Just curious. Have you prepared, and what did you do. I have not done anything. I think I'm going to go stockpile some stuff.

I don't think it's time to panic yet. What are you going to stockpile?

Here is the link to the government site.

PandemicFlu.gov


Probably early, but better safe than sorry.



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I dunno what can be done to prepare the way our society is. Most people don't earn a living in agriculture or home businesses so folks are bound to come in contact w/sick folks. Same goes for schools - most kids go out to schools that are packed together indoors. Ditto for churches and other recreational pursuits.
We have stockpiles of food, cleaning stuff, pet stuff, etc. I'm sure we could avoid stores if we needed to do so. Our kids are home schooled, but one kid takes one class at the high school. I spose we could forego that class if things up there got bad. However, if they were bad enough for us to consider skipping that class I think by that point the school woulda closed down for awhile.
Dh works outta our home at least 50% of the time, he could always spend more time working here. He does travel, has and will be in the states where swine flu cases have already been documented. He'll keep a supply of anti-viral meds on hand in case he comes down with it.
I'm not of the mind at this point to hole up and wear surgical masks. I've heard the reports that the documented cases in the U.S. have been much milder than the Mexican ones, nobody has died from it in the U.S. (yet?).
Maybe I'm not too worried about it cuz of our situation, but it just doesn't seem to be something to sweat yet. If it's gonna get us, it will, just can't wrap my mind about going into a bunker mentality at this point.

Oh geez! I had either Swine flu or Asian flu (can't remember) in jr hs. It was horrible! I remember wishing I was dead!

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

While I'm sure there is reason to be concerned, I don't think there is reason to panic just yet.
Let's keep in mind that Mexico is not necessarily at the fore front of medical technology or care. I would guess that the majority of those who have died in Mexico have either gone untreated until it was past the point of treating (kind of you either got to get better or die...). I would also think that because Mexico is a poorer country, the people have less ability to avoid crowded places, may not be able to perform some of the basic things like you or I do in the way of hygiene. I mean, how many times have you heard "if you go to Mexico don't drink the water"?
While the thought of a pandemic is scary...I think that people need to really consider all the facts and situation.

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Mental that one, I'm telling you. ---Ron Weasley, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets"

What I find...for lack of better word "stupid" is they have cancelled basically everything in Mexico but then they show on the news millions of people wandering aimlessly about on the streets. For cripes sakes people(in Mexico) stay home!

If it gets bad here, I'll try and only get out if necessary. I think that I'm young and healthy enough that I don't have to worry about dying from the FLU! Those most at risk are the elderly and those with immune diseases.

Nope. Didn't worry about Y2K, didn't worry about Bird Flu, didn't worry about mad cow disease, not worried about Swine flu, either. I don't get all wound up in the latest "scare du jour" every time there is a media frenzy.

Lisa

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"It's not having what you want,
It's wanting what you've got"

I am in total agreement with this!

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Proud to say I haven't shopped at a Wal-Mart since Sept 2003

I am not worried either. I didn't post the link because I am worried.

But I think that everyone should ALWAYS have some supplies on hand for an emergency.

We always have a supply of food and our medications on hand. We could live out of our pantry for weeks.
I know people who never keep anything extra on hand.

Shirley



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We always have enough food, batteries, toilet paper, cat litter, etc to last at least a few weeks and we can make do with what we have for longer than that if necessary.

There is a pandemic due sometime it's how prepared we are medically to deal with it and when it's coming that are the only questions.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

WHO raised the alert level from a 3 to a 4, out of 6 possible levels. Keep washing those hands.

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I've never lied to you. I've always told you some version the of truth.

Living in ice storm and tornado country I always have plenty on hand. Batteries, flashlights, canned food, paper products, radio, bottled water, etc.... We'd last awhile.

I live in San Diego county and I just told my children to make sure and wash their hands a lot.

