping sick children home from school. "It sounds trivial but it makes a huge difference," he said.

The president also said that it was time for Americans to develop "contingency plans" if school or business closings disrupt their personal lives. "Our public health officials have recommended that schools with confirmed or suspected cases of this flu strongly consider temporarily closing," he said. "And if more schools are forced to close, we've recommended that both parents and businesses think about contingency plans if their children do have to stay home."

The swine flu has caused one confirmed death in the United States so far, and seven confirmed deaths in Mexico. Mexican Health Secretary Jose Cordova says he believes the situation is stabilizing.

Also on Wednesday, the World Health Organization raised its alert level for swine flu -- also being called Mexican Flu or H1N1 flu -- one level on fears that a global pandemic is imminent.

[MercutioATC]

95. Exactly. It's smart and it's easy.

Granted, I've spent a little more than some would think necessary and I have over 6 months of long-term storage food (good for over 30 years) for me and my son set aside, but it's simple and inexpensive to just buy a little more of the things you usually buy and set the extra aside. It adds up quickly.

This flu brings the matter to the forefront, but these are good preparations to make regardless of one's current situation. it's not a "panic" issue, it's common sense.

[DCKit]

43. When we have winter weather coming...

my local Safeway always runs out of toilet paper, milk and eggs.

Obviously, many in my neighborhood are lactose intolerant and allergic to eggs.

[amandabeech]

57. Bread and bottled water are popular, too.

Suburban MD here.

[HillbillyBob]

44. panic buyers by things they don't really need.

things you should buy, flour, sugar, yeast (to make bread) pnut oil, rice, beans, coffee, tea if you drink it, coffee creamer, dry milk, salt, canned goods, tp, laundry soap that can be used for handwashing too jic no power.
I also have some of those little canned fuel things, propane and butane for a single burner hot plate..came in handy when the power was out here.
Candles , aspirin, allergy meds, extra prescriptions if you take them.
Some clear plastic and duct tape, the reason for that is if you have a broken window and cant get a glazier or new piece of glass.
I also have kerosene lanterns (take care with those) keep the wick low or they smoke! I learned that one after hurricane andrew days and days no power.
A gas grill and extra tank, a stove top percolator can make coffee on a grill.
Bandaids , iodine, clorox, books some to read for pleasure others of the hints from Heloise, that sort of thing. Flash light extra rechargeable batteries and a solar powered charger. I use rechargeable batteries in everything anyway.
You dont have to have mass quantities, but enough to get thru a few weeks.
We have been buying and saving seeds for a couple years and are switching to all heirloom kinds , they need less fert and pesticides, if you learn what plants to mix in your garden like 4 oclocks attract japanese beetles to them they eat and die, and don't wipe out your crops.
I know I missed some things.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

53. Tampons

Beer

Chips

Ice Cream

[Missy Vixen]

55. You go, girl

Tequila

Chocolate

Something escapist to read

:woohoo:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

56. I was gonna say

"tabloids," which are essential reading when sick:

Star.

Globe.

National Enquirer.

Us Weekly.

People.

HOW DID I MISS CHOCOLATE?

Salsa and tortilla chips, of course.

Coarse salt for the margarita glasses.

[Missy Vixen]

61. Tabloids are ABSOLUTELY essential during a pandemic!

After all, we have to keep up with Brangelina and Britney!

Here's a short list of romance novels that will distract anyone from contagion and death. Plus, they're well-written.

"Lord of Scoundrels", Loretta Chase
"Bet Me," Jennifer Crusie (for brain-melting sex, try "Welcome to Temptation" or "Anyone but You")
Anything by Elizabeth Hoyt
the Bridgerton series, Julia Quinn
Anything by Anne Stuart

Old-skool:
"Jane Eyre", Charlotte Bronte
All of Jane Austen's novels

It's the end of the world as we know it, but at least there's a happy ending there! :woohoo:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

63. Good ideas ............

I'll contribute the collected works of Hunter S. Thompson - good for reading aloud while high.

Pretzels.

Bacon.

I think we're set, don't you?

