Readers gird for bird flu Nearly 1,300 across U.S. share tips on preparations Published August 7, 2006
When I asked readers of this column for their views on bird flu and the threat of a human influenza pandemic, I had a feeling quite a few would respond. Indeed, the sheer volume of e-mails, calls and letters has been overwhelming — nearly 1,300 to date.
Equally impressive, most of those sharing their thoughts have conducted rather extensive research, particularly in terms of how to prepare for a pandemic. I appreciate those efforts; I, too, take the issue very seriously.
Mary Cornell of Orlando advised that accurate information and self-help are crucial, and suggested that the medical community train auxiliary personnel — at least one person for every block — to take care of people in the event of a pandemic.
Ellen Rice of Olympia, Wash., offered a simple, sensible plan: Stay informed (she checks her favorite site, www.fluwikie .com, every day); prepare (she picks up a few extra canned goods and other supplies each time she visits a grocery store); and educate others.
Weighing in from Smithville, N.J., Bob Friedenberg worried that Tamiflu isn’t likely to work in the event of a pandemic. He urged that the federal government work “24/7 to develop a new vaccine.”
Chuck Mundy of Longwood indicated that the prospect of preparing for a crisis that could last several months was overwhelming. “I overcame my inertia by breaking it down into weeks — 12 of them for me. I prepared a ‘menu’ of everything I would need for a family of four for one week. Then I proceeded to buy one week at a time,” he stated. Mundy also raised the concern that not everyone has the resources to secure supplies as he has. One of his personal solutions to that challenge is to contribute some of his supplies to a local food bank.
Chris Kamen of Santa Barbara, Calif., also sounded the importance of prepping: “A small amount of preparation now could save your family. By the time you hear that a pandemic has begun, it could be too late to do anything.”
But Mark Sevelis of Germantown, Wisc., raised a skeptical eye and asked, “Is there really any reason to wait for the sky to fall? If these events are going to happen, they are going to happen. I try to live and enjoy each day as if it is my last. I do not worry about things that may or may not happen.” Sevelis even tried to cast the issue in positive terms by urging people to “try to think of phenomena like the avian flu and bubonic plague as a population control for the human race.”
Linda Angel of Priest River, Idaho, also summed up the bird-flu issue as “all hype,” Moreover, she called it a tactic by the government to keep people stirred up and divert attention from the poor job it’s doing.
Orlandoan Diane Simek mentioned that this is no “hype situation,” even though no one in her circle of friends and family is concerned about it. She believes that the problem is real and worries that people have not prepared. Simek also expressed hope that the government would take care of the situation.
Debra Schrader of Rock Tavern, N.Y., is not waiting around for the government to act. In fact, she said, “I don’t believe the government is doing all [it] can to inform the public. What I believe they’re doing is covering their butts.” Schrader stressed the importance of heeding warnings. Half of her family is willingly preparing, and she personally has shouldered the burden of stocking up for the other half.
Finally, the most complete description of preparations arrived from the Pacific Northwest. The writer asked that her name not be used because of the extensive and costly arrangements — about $3,500 worth — that she and her family have made and their desire to keep those details private.
Thus far, they have bought a six-month supply of food; three 55-gallon water barrels; seeds for the vegetable garden; bicycles to use when there’s no gas for the car; a wood-burning stove; a stockpile of batteries; solar chargers; a crank/solar radio; protective masks; antibiotics; over-the-counter medicines; salt and soda; disposable urinals, bedpans and a bedside portable toilet; latex disposable gloves; and a six-month supply of cat food and litter. They also have stored cash, books, games and videos (for when there is electricity). And they are considering the acquisition of guns. The goal, she said, is to “think of everything we would need to live apart for six months.”
Foreign-affairs columnist John C. Bersia, who works part-time for the Sentinel, is the special assistant to the president for global perspectives at the University of Central Florida. He can be reached at jbersia@orlandosentinel.com.
link to the Orlando Sentinel article:
Sorry, I don’t know why it didn’t post the first time, but here it is!
Newyorkprepper…
Great article. Thanks!
Oh, and *YAY* Ellen of Olympia. You go girl! I’d bet some other brilliant preppers mentioned are fluwikians too!
I’m really glad he went through with the article, I responded too. I was pleased that he only included two nasayers and a lot more preppers. That’s progress! Hopefully a lot of Central Floridians will step it up, many read the “Slantinel”. Maybe that article has increased site traffic, and that explains why it’s slow tonight.
Closed to maintain Forum speed.