swine flu

[wolfsong]

Big Al, your talking about some sort of Zombie/Survivors pandemic, face the facts, this is FLU, IT WILL NOT CAUSE GLOBAL MELTDOWN!!!!!
What you have just said, ie prepare for winter without end sort of stuff, costs money, and when it never happens people won't be able to do anything about it. Thankfully, most people don't listen to most advice and therefore there is very little chance of scaremongering having any adverse effects.
if the economy does take a hit from this disease, it'll be on an international and national level, so you will still be able to get food etc. and it will not take very long for the government to restore its control (unfortunately).
The main problem is that the media is detracting from reporting on stuff like AIDS.

[Big Al]

Big Al, your talking about some sort of Zombie/Survivors pandemic, face the facts, this is FLU, IT WILL NOT CAUSE GLOBAL MELTDOWN!!!!!
What you have just said, ie prepare for winter without end sort of stuff, costs money, and when it never happens people won't be able to do anything about it. Thankfully, most people don't listen to most advice and therefore there is very little chance of scaremongering having any adverse effects.
if the economy does take a hit from this disease, it'll be on an international and national level, so you will still be able to get food etc. and it will not take very long for the government to restore its control (unfortunately).
The main problem is that the media is detracting from reporting on stuff like AIDS.

That's ok Wolfsong,

I'll only say that .......

If I prepare and you don't and nothing happens we will both be ok. If something does happen I will be ok and you will be dead....

[Vajk]

Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

Anyone not LIVING by this philosophy, and who expect the government, any government to 'fix it' and magically save them, is already extinct.

We can all learn a thing or two from the Amish.

Guess who didn't have issues during Hurricane Katrina, and who weren't without food and water, or need for $4 a gallon gasoline? ;)

[MKG]

Nothing too wrong with being prepared. However, having watched with completely gobsmacked disbelief the lengths some people were prepared to go to to avoid the heavily forecast year 2000 doom, I think you have to modify the stance.

Step 1 Do the research.
Step 2 Do the research again (you missed a bit and jumped to too many conclusions)
Step 3 Think
Step 4 Think some more
Step 5 Take precautions (or not) against what you have decided is the most likely outcome.

The human race has seen more predictions of disaster than it has disasters. Isn't the next one 2012? On that logic, swine flu can't be THE ONE.

Mike

[Vajk]

Very good advice MKG. :D

However, I'd like to clarify something. I don't know what you think about the Y2K 'non-event' as some term it, but I was one of those millions of IT folks who worked their arses off, and with BILLIONS of dollars worldwide spent on it was WHY Y2K didn't happen.

It didn't happen because WE FIXED IT.

People who think that it was all BS, and who weren't involved in fixing it, tend to believe that since nothing happen, there WAS no problem.

Just wanted to clear that up. Thanks for the good points, it will help people out. :D

[red]

I also get annoyed when people say the millenium bug came to nothing.. there was a hell of a lot of people employed making sure there was no bug.

but I have to agree with MKG here - because whilst I thought there might be some hiccups re the mil bug - such as cashpoints being out of action, , others were running about buyings guns (well only in USA) and jars of honey (some clever sod workign for the honey industry put it about that honey would keep and therefore we must all buy lots!)

the thing is, if like me, you have loved ones who are vulnerable, then you do worry about things like the swine flu or any flu in fact. and yes, i think sooner or later we shall have a really nasty virus thing come around and knock out lots of people, because that happens every so often, but we are all are far more risk of suffering from scaremongering.

scaremongering causes panic and panic causes people to act rashly.

[Ellendra]

What to do to prepare yourself and family.

Basic hygene which very manuy people don't do. Wash hands and hard surfaces with anti bacterial cleaner. You can buy the pocket / belt clip size alcohl gels for £2.15 from a good medical supplier or go to asda and get the similar thing for 47p.

Stockpile essential supplies such as food, water, Medicines, first aid supplies etc. Have an alternative fuel supply for cooking and also be aware of local "free food" such as hedgerow suppers etc.