[HillbillyBob]

74. We try to keep most of this on hand after going through

hurricanes and realising I did not have this or that.
Besides I make it a habit to buy everything when it is on sale, I save a lot of money that way..when you are on a fixed income, ya do what ya gotta do.
I have also started developing allergies from store bought produce.
I am not a fanatic about it but if I shop for bulk I get such a deal 2 for 1 items, mark downs whatever, if its something minimally processed that keeps.
We did save a bunch because we grew a lot and put up in freezer and learned to can last year.

[Sabriel]

58. Better yet, What Would Jesus Panic Buy?

Of course, with his abilities, he only needs one of each thing.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

71. A fish, a loaf, some water .......

PARTAYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!

[TorchTheWitch]

66. bucket, step ladder, potted plant, ice cream, and melon baller

But that could be just for the Last Minute Blizzard Emergency Rations.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

72. "... melon baller."

Can I be on your team? My buddy, Missy Vixen, is bring some good stuff, too..............

[TorchTheWitch]

102. but of course!

and don't forget to bring your step ladder!... can't have a proper quarantine party without the step ladder!

[TorchTheWitch]

104. oh, and a lawn chair!!!

My God! How could I have forgotten the lawn chair of all things! I know there's no way I could have survived the last blizzard here without the emergency lawn chair... saved my life I tell ya!

[Tangerine LaBamba]

124. You're RIGHT!

What WERE we thinking?

I also got out the galoshes. Never know when a cute boy is gonna wander past. Wanna look my best.

Talcum powder. Very important.

Vaseline.

Baggies.

[Optical.Catalyst]

115. Its too late to buy guns and ammo - The rednecks already have that market cornered

[SacredCow]

4. Oh, sheesh.... I hope not.

People take that shit WAY too seriously...

:banghead:

[Mike 03]

5. I'd hope people had the foresight to prepare for something like this years ago. But

nothing would surprise me. It's pathetic that in all this time, all the discussion over the years about getting prepared for some sort of national disaster or interruption of service (or transportation), folks would have nothing put aside for even a few weeks.

I've heard anectdotal stories about runs on handi-wipes and anti-bacterial soap. If people had any brains they would have stocked up on food years ago and wouldn't need to bother with trivia like Purell or whatever it's called.

[EFerrari]

20. Some people have more brains than dollars, aka, struggling already.

[ashling]

23. But I already ate all that stuff I stocked up

on back then

[JVS]

34. Exactly. There's no shame in buying up what you need now.

[KoKo]

77. How does "stocking up on food" help with Swine Flu?

:shrug:

[Individualist]

87. Apparently the idea is that if there's a major outbreak, you can avoid the

grocery store where people are coughing and sneezing. I don't know what the powers that be suggest about going to work and being exposed to other people there. :shrug:

It doesn't make a heck of a lot of sense, does it?

[Tangerine LaBamba]

126. When the GREAT DEATH comes,

as some people - aka "Chicken Littles" - are preaching, you will NOT BE ABLE TO GO OUTSIDE, because, presumably, the air will be FILLED with air-borne viruses and to breath in while outdoors would be sure and sudden death.

See?

How could you possibly miss something so damn obvious? I mean, ONE PERSON has died from it in the United States so far. Don't you see the urgency?

:sarcasm:

[Tangerine LaBamba]

6. What would I need

that I don't already have on hand?

[Junkdrawer]

19. When they call for a snow storm, milk, bread, and canned goods...

fly off the shelves in this city (Pittsburgh).

I remember when the Bird Flu pre-scare was in the news a few years ago, we were told to create an emergency stash of tuna and other canned goods. So far, no one's called for that that I've heard of, even though we're MUCH closer to a quarantine now.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

28. Quarantine?

Seriously? So far, the people who've been diagnosed with swine flu haven't - with just a handful of exceptions - been sick enough to be hospitalized.

This is hysteria. More people die from influenza every year in this country, and no one has called for any special precautions.

Yeah, the same stuff flies off the shelves here (DC), along with toilet paper. Very big item when it snows - toilet paper.

Chicken Littles, that's what I think.

[Junkdrawer]

33. I agree, but you must admit we're much closer now than with the....

mythical Bird Flu.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

37. No, I don't agree ............

Consider the number of people in the US.