I feel fortunate to live in a relatively remote area, which I wouldn't normally say that!! However, DH is an over the road truck driver. I am a bit concerned about him, and he will definately be disinfecting as soon as he walks in the door this weekend. ewww. We did have a discussion about him being more careful than usual this morning before he left. He always uses lysol in the public showers and is careful with handles and uses a hand sanitizer, but it doesn't hurt to be MORE careful.

We do not have supplies for a couple weeks, I guess I might want to consider that if it gets bad.

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Melissa

Just try to keep yourself healthy.. wash hands, take vitamins, eat well and get plenty of sleep! I am unsure how batteries and flashlight would help??

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Support bacteria -- it's the only culture some people have!

If Vegetarians eat Vegetables. Do Humanitarians eat Humans?

'Vegetarian' is an old Native American word for bad hunter.

Last I heard there had only been 20 cases in the U.S. and none had died. The ones that died in Mexico most likely did due to poor medical care.

I just got over having pneumonia, which without medical care is potentially deadly (some times even with medical care) It started as just a regular cold.

This swine flu is just a tiny drop in the bucket compared to the illnesses that are regularly surrounding us. I can't see doing anything different today than I did before I heard about it.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

We lost our power for 3 days and I was very glad that we had flashlights! It got very dark in our house at night!

I don't think that flashlights were listed just for the current swine flu. They are great for a power outages.

We also had candles but I got sick of smelling the fragrance. Do they sell plain candles anymore?

Shirley

In our area it used to be that if there was a rumor of bad weather within a 100 mile radius of us, our power would go out. It's not quite as bad now but we still get several power outages a year.
I keep battery operated camping lanterns just for these occasions. The batteries seem to last a long time and they give a bigger pool of light than flashlights. And the really good part is that I have picked up about 5 of them at yard sales for a buck or two a piece. Just a suggestion.

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Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass
It's about learning to dance in the rain.

Yes they sell unscented candles. You can get them in the kosher section of your grocery store, or in a craft store.
We live in a wild weather area - blizzards, floods, wicked summer storms and tornados. We've learned to be prepared for power outages and not being able to get in or out of where we live. Hasn't happened to us yet, but it did when I was a kid, so I remember that stuff.
No matter where anyone lives, a weather disaster can cause you to be stuck where you are so it's not a bad idea to assess what you might need to get through a coupla weeks without normal services and resources.

I think what concerns me the most in my household is that we have two with very compromised immune systems here, with one undergoing immunoglobulin treatment and the other soon to be. I am worried my DS will get this from one of the kids in school several of them went home to Mexico for spring break and will be back in the next two weeks, they always take about a month to 6 weeks even though Spring break is only a week. I am almost inclined to keep him home and homeschool him the rest of the school year.

Honestly what should I do, how do I prevent this if it comes around.I am freaked out and for good reason and I will be stockpiling as soon as DS gets paid and my SSDI check comes in.

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~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

My youngest ds is immuno-compromised and this swine flu thing doesn't really have me concerned. It's the every day illnesses that pose the biggest threat for him. The regular flu, chicken pox, rsv, rotavirus. He's even become extremely ill from a simple strep infection. Like I posted earlier I developed pneumonia as a complication of the common cold and my immune system is fine. Now if this thing starts to really spread and we begin having local cases we may have to become more pro-active in protecting him.
This isn't something I think I need to stress over yet. It's quite minimal in relation to the many common threats out there.

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Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.

I can understand your concern, especially with the students returning from Mexico. I don't really know what to tell you, but have you talked to his MD? I would start there and see what they have to say. Hopefully this thing will stay contained. My kids are pretty tough, but still you worry.