Be aware that if this kicks off in the way many are expecting it to then people will soon be desperate and if you have prepared then you WILL have things that others want so the next step is being prepared to defend what is yours. How you do this is up to you and i'm not going to tell you how i will do it on a public forum. Surfice to say if you know me you'll know better than try,lol.
This may be seen as scaremongering but what would you do without fuel in your car? That will never happen fuel will always be available... you think so? Remeber back in 2001 when the tanker drivers went on strike....... np fuel, no lorries to deliver food to the shops, no food in the shops, shops close in 3 days, sooner if panic buying happens.

Suppose key workers go down with the swine flu. What would you do say if the local power company couldn't generate electricity, that's ok you have candles and tilly lamps etc, where are they, can you put your hands on them right now blindfolded because you will be in dark sometime. Even if you can water companies rely on power to purify and pump water out.......

See where this is going... As a basic exercise put down on paper a flow diagram and say for instance NO ELECTRIC in the middle. branch off from there what you would do for say cooking and follow that to it's logical conclusion. Then do the same for water, medicines etc. It will surprise and maybe shock you into doing something to prepare.

Sorry if it's a long post but when the shit hits the fan you don't want to be splattered.....

Good to be prepared no matter what's going on. All it takes is one good ice storm and power is gone. Even if only for a few days, that's more than long enough to freeze to death, or have your water pipes burst. Just ask the people in Kentucky.

[wolfsong]

Sorry Big Al, I was a bit grouchy yesterday... I didn't mean to sound so derogatory
Its just I get really pissed off by people wailing about Global Warming, SARS, World wide apocalypses and other stuff like that... some times I wish I lived in the USSR and so that everyone could just get on with their lives. Press has a large part to play in informing people, and telling people 'we're all going to die' is not very helpful.
I don't know what this Y2K thing actually is, although i have heard of it, being too young, I was... probably in primary school, I only became politically active after september 11 and the protests against the Iraq war.
Vakj, the Amish have taken a lot of s**t in they're time, and have come out marvelously, but they've been living like that for hundreds of years, so they know a thing or two. Let us not forget thought that they are a religious sect.

[MKG]

Actually, the Y2K issue is a good case in point. It was a known problem (we knew for a long time it was coming) and steps were taken to ensure that it was dealt with as far as possible. It's a moot point whether anything other than computer system failures would have occurred, and it's a doubly moot point whether those failures would have had any really serious and lasting effects (aeroplanes were never ever going to fall out of the sky and, if there had been any possibility of that happening, they wouldn't have been in the sky). Predictably, however, the press turned the whole thing into a scaremonger's bonanza, even christening it "The Millennium Bug" just to make it sound more frightening (although they got their facts wrong, that description being inapplicable until 2001).

Viral mutation is a known issue, and steps are constantly being taken to identify and deal with any resulting problems. The WHO and national health organisations are on the case. They quickly removed any "mootness" about swine flu - it's known to be relatively harmless - and so we know that there will be no serious or lasting effects. I'll repeat myself ... "Predictably, however, the press turned the whole thing into a scaremonger's bonanza".

The next computer "disaster", by the way, is due in 2038 - the so-called "Unix Millennium Bug". It could affect only 32-bit systems, and ALL vital systems will be 64-bit (at least) by then. Some people are already saying that not all systems will DEFINITELY have been upgraded by then. I say "And pigs might fly". Even so, I wonder what the press will do with it when they find out about it (probably in 2037). Answers on a postcard, please, but no prizes.

Mike

PS - Don't forget, you people out there with 32-bit systems running Unix - you have only 29 years in which to upgrade your computer! ... the countdown has begun!

[Millymollymandy]

ha ha I've just come back from Rennes airport (a teeny provincial little place) where there were posters about swine flu in 3 different languages. Gives advice such as wash your hands (duh!) and if you come down with a temperature or a cough after you've visited a country which has swine flu to contact the authorities or some such bollocks. For god's sake. that means all the British arrivng in France who get any sort of flu or cold, or any French arriving in the Uk who get the same, are supposed to contact the authorities to let them know? Mum and I laughed our faces off cos she arrived at Xmas bringing something much worse than normal flu (a really nasty flu) so we just joke and say we've already had it.