Consider the number of cases reported.

That's not an epidemic - that's hysteria, brought on by cable news talking heads who have nothing to say and 24 hours in which to say it. I think it's overkill (oh, was that a pun?), and so far, these people getting sick aren't even being hospitalized.

The normal influenza season, in a normal year, kills thousands, and no one's getting upset about that.

We're not close to anything. We're fine, and this will be another one of those stories that we'll call up the next time another "flu" rises up to KILL US ALL!!!!!!!

[Justyce]

39. We're also in the early days of this, so let's hope the numbers stay low. nt

x

[Tangerine LaBamba]

46. I find it encouraging that

only a handful of people - if that - have been hospitalized, and recovery is uneventful.

[Justyce]

52. Very encouraging, but

even if it's not going to kill me, I still don't want that stuff.... ;-)

[NeedleCast]

41. No, we're not

[Tangerine LaBamba]

48. Hello -

about 24 hours ago, you and I were taking the same stand here.

24 hours later, and the numbers aren't much changed, hospitalizations are non-existent, and the hysteria grows.

Ah, well .......................

[northernlights]

69. actually, no we are not

The "mythical bird flu" had it's first human-to-human transmission last year, between 2 sisters. It's just a matter of time before it mutates to a form that transmits human-to-human easily, and it's already far more virulent than this swine flu.

Now this swine flu *could* mutate to a more virulent form, but *most* evolution is toward less virulence, not more. (Note I said *most*). It's called co-evolution, and normally pathogens and their hosts evolve toward equilibrium.

Or avian flu could retain its virulence and mutate to easy human-to-human transmission.

I see it as a race now between the two. Only time will tell which virus wins.

[jbnow]

Well this is many versions in one...2 swines, an avian and a human flu

in this "swine flu"...should have a combo name ... swumian? huswav?

Of course the big deal is this is a new flu and not an evolved one, we don't have immunity. We're OK if it doesn't do the 1918 trick of having a mild sweep through the country in March and coming back and killing so many in the autumn. From the deaths in Mexico it seemed to fit that 1918 pattern of killing the least vulnerable age group=young adults with healthy immune systems (that overreact).

Anyway with this flu the pig and bird don't have to race. That human flu gene is straddling two swine and has a bird on it's shoulder.

[Justyce]

7. Probably depends on if your area has any H1N1 cases yet.

Easier to be glib when there aren't any cases nearby.

[uppityperson]

8. Yes. Buy spam and put it under your easy chair, since you still have tuna/dry milk under your bed

[LaurenG]

16. Oh yeah the tuna under the bed - sheesh, I'd forgotten that

:rofl:

[ananda]

11. Not that I know of.

Austin just came up with a case, though.

One little school in AISD has been shut down
due to one case of North American flu in a
pre-k class.

Some schools in areas around Austin have been
shut down, where there are more cases.

All UIL activity in the state is shut down,
meaning no school sports or group activities.

AISD did send out a letter to parents explaining
that schools were still open but to take
precautions to avoid the flu and to have their
children stay home if they got sick.

No panic yet...

[stopbush]

12. Yep, the best time to stock up on supplies to get one thru a pandemic

is when all of the workers at the grocery store are coughing the pandemic virus all over the food you're about to buy.

The deli counter is especially brilliant in this regard.

:evilgrin:

[NightWatcher]

13. duct tape and platic sheeting. Cover your head in the plastic sheeting and tape it around your neck

[Barack_America]

18. .

heh.

:thumbsup:

[FiveGoodMen]

49. !

:rofl:

[Stellabella]

14. Used to be you should have emergency supplies for 3 days.

Now it's more like 2-3 weeks, after Bush/Cheney crippled FEMA. Keep canned goods on hand, 1 gallon of water per person per day, grow a garden, and find some recipes you can make with non perishable foods.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

86. Why would you have to stock up on water for pig flu?

[Oak2004]

105. I did a "huh??" on that one, then realized they were reciting the generic emergency preparations w/o

thinking too carefully about whether a disruption of the water supply was a plausible consequence of a flu epidemic :)

Yeah, the flu won't break the pipes. But you should have water on hand anyway, since there are plenty of emergencies which are likely to disrupt water supplies, including the most common of disasters in the US, flooding.

