Global Pandemics: Do We Run or Prepare?

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Sentry18

Sentry18

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https://www.theorganicprepper.com/global-pandemics-do-we-run-or-prepare/

Global Pandemics: Do We Run or Prepare?
October 4, 2019


By Sandra D. Lane
Ever wonder, if your town or state was slammed with an epidemic, what you would do? Where you would go if you could even get out? What if the whole planet was affected by a global pandemic?

Remember that an epidemic affects, or tends to affect, a disproportionately large number of individuals within a population, community, or region at the same time, while a global pandemic is an epidemic of disease that’s spread worldwide. I’ve personally noticed a lot of reports and articles lately on the likelihood of a very real possibility of a coming global pandemic. I take that to mean it’s either just a new focus to the ‘fad’ of prepping or that more people are paying attention; hopefully the latter. In either case, it appears to be a very real, and close, threat.

Are there any safe places to go during a global pandemic?
In a recent article written by Matt Boyd and Nick Wilson and posted in Risk Analysis, the official journal for the Society of Risk Analysis, right up front you read that it’s “suggested to rank island nations as potential refuges for ensuring long-term human survival in the face of catastrophic pandemics” or other possible threats. In fact, in the introduction of the article is the suggestion that the risk of human extinction is most likely rising and could be driven by factors like weapons of mass destruction, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology. Of course, we knew this already.

The concept of ‘escaping’ to island nations is not one that’s been systematically explored though, at least where the common citizen is concerned, as authors Alexey Turchin and Brian Patrick Green point out in their own work, “Islands as Refuges for Surviving Global Catastrophes”, written in April 2019. “The possible use of islands as refuges from social collapse and existential risks has not been previously examined systematically.” It is also stated that the protection an island could afford could be increased if it was used as some sort of base for nuclear vehicles with possible underground bunkers. Maybe I was born yesterday, but as I sit here, I see the idea of looking for safe places to escape to exploding around me. Just a day ago Fox News discussed which countries are safest havens in a global pandemic, less than a day ago Newsweek noted the places on earth where you could possibly survive a global pandemic, and Science Alert declared just two days ago the safest places a person can be in such an event.

Maybe it’s all due to Boyd and Wilson’s publication that New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland could act as islands of refuge for humankind in the event of a catastrophe. Or maybe it’s because the World Health Organization established a Global Preparedness Monitoring Board (GPMB) who recently released its first-ever annual report saying the world isn’t prepared for a pandemic. On Sun, September 22, 2019, in New York, NY, the first report on the state of the world’s preparedness for health crises was given. In this report, A World at Risk, the GPMB discussed the “urgent actions needed to prepare for and mitigate the effects of the next global health emergency”. Is it possibly becoming clear to everyone else what we’ve known for a while? Perhaps, but I don’t think we have time to bask in our validation.

The National Academy of Medicine, whose president, Victor Dzau, is also a board member of the GPMB, remarks on the report quoting (it) “..highlights that an outbreak equivalent to the 1918 influenza pandemic could kill an estimated 50 to 80 million people, spreading around the world in less than 36 hours and wiping out nearly five percent of the global economy.”

Preparedness is hampered by the lack of continued political will at all levels. Although national leaders respond to health crises when fear and panic grow strong enough, most countries do not devote the consistent energy and resources needed to keep outbreaks from escalating into disasters. (source)

Is a global pandemic right around the corner?
And so here we are, the world scurrying around in no particular direction except to state that there are places we can go; like New Zealand, Australia, and Iceland. I wonder what the citizens of these island nations are thinking at the moment… The National Institute of Health came up with a similar but perhaps opposite view that suggests protecting island nations from extreme pandemic threats with border closings. Now wouldn’t that be a novel idea…

As just about everyone has heard and read by now, we don’t know when, and we don’t know exactly what, but we know that a global pandemic is coming. So, other than reserving a spot on an island somewhere, what can we do? Not only do we have the old diseases to contend with, but now we have SARS, MERS, Ebola, West Nile, Zika. EEE – where will it end? As Daisy Luther notes in “Are You Prepped For A Pandemic?”, it’s one thing to have a virus going around; quite another for a pandemic.