[Zaf]

Ive got to admit that now a school about 5 miles from here has been closed I'm rather concerned, not for ourselves but for my elderly parents - my dad is terminally ill and wheelchair bound and my mum is trying her hardest to care for him with help from social services, I really dont know what we will do if any of us is ill and cant cope

[Big Al]

Sorry Big Al, I was a bit grouchy yesterday... I didn't mean to sound so derogatory
Its just I get really pissed off by people wailing about Global Warming, SARS, World wide apocalypses and other stuff like that... some times I wish I lived in the USSR and so that everyone could just get on with their lives. Press has a large part to play in informing people, and telling people 'we're all going to die' is not very helpful.
I don't know what this Y2K thing actually is, although i have heard of it, being too young, I was... probably in primary school, I only became politically active after september 11 and the protests against the Iraq war.
Vakj, the Amish have taken a lot of s**t in they're time, and have come out marvelously, but they've been living like that for hundreds of years, so they know a thing or two. Let us not forget thought that they are a religious sect.

...........You were a bit grouchy yesterday ?? what about today,lol... Divvin worry I've got broad shoulders the press has got a lot to do with it. Notice how we were all going to die because sky news and the BBC no less said so then 4 days later there was nothing in the press because it was not newsworthy anymore.

Prepping isn't just for the zombies at dawn theory [ although I do prescribe to that one,lol] but here's a few examples.

You are on medication and you get your repeat script and take it to the chemists. you have a few days tablets left but the chemists can't refill your medication straight away "for whatever reason" say bad weather, fuel shortage [ bunsfield perhaps] All chemists are in the same position because they use the next day delivery system like T***o's et al. What do you do?

You arrive home from work one night at say 6 pm and find the water company has dug up the road to repair a burst. A card was put through the door at 9 am telling you of the shut off of water supply at 11 am and to store some water for a couple of hours.

Of course you were out at 8 am to go to work so never got the notice. The burst has been bigger than thought so it is now 17 hours without water because they don't have to provide water until after 18 hours and then it's only 2 x 1.5 lt bottles. You went to bed so the water was left on your door step and someone nicked it. It's now 24 hours without water and you are back at work without being washed, had no potable water to make hot drinks or cook any food. You haven't been able to flush the toilet. All of your neighbours are in the same position as its a street closure.

This can be in summer but what happens if it's in the winter? If you have evena 20lt cannister of water stored [ and you can keep tap water for up to 6 months and it is still useable] you would at least be able to carry on, maybe not as normal but at least function.

You are eco friendly and ride your bike to the shops each day for food. You break an ankle in a fall and living on your own it is going to be hard work.......... but at least you have some food and water stored , enough for a few weeks don't you... after all the government tells you to do this....

..... OR AM I BEING PARANOID AND THAT THESE THINGS WON'T HAPPEN TO ME AGAIN....

[Big Al]

Ive got to admit that now a school about 5 miles from here has been closed I'm rather concerned, not for ourselves but for my elderly parents - my dad is terminally ill and wheelchair bound and my mum is trying her hardest to care for him with help from social services, I really dont know what we will do if any of us is ill and cant cope

Hope things pan out easier for you Zaf but you will cope, it is human nature to cope.
Make sure you hound the social services for every ounce of help you can get. MacMillan nurses are good and local charitys can offer respite care if your mam is finding the going hard.

[Zaf]

thanks Big Al

I have to admit the social services are so far doing a n excellent job but my parents are trying to be far too independent for their own good. I'm trying hard not to interfere but simply giving them suggestions if I feel they ought to be doing something and then leaving it at that. I want my parents to feel totally in control of this difficult situation if that makes sense?

we are taking things a day at a time since my dad deteriorated badly in the winter but swine flue is one extra complication we can well do without

[Big Al]

thanks Big Al

I have to admit the social services are so far doing a n excellent job but my parents are trying to be far too independent for their own good. I'm trying hard not to interfere but simply giving them suggestions if I feel they ought to be doing something and then leaving it at that. I want my parents to feel totally in control of this difficult situation if that makes sense?

we are taking things a day at a time since my dad deteriorated badly in the winter but swine flue is one extra complication we can well do without

I went through much the same in 2006 with my mam. She swung round the perch at least 8 times, [6 strokes and 2 heart attacks ] before she finally fell off. She always thought of herself as a tough old bird hence falling off the perch but at least shes stoking the fires now,lol.