[Hannah Bell]

114. In case all the utility operators die in the pandemic, or the precious infected bodily fluids

overwhelm the storm drain system, poisoning all bodies of water in nearby counties.

[Mojorabbit]

15. The cdc is now saying to have a two week supply

and has a pdf up with a checklist.
I am good for six months here so don't need to go out.
Right now it is a mild flu but if it mutates into something more virulent I don't want
to be in the grocery store fighting crowds who are coughing and hacking.
I learned my lesson pre hurricane years ago when supermarkets were stripped of groceries.
Our local news is saying drug stores are running out of tamiflu and hand sanitizer but they
have ordered more.
on edit here is the checklist
http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/pdf/individuals.pdf

[phantom power]

17. I would call it the "stock up for 2 weeks" phase.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=222&topic_id=58672&mesg_id=58672

[TechBear_Seattle]

21. Is the "Get Set" before "Panic!"

Level 4 is "On your marks." :hi:

[Junkdrawer]

25. All it will take is some "helpful" local news anchor reading the CDC recommendation...

and you won't be able to get within a mile of a supermarket.

[TechBear_Seattle]

32. *Shrug* I have to go grocery shopping this week anyway

Might as well do it tonight, and pay especial attention to the canned and frozen foods sections.

[Junkdrawer]

36. We went away this weekend, so we're low on some things....

I'm going now before the big panic. I'll post what I find when I get back...

[Junkdrawer]

73. All clear in Pittsburgh...

Store was pretty empty - shelves were fully stocked...

[KoKo]

78. How does this help one survive from Swine Flu? Unless you're stocking up on Chicken Soup?

:shrug:

[Junkdrawer]

79. Canned Tuna under the bed focuses the body's healing powers....

or so I'm told...

[KoKo]

80. oh my...

lol's...I got it.. nuff said.

[TechBear_Seattle]

84. I live alone and I know what it is like trying to survive while very sick

Early last November, I had what the doctors eventually diagnosed as "unknown viral syndrome," which had me home sick for three days with a high fever (103) and then in the hospital for five days after that. My big concern is getting too sick to fix a decent meal. I bought several cans of ready-to-heat soup, some canned chicken, pasta and jars of sauce; if I can drag myself out of bed, I can cook something reasonably nutritious, in the microwave if necessary. Tomorrow I will check my supply of Gatorade and bendy straws.

I'm not too worried. Chances are very good that the flu will fade out as summer progresses. The big question is whether or not it will return next winter. That is what the Spanish Flu did in 1918-19, make a flashy entrance at an Army base in Kansas in the spring of 1918, disappear briefly, then return as a global killer pandemic (spread widely because of WW I) that winter.

[Hannah Bell]

117. Hey, I just read the book! It actually didn't disappear, kept popping up

across the globe, sometimes mild, sometimes killer, through the summmer & into the fall...

[TechBear_Seattle]

122. Yeah, but only in isolated cases

During the summer back then, most people stayed outside where person-to-person contagion was much less likely to occur. That still happens even in this day of air conditioning, that influenza pops up mostly during the winter when doors and windows are shut and people are more likely to congregate in closed-up spaces.

[JerseygirlCT]

90. First panic. Then overreact. nt

[Oak2004]

107. For the media, it is

Do note that the media's take on things is always more extreme than official sources.

Media coverage typically swings abruptly between "wow! it's a miracle! No one was harmed!" to "bizillions feared dead! Bodies fill the streets! We're all going to die!" to, after the danger has passed, giving an account somewhere in the middle, more consistent with what emergency management professionals expected and talked about. We're at the tail end of "It's a miracle! No one was harmed!" and about to enter the "we're all going to die!" phase of the US media coverage.

