Hurricane Katrina and Rita last had a strong reminder of how destructive forces of nature can be, and how their preparation can reduce their effects. Avian influenza, commonly referred to as "bird flu," is a force of nature that we must prepare for - or suffer the potentially devastating health and financial consequences. Avian influenza is a viral infectious disease, such as regular seasonal flu, but it may turn out to be 70 times more deadly. And, because the nature of the virus, perhaps the most lethal for healthy children and adults, and pregnant women - such as the so-called Spanish flu of 1918-1919 was.
Project 2020 report from the U.S. National Intelligence Council, Mapping the Global Future, identifies global pandemics (worldwide epidemics) as the most important threat to global economy. According to Shigeru Omi, WHO regional director, "The world is now in danger of being the most likely pandemic." And according to Dr. Robert Webster, a world-renowned influenza researcher at Children's Research Hospital St. Jude in Memphis, Tennessee, "We could lead to global catastrophe." Infection-disease experts have repeatedly warned that it's not a question of whether a bird flu pandemic will come, but only a matter of when.
Judging from the federal government is woefully inadequate response at all levels to Hurricane Katrina - which is the symbol of awkwardness in the face of great national emergency, the response is slow and shallow for bird flu to date, and a lack of leadership on this issue - it is clear that you do not can rely on the government to protect you. You must take the initiative to prepare yourself and your family for the coming bird flu pandemic.
There are four important areas that you must address to prepare for bird flu pandemic: 1) "social distance", 2) commodities - including food, 3) personal protective equipment (PPE), and 4) financial preparation. Social distance refers to the life and work situation as a pandemic attack. Without going to extremes, you wish you and your family to be as far away from others as possible. Bird flu is like the regular seasonal flu because you are infected than other people, not birds. (Although it is possible to get a viral infection of birds, are much more likely that, if you are infected, you will get a virus from another person, not a bird.)
Bird flu virus is very contagious, but is transmitted through casual contact with an infectious person (who may not have any symptoms during the first 24 hours of infection), through touching contaminated objects, and through the air. Therefore, you want to stay away from as many people as possible, and that means spending more time at home. Your children will not be in school, they will go home. If your home is located on 73 floors in an apartment building in New York City, how would you avoid others? You might want to think of an alternative living conditions for several months.
The same principle applies to your work setting. If you can telecommute, the best scenario. If you do not telecommute now, but because this type of work you may be possible, discuss with your supervisor. If you must continue to cooperate with others at your job site, what can be done there to help protect you and others from infection? How policies and procedures be changed to minimize contact with colleagues or customers? Is there a hand washing station is available? What are your plans for a pandemic to come? Discuss this and related issues with your boss and coworkers.
The second area that must be addressed is "commodities -. Including food" There will be sporadic difficulties manufacturing or producing goods - because workers around the world will be sick or absent from work. Also there will be disruptions in supply chains - both because workers will be sick or absent from work, and because of restrictions on regional, national and / or international tours. These problems will cause a decrease or absence of most or all of the product we easily have access to now.
Commodities such as soap, toothpaste, toilet paper, and almost all of which you can buy in stores like Wal-Mart would be difficult or impossible to obtain - for periods of weeks or months at a time. This includes the most important commodity - food. The federal government has always told us to stock up on emergency supplies for three days. It will not be sufficient for the preparation of a deadly pandemic of bird flu coming. There will likely be limited food available in stores. In addition, the store is the place you want to avoid anyway, because people potentially infectious may be there. Inventory now so you have enough commodities, including food, for a period of months.
The third area is to overcome what is called personal protective equipment (PPE), which you should use, depending on the circumstances. PPE includes special face masks, called N95 respirators, which helps prevent infection by inhaling the virus. Remember that bird flu ("bird flu") is a highly contagious disease that can spread through the air. The only way to overcome this source of infection is through the use of special N95 respirators. This is a disposable face mask that can be worn for eight hours.
N95 masks are the type of masks worn by hospital workers during the 2003 severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) pandemic that hit a number of cities around the world, including Toronto, Canada. Surgical mask or other common face masks, sometimes used when sanding or painting and so on, are not effective.
Other elements include APD latex or vinyl disposable gloves, eye goggles or face shields, gowns impervious to liquids, and sometimes disposable booties or disposable head caps. Keep in mind that during a pandemic, most infected people should be treated at home rather than at a busy hospital and overwhelmed. This means that the nurses caring for loved ones at home need to be protected from viruses, such as hospital workers who work in hospitals. The only way to be protected is to wear PPE. (Just wash your hands - the federal government's primary recommendation for nurses at home -. Not be enough) Once a pandemic begins, APD will be huge demand and supply will be in very short supply - or none. Buy now or suffer the consequences later.
The last area to be addressed prior to the attack of bird flu pandemic is personal finance. This is an area that governments at all levels have been mute on. However, your finances prepare to defend yourself and your family during (and after) the pandemic could prove to be the most important areas of preparation. Although the deadly bird flu virus and many of us will get sick, most of us will die from it - just one to two percent of the population would likely die. Most will live - but under what circumstances?
Think Hurricane Katrina - where most people survive - but where hundreds of thousands are now homeless and underemployed or unemployed. Because of the potentially severe economic consequences of local, national, and international bird flu pandemic, many of us will suffer financially. Businesses around the world will not be able to make or distribute products or provide services. There will be layoffs and some companies going out of business altogether. At the very least, people will lose their jobs for periods of weeks or months. Your child or children, if you have any, will be at home - not in school or day care. Whether that forced one parent to stay home from work to care for them? How will you pay your rent or mortgage and your bills in a situation like this?
At Benjamin Franklin said, "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure." When it comes to bird flu preparation can make the difference between life and death, how much you and your family eat, and whether you can pay your bills, including rent or mortgage. The government will not solve this problem for you. Just as a warning that Smoky Bear, "Only you can prevent forest fires." Only you can take stock of this situation and do something about it. Think about it - and then do something about it.
Author Frank Bradford, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
Frank Group
P.O. Box 138
Lakewood, NY 14 750
[Http :/ / www.AvoidBirdFlu.com]
Bradford Frank, M.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
Dr. Frank graduated from the University of Colorado with a BA in chemistry and an MD degree. He completed two residencies, one in family practice and one in psychiatry. He is board certified in psychiatry and addiction medicine and geriatric medicine, and is an assistant clinical professor at the University of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Buffalo, Buffalo, NY He has a master's in public health (MPH) from Yale, where he specialized in infectious diseases , and an MBA from Northwester’s Kellogg School of Management.
Dr. Frank is the president of the Frank Group, a diversified company that includes business-contingency planning consultation. He has expertise in the field of business-contingency planning, emerging infectious diseases, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), avian influenza ("bird flu"), and weapons of mass destruction, terrorism, epidemiology, and public health problems.
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