It isn’t like The Walking Dead, where suddenly 80% of the population is affected overnight. With a pandemic, you hear a little hum about it before it gets bad. The World Health Organization makes some flyers, reports are given, and there is a mention on the evening news. But, generally speaking, officials are stingy with information because they don’t want to “start a panic.” This means that the judicious prepper needs to pay close attention when new viruses begin to be mentioned.

This, in my opinion, means all this ‘official’ talk of glooming pandemics and running away to islands could indicate something is amiss, and somebody in higher places than me knows about it. OR, there’s some sleight of hand going on. Either way, I plan on being prepared.

In 2009 the Swine Flu pandemic covered the United States and we were caught off guard. I don’t think anyone else was very prepared either, as it was later noted that it possibly killed up to 203,000 people worldwide—10 times higher than the first estimates based on the number of cases confirmed by lab tests, according to Science Daily. That doesn’t seem like many when compared with other pandemics, but it was quite enough for me when my youngest son was diagnosed with it. Thankfully, despite being his only caretaker during that period, I didn’t get it, but it had nothing to do with being prepared. All I could do was lock the doors, nobody came in or out (my husband was over the road), both my son and I wore dust masks when in the same room (which I doubt helped more than a tiny bit) and I used generic zip-lock baggies on my hands to remove snotty tissues and eating/drinking utensils. All in all, I think the world was lucky to get off as easily as it did. This was back before I knew much about prepping for illnesses and/or epidemics or pandemics. Now I look back at is like a trial by flu, so to speak, and have since upped my preps.
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How does one prepare for something like a pandemic?
You have to keep your head on a swivel and your ears open to as many whispers as you can. That’s a tall order, but it may be the first step in being prepared. Of course, we can’t catch everything and are bound to be caught off guard at times, but most illnesses have symptoms. We can prep for the symptoms and plan for the worst. As soon as we hear the first news report or read the first article, we need to begin preparing (if we haven’t already).

What do we need? Some items could be:

  • Cough remedies
  • Nasal decongestants
  • Petroleum Jelly (Vaseline) for dry, worn noses.
  • Tissues
  • Plenty of toilet paper (can also be used for tissues if you run out.)
  • Nitrile, Playtex, or simple plastic food-handlers gloves
  • Diarrhea medication like Imodium
  • Antiemetic/Nausea medication, prescription like Phenergan or promethazine HCL, or over the counter such as Pepto Bismol. (Be aware: Pepto Bismol can cause black bowel movements due to the ingredient Bismuth.)
  • Antacids
  • Benadryl
  • Water, water, water for hydration in all illnesses
  • Hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap. Please be aware that it’s important to wash your hands with soap before using hand sanitizer. Sanitizer alone just won’t work.
  • Alcohol (If you want to drink it as well as use it for first aid, get Vodka )
  • Bleach for surface sanitization
  • Vinegar
  • A way to dry laundry indoors (dryer or portable clothesline)
  • Plenty of laundry detergent and a way to have hot water for cleaning.
  • N95 and up masks
  • Tea bags
  • Lemon
  • Honey (maybe pasteurized for children of certain ages)
  • Thermometers: more than one – actually more than two if you can. Mercury is the best in my opinion, but digital and temple work too.
  • Ice in case you can’t get a very high temperature down. (Alcohol can work as well – avoid drafts)
  • Over the counter pain relievers like Tylenol or Ibuprofen.
  • Humidifiers
  • Plastic Sheeting – enough to create two doorways, providing a small room before the actual ‘sick’ room.
  • Duct Tape
These are just items off the top of my head – you may think of several more. The key is to have what your family would need in that situation, and enough of it to last for a while. Once my son was diagnosed with Swine Flu I could not, in good conscience, having been exposed myself, stop at any store to pick up items on our way home from the doctor, but instead, I took him straight to the house. Antibiotics were delivered to my porch later that day as he also had a secondary infection.

Disclaimer: I am not a healthcare professional of any kind. These suggestions are just that; suggestions, and are based on my own experience and not on any type of formal training or study.

I’m going to mention The Organic Prepper’s article “Are You Prepped For a Pandemic” again, as it not only goes into detail on how to set up a sick room but also mentions some scenarios that maybe we haven’t considered.
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Amish Heart said:
Stay inside. Everybody will be running.
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It should be almost identical to a nuclear fallout incident.
Stay inside and keep the sick people separate from the rest.
Listen to the news.
 