The actual story has been, all along, that there will be fatalities (any apparent "miracle" is an artifact of the time it takes to compile statistics), but that even in the worst case scenario, where we have a 1918-type epidemic, the vast majority of us will survive. A 1918-type scenario is not probable, however an ordinary flu pandemic is bad enough to be treated as an emergency. The final media story will reflect this, with maybe 200,000 deaths in the United States and 3-5 million or so worldwide before the virus runs its course (don't hold me to this prediction: it assumes an "average" pandemic, and there's not enough data out there yet to turn that from a mere assumption into a forecast).

[TechBear_Seattle]

123. Yup, I am paying minimal attention to the media on this

All of my info is coming from the WHO, the CDC and a few friends who work in healthcare. That is why I am taking precautions (stocked my pantry with canned stuff that I can deal with if I get sick, being more conscientious than usual about washing my hands, presented my bosses with some contingency situations should things get bad) but not panicking (I have not bought latex gloves or face masks or biohazard suits.)

[Wednesdays]

24. I'm prepared

Got my duct tape and plastic, all ready to go.

[Tangerine LaBamba]

31. FOOL!!!!!!!!!! YOU THINK YOU'RE SAFE????????

What about your twelve cases of bottled water?

Uh-huh.

Now, GET OUT THERE AND SHOP, DAMMIT ------------------------------>

[nadinbrzezinski]

26. Given the CDC has guidelines that do include

being able to stay home if need be

Buying canned goods is not something dumb to do

As is I live in quake country, I update my stock every sick months

now purell is on very short supply

[KoKo]

81. Nadine...I realize you've been in the 'rescue business' ...but

for some of us you seem to be getting too worked up about this one. I realize you have family in Mexico and we know how folks were treated in the past. But, your alarming posts seem, sometimes OTT..and I do believe you are serious in your efforts ...but maybe too believing of the latest bulletins by Bush Bots that are still in power because Obama hasn't gotten his full team through Congress. Remember we still have the Ghoul Chertoff Alarmist Crowd running Terror and Health Alerts.

Just saying. :shrug:

[eShirl]

96. wtf?

[Oak2004]

98. I'm trained as an emergency program manager (never worked at it)

and got my training during *Democratic* administrations, not from republican-dysfunctional-FEMA.

About the only thing I'll concede to your analysis is that if emergency management isn't your thing, it is possible to summarize everything you need to know in one post that reads, more or less:

• Practice really good hygiene (wash your hands)
  
• Stay away from people who might be sick/stay away from people if you are sick/keep your sick kids away from people.
  
• If you get sick, go to the doctor, and get flu meds, pronto (first 48 hours). They will make you less sick, and they may save your life.
  
• Keep a supply of things you will need on hand so that A) if you get sick you won't need to go out and expose others to get them and B) if closings and/or quarantines are ordered you'll have enough to get through comfortably.
  
• Listen to the authorities for further information and instructions.
  

The catch is that every time Nadine posts standard, run-of-the-mill emergency management advice (nothing Bushie, nothing I hadn't heard from Clinton's FEMA, nothing that would have struck my old boss Prof. Gilbert White as extreme, even way back in the 1970s) a chorus of "it's all fake, don't listen to her" pipes up. Since nadinbrzezinski, like most folks who get involved in emergency management and disaster response, really wants people to not get themselves and/or their family/friends/coworkers/neighbors dead from stupidity, she responds, more or less "the hell it's fake!" (only more politely than I just put it), and the never ending threads debating whether people who are trained in a field might actually know more than those who are not are off and running.

Lets get this straight: if this new flu bug was simply of ordinary lethality, we have a health crisis on our hands. The flu is a deadly disease. We rarely see exactly how deadly it is because most years in the US the most vulnerable populations are vaccinated, and that big chunk of immunity slows the rate of infection, as well as saves lives. There is no vaccine, and no reservoir of natural immunity, to this bug. As a consequence, perhaps a million people will die from it worldwide, if it is merely of ordinary virulence.

Repeat: this virus does not need to be any worse than the average flu virus to be a serious public health emergency. And there are hints that this virus is potentially more severe than average, though the jury is out on the question.

One million dead people. Several million grieving family members. Parents without children, children without parents. And that's the conservative estimate. They won't all be in the "Third World". That looks serious enough to me.