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"No one believes more firmly than Comrade Napoleon that all animals are equal. He would be only too happy to let you make your decisions for yourselves. But sometimes you might make the wrong decisions, comrades, and then where should we be?"
- George Orwell Animal Farm

Right now I have the flu, I don't know how much worse the swine flu could be compared to how sick I have been for a week now. Today is the 1st day I have been able to cook dinner and not feel as if I'm going to pass out. I have been watching this flu pretty close tho since we have a heavy population of Mexicans in this area plus spring break was 2 weeks ago. I have several friends I know that go back to Mexico during spring break. Then leave after school lets out and don't return till school starts back. I wonder how this will effect them now ? we have less than 27 days left in school. But any hoot. I have not prepared for anything nor do I plan on it till word is given we have a case or case(s) here.I really don't know what I could do about the kids being in school other than tell them to wash their hands plenty during the day, I have 4 kids attending 4 different schools. I do kind of worry about my 2 sons tho. One has a medical issues and takes some powerful Rx which lowers his immune system the other has a missing kidney which also lowers his ability to fight infections.but I don't see us locked down inside the house just yet. If or when we have a confirm case(s) then plans will change till now we'll just keep playing it safe.

I was just in Mexico about 1 1/2 weeks ago but not in Mexico City. The president was there at the same time but in Mexico City.

Ooh, a second ago, I would have said yes. Just realized we are almost out of toilet paper. That in itself would be a disaster in our house. Other than that, we could live for several months w/o leaving the house. There is so much crap in the pantry and the freezers.

For those wondering about flashlights, candles, etc we keep a collection of tap lights around for a power outage.

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The political system is broke and it's a joke.

Someone mentioned unscented candles and can you buy them, if nothing else, go to Michaels or some craft store and get a bag of tealights they are unscented candles!

DH and I both have some health issues that, combied with a bad flu, could cause us more prolems than we'd like. We are planning to go to Long Beach California to the National Square Dance Convention in June along with about 6,000 other dancers from all over the world. We are hoping that it will be all over by then.
All over, as in done and gone, not all over the country, that is!!!

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Square dancing is friendship set to music!

The alert level was rasied so that the antiviral drugs could be distributed in case there is a pandemic. The number of cases reported in the U.S. is very, very small. The school nurse at DS's jr high has a nurse buddy that works in a doctor's office. The buddy said there were numerous people in the office yesterday swearing they had the swine flu. Allergies are really bad right now and it was nothing more than that.

As it is now whenever anyone is sick in his class they are supposed to be sent home or segregated from but that seldom if ever happens.More often than not its DS who removes himself from the exposure on his own in the classroom, asking to go to the office and he calls us and we talk to the Principal and he usually sits in another room for the day so he is not exposed. Trust me the School Nurse and I are always talking these parents at DS's school send the kids to school very ill, fevers, vomiting diarrhea the works. We are Title II school, highest level of Free and Reduced Lunches in the county, and 85% hispanic, with very little parent involvement in anything PTA, Volunteering, Fundraisers etc. Even with my health they see more of me than they do some of the SAHM moms who have 5 kids in the school and could give their time.

I just cannot risk it talked to the Nurse today when she called me to ask me to be sure DS is washing hands and the first kid who is sick in his class or bus to remove him to home immediately and she is sending me labslips for some bloodwork he needs done to see if his IGG levels have went up at all since March. I will homeschool if need be it has been something we were considering and it may still happen if I can fit it in between my school and DH's schedule of voc rehab training.

I avoid public places during busy times and wash my hands a lot when I go out and am always wahsing down the carts at stores because I have no immune system either and I am haivng surgery next week and cannot affford to get sick now.

Just gonna tak eit one day at a time, we have had a measles outbreak in our area so we have both to worry about here.

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~ Christine ~
Grammie to Trinity Lorayne Jean Keens Born June 9, 2011 Loving my awesome guitar picking 100% Country Boy boyfriend Kenny !
RIP Daddy~ 01/24/1930-06/01/2007 I miss you !
Dont Think you Can .. know you can ~ Jeff Hardy

Worried--- a little

Prepared --- in terms of stock piling,, no not yet

Hoping this gets under control SOON...

keep safe everyone :-)