Sentry,
Thanks for your post. Overall, there are a lot of good suggestions on the list, but there are a couple of things with which I disagree:

"Hand sanitizer and antibacterial soap. Please be aware that it’s important to wash your hands with soap before using hand sanitizer. Sanitizer alone just won’t work."
There is no need for antibacterial soap. In fact, 'antibacterial' soap can cause more problems as it dries out the skin on hands, causing cracking and irritation that can lead to decreased handwashing and entrapment of pathogens in the cracks. You are better off using a gentle soap and washing frequently with running water. Sanitizer does work for almost all of the pathogens to which people may be exposed, but you need to wash with soap and water after every 4-6 uses of alcohol gel to prevent a buildup of residue. As I teach staff, soap and water doesn't kill germs, it just releases them from your skin and flushes them down the drain. Gel does kill most germs, but it doesn't take away the little dead bodies, so that soap and water every 4-6 uses are needed to clean out the morgue! :ghostly:
Use gel or foam that is at least 60% alcohol. You may want to avoid scented alcohol gel, as the scent and color can cause irritation.
The one pathogen that alcohol gel is not terribly effective on is Clostridioides difficile (often called C diff). This is a spore-forming diarrheal disease, and soap and water is much more effective. Likewise, bleach is more effective than common household disinfectants for surface cleaning after C diff.

"N95 and up masks"
N95 masks are needed for diseases with airborne transmission, such as chicken pox, TB, or measles. They are overkill for things like flu, pertussis or bacterial meningitis. When in doubt, use N 95, but keep a good stock of procedure/ surgical masks, as these are far less expensive and are perfectly effective for things transmitted by droplet means.

"Thermometers: more than one – actually more than two if you can. Mercury is the best in my opinion, but digital and temple work too."
Mercury thermometers can be dangerous if they break. Digital thermometers are effective, as are the strips you place on the forehead. I like the strips because they are disposable and don't need sanitization between uses. They are perhaps not as exact as a digital thermometer, but will give a good estimation of the severity of a fever.

"Ice in case you can’t get a very high temperature down. (Alcohol can work as well – avoid drafts)"
DO NOT use alcohol to bring down a fever! This is an old therapy and has been found to be dangerous, especially for kids. The alcohol can bring the temperature down too quickly, leading to shivering, which triggers the body to raise the temperature. The rapid reduction of fever can also lead to seizures. In addition, alcohol is easily absorbed through the skin, which could lead to alcohol poisoning. The best way to lower a high fever is to place wet lukewarm cloths on the patient's forehead, under their arms, and in the groin. This works, not by dropping skin temperature, but by reducing core temperature. The armpits and groin have very large blood vessels close to the surface, and by cooling the blood, the core temperature can go down. Ice can be used in adults with great caution, making sure the ice is covered and not put right against the skin. This should only be done under medical supervision to ensure the temp again does not come down too fast.

I hope this helps!
 
I agree with @Amish Heart isolate yourself in your home and if someone is sick put them in isolation with plastic sheets over the doorway and wear masks etc when nursing them. Personally I wouldn't be going outside where all the sick people are running around and getting infected.

@Supervisor42 we are friends with a few doctors so we are covered and I am an ex-nurse and DH field trained medical so I think we have it covered.
 
lonewolf said:
Run Where? isolation is the best policy.
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I am not sure exactly how that works. If everyone isolates..........than no one has sewage service, water, electric, no firemen, no policemen, no garbage collection. Drag your dead out to the street ??????? For what a few months or a few years.
 
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Amish Heart said:
Yep. Gotta be prepared to isolate. The masses will get sick and die. You don't want to be one of those, VP. (you isolate right now anyway, right? )
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Yes...........However I think "ISOLATE" has at least two very different meanings or concepts of execution. And most have only one option for themselves, that being stay home in their apartment or house. There are very few things that terrify humans more then true isolation. I don't think of myself as isolated, I just live in a cozy shack in the center of an eight million acre National Forest.
 
VirginPrepper said:
I am not sure exactly how that works. If everyone isolates..........than no one has sewage service, water, electric, no firemen, no policemen, no garbage collection. Drag your dead out to the street ??????? For what a few months or a few years.
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I have a well, a septic tank, food, generator, a developing solar system, and I burn my trash. I don't leave my property now unless I have a specific need. I've spent weeks alone at sea without seeing land let alone people. Isolation is not a problem for me. One or two of the wife's girlfriends might join us which means that even the loss of the phone wouldn't be terrible.