Yes, quarantines are possible, even if it is of ordinary virulence, because ordinary virulence without any immunity is bad enough. School closings and closings of public gathering places are not just possible, they're already happening. Quarantine has always been the final resort when trying to control infectious disease. Thank your friendly neighborhood immunologists, and their vaccines, if you haven't run into quarantines before. Claiming it won't happen or that quarantines are fascistic or a conspiracy or whatever other uneducated thought passes through the various counterposters' minds' mind mostly makes you look ignorant.

For those who find Nadine's posts annoying:

Why not acknowledge that people in relevant fields might know more than those who have no relevant education or training, and make a note of the few simple things that may help protect you and your family? If you still think it's all hooey, why not personally "quarantine" the flu threads, rather than stirring up extended arguments over subjects in which you have no formal education or training, and then turning around and complaining about the neverending threads about the flu?

I'm pretty sure there are Susan Boyle threads that need resurrecting, somewhere ;)

[nadinbrzezinski]

99. thanks...

[crispini]

112. Whoa. Your post needs to be an OP

Especially this part:

Lets get this straight: if this new flu bug was simply of ordinary lethality, we have a health crisis on our hands. The flu is a deadly disease. We rarely see exactly how deadly it is because most years in the US the most vulnerable populations are vaccinated, and that big chunk of immunity slows the rate of infection, as well as saves lives. There is no vaccine, and no reservoir of natural immunity, to this bug. As a consequence, perhaps a million people will die from it worldwide, if it is merely of ordinary virulence.

[nadinbrzezinski]

101. STANDARD INFO IS PANIC INDUCING

read the following

IF this makes you afraid, I am sorry; if you need to belittle the factual information on posts, so be it

By the by, I have family in mexico, they are fine, developing a fine case of cabin fever, and your point?

By the way if you have an issue with DATA coming from CDC, or WHO, that is your issue

So you'd take it more seriously if I said this is the pig brigade, thrown by the Mexican Airforce on La Gloria in El Perote, after the flu was cooked by CDC labs wiht the help of Roche Labs?

Sorry if I don't wear a tinfoil hat, and at this point SHARING information

IF information scares you, it is your problem at this point. Feel free to ignore the threads...

Just remember to wash hands, stash some food and listen to local authorities, What is coming, not that I'd know a thing or two since I helped write a very early draft of the emergency plan I am seeing implemented down there, don't be too surprised

Yes my dear, ours has very similar elements and... sequence of events

Hells bells school districts are closing

For example

Denial is not just a river in egypt...

[Marrah_G]

127. She is posting normal information on an important topic.

She is not posting anything over the top.

Those of you with no interest in the current situation, try using ignore or hide thread instead of bashing someone who many here find to have useful information on these topics.

[ProgressiveFool]

30. yay, it's like Y2K all over again

I'll never forget seeing a 20 something woman in a supermarket with two huge thirty-six packs of toilet paper. Looked like she had a whole lot of shitting to do.

[Generator]

89. You mock us?

I had Y2K water (that is jugs of water I never used) for seven years. I would look at it and think-heh that water is from the LAST CENTURY. Finally chucked it when we moved. And matches-that was what I bought-as if we weren't going to be able to make any fires because of computers. Ahhhh..good times. LOLLLLLLLLLL! And that was before Bush. Because if he HAD been president it would have been a nightmare.

[Oak2004]

100. If you have to throw away your old emergency suppliues you're doing it wrong.

Don't create a special emergency kit and segregate it from what you ordinarily use. Except for a few specialized items, your "emergency" supplies should be integrated into your ordinary household stuff and "rotated out" (i.e., used) before expiration. Water is the easiest of all the supplies to do that with -- buy some good sized jugs (but never bigger than you could reasonably manage if ytou had to move it in an emergency), fill them up (optionally put a couple of drops of bleach in the jug or use products specifically designed to preserve water -- if you don't preserve it, rotate it out very frequently), and from time to time use that water and refill the jugs.

Y2K might have been a big "bust" (I have an emergency management background, and I did *nothing* special for Y2K -- there just wasn't a lot of risk present on 31 December 1999, despite the hype), but natural and technological hazards in general are the real thing, and emergencies don't always come with much warning.