I see the biggest problem with isolation being attitude. Some here will hardly notice the change. Many will deal with it with little inconvenience. Some will hate it to the point where they put their life and family at risk. My wife will be irate when she can't go to bingo and the first time she can't watch her football team at the bar it will not be pretty. In fact that dead body you mention could well be me, in which case it isn't my problem.
 
An interesting side question.........what about the people in prison.....???
 
As long as there is power they can be kept locked in. After a few weeks it won't matter anymore...
 
Thanks @DrPrepper As always your bring solid information that will help all of us. Your post also helped me remember some research I was doing a few years ago. I had to wipe the dust off those old files and search for new information…

I on the other hand get screwy ideas, this was just rough notes with a little background thrown in... maybe someone can use something in this. My idea is making my own skin sanitizer.

1) First ingredient… Aloe gel. Aloe is easy to grow in quantity and has dozens of uses. The gel is inside the leaves, not hard to get to and remove. The gel alone is only good if kept refrigerated for 1 to 2 weeks.

2) Second ingredient… Ascorbic acid (vitamin C). The powder form of ascorbic acid has a shelf life of 3 years, even then it only degrades by 1 to 2 percent (oxidation begins to happen). As preppers we all know how to extend the shelf life of just about anything, simplest of all is a cool stable temperature 24/7. Ascorbic acid can be purchased in 500g containers for $60 and Grainger industrial supply (just over 17 ounces). (look under lab supplies)

Ascorbic acid when mixed with Aloe gel acts as a preservative giving Aloe gel a shelf life of several months.

3) Pure Silver powder… Source, Silver Eagles minted by the US government. According to a NIH report I read decades ago silver kill over 800 different kinds of bacteria. It’s used for this ability in a host of medicines, water filtration ect. The list of uses is long. A place to start reading… https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2364932/

(I’ve been using silver powder as an antibacterial agent for more than a decade here on the farm… Example… A cow had a uterine prolapse birth, a bad one. I’m up to my shoulders in blood, uterus, new born calf and cow poop on the forest floor, hardly sanitary. While trying to save the life of the cow and her calf I got a several cuts. I always carried a small vial of silver powder, I rubbed it on my cuts… it tends to stick to the skin. Not one of those cuts became inflamed much less infected.)

The amount of silver and sulfur in Silver Sulfadiazine crème you can by at the drug store is 1% by weight. (Sulfur is an element and does not degrade, handy to have a few pounds on hand for a host of reasons, including black powder)

Now, the silver I would use isn’t micronized as in most medicinal uses but more course… That said, larger pieces of silver in powder give off more silver ions which kill bacteria.

So, my screwy idea for a “make do” skin sanitizer is aloe gel, ascorbic acid and silver… It heals your skin and kills germs. How well it would actually work? I would try it if I had nothing else.

Silver ss_v1.jpg


Reducing fever… There are a few amazing plants in the mint family that reduce fever when applied topically or taken internally. Catnip is great for treating infants and toddlers for fever. Most otc’s actually raise a fever before beginning to reduce it. Catnip never raises the fever. It simply begins to lower the fever very gently. Gentle enough for kids.

Another amazing plant is monarda fistulosa aka lavender beebalm. It actually targets the source of a fever, say a broken bone in a leg or inflamed chest, it brings the heat to the surface of the skin to the capillaries where is can be dispersed.

Pharmaceutical companies have probably studied both plants but they are never going to show us the science behind their properties.

Both plants can be grown all over North America south of the arctic circle…

I also posted books here: https://www.homesteadingforum.org/threads/herbal-medicine-books-peanut-recommends.6745/

That contain information about the best antibiotics and antivirals nature has to offer... One plant even acts as an immunomodulator which the CDC has been using with some success treating Ebola (with other things).

It’s been my experience that those who fail in any situation in life are those who make assumptions. Listening to available information will be key until that stops. Then keep your eyes and ears open and never assume anything.
 
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VirginPrepper said:
An interesting side question.........what about the people in prison.....???
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A jailer friend of mine said he would never take a chance on releasing that much evil on society and would go cell to cell and deal with any problems. He has long since retired but I would expect that there are others of similar mind and it wouldn't take many at an institution to get the job done.
 
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