[nadinbrzezinski]

103. The only special thing I did for that was take some money

out of the bank to have cash on hand

And you are correct

Why I resupply my stash every six months or so...

Live in quake country anyway

[Catherine Vincent]

35. A friend that lives near Tomball went to WalMart and they had no more

hand sanitizer. I don't think people are panicking, they're just being extra cautious.

[NeedleCast]

42. I got six handles of Rum, I'm prepared

Yeah, I would have done that anyway....

[Tangerine LaBamba]

50. My stash ..........

It's always up-to-date because life - under any conditions - is not worth living without that lovely stuff ............................

[FarCenter]

54. You won't need much food

your appetite will be limited until you are well again.

Drinks that replace electrolytes will be usefull.

[MercutioATC]

70. Powdered Gatorade mix.

Powdered, because it stores indefinitely.

Yes, there are better choices than Gatorade. I have powdered Ultima replinisher http://www.ultimareplenisher.com/ but it's more expensive and you have to order it.

[SeeHopeWin]

60. I just bought Bananas, onions, chips, hair gel, blue cheese, some kind of seafood dip I am eating

right now, and a lime for my tequila tonight :)

[TheCowsCameHome]

67. I imagine that hair gel tastes great with seafood dip.

:puke:

[eShirl]

62. anything I don't have I can order next-day delivery from Amazon.com's grocery section

:hide:

[me b zola]

64. Now we know why the duck wasn't released

:o

[Pithy]

65. Vitamin D

Lysine, chewable Vitamin C, selenium, oil of oregano and garlic tabs.

[Lisa0825]

75. I stocked up on wine, cat treats, and diet Coke. nt

:)

[KoKo]

76. I don't think it's about "Food." It's about "Call your Doc and get the latest Big Pharma Cure...

and if you can't..then DEMAND your DOC GET IT ASAP!

[Sabriel]

83. I panic-bought Season 1 of Burn Notice

And popcorn.

And several six-packs of La Fin du Monde.

So I'm all set.

[Art_from_Ark]

109. La Fin du Monde

The End of the World
:rofl:

[Sabriel]

125. I figured two six-packs would do it. n/t

[leftofthedial]

85. it's duct tape and saran wrap time.

where I live, it looks like the ferry scene in War of the Worlds.

It's ugly, out of control...


just kidding. I think it's time to ask the public health officials WTF they're talking about.

I know ZERO people with any kind of flu (for the first time in about five years).

[Generator]

88. Don't forget the tuna under the bed

Ah the wisdom of the Bush years.

[leftofthedial]

93. It all seems so surreal now.

It is truly inexplicable how easily they sucked an entire nation down a rabbit hole.

[Hannah Bell]

116. There was also the rice scare - remember? and the peak oil scare

(when oil prices, per the prognasticators here, were just going to keep rising forever). and y2k.

I can't remember ever living through a 10-yr period with so many *shortage* scares.

and here we are, seemingly on the cusp of yet another one.

the zeitgeist, or?

[Mari333]

106. well, Im not going to panic

and if I need to go to the store I will. its a block away. I will leisurely meander down the street and pick up some TP if I need it. Havent seen anyone hunkering down here yet.

[JVS]

110. OMG I GOTTA GO PLUNDER THE STORE!

[and-justice-for-all]

111. the one thing a panic is good for...The Economy.

The slightest hint to pandemic will cause a surge in panic spending.

[muriel_volestrangler]

119. More like the "check if your international flight has been cancelled" stage

It's to get governments to ready their own precautions - which include stationing medical people at borders. Various flights to Mexico have already been cancelled; if the flu were to become established elsewhere, the same might be done for those areas too.

[sendero]

121. I've had a well-stocked pantry..

.... since early 2006. I have access to bulk TP, I buy it by the case (a case is 96 rolls and well that lasts a looonnng time :))

Food, OTC medications, first aid supplies and water. The basics. Everyone should have SOMETHING like this stored, if only a few weeks worth.

[bikebloke]

128. DVD Rentals

Whenever a monster "snow storm of the century" is forecast around here, the local video shop is swamped, with people coming out with armloads of DVD's. Netflixers will suffer during the apocalypse.