Pandemic Preparation
What you need to know to prepare for a pandemic
Due to globalization and lightning-fast modern transportation, diseases spread faster today than they ever did in the past. Fortunately, there are some simple steps you can take to prepare your home and ensure that your family is safe in case of an influenza pandemic or the outbreak of some other contagious illness.
Basic Pandemic Preparation
The simplest way to prepare for a pandemic is to store two to four weeks’ worth of food, potable water, medical supplies and other essential items. It’s important to have first aid supplies not only to treat family members, but also in case neighborhood pharmacies are quarantined and temporarily shut down.
To stock your disaster kit, purchase specially formulated survival food or simply purchase non-perishable canned and packaged items. Also, make sure you have several weeks’ worth of potable water by purchasing a home filtration system or building an emergency cache of bottled water.
Remember that you will need dry, safe storage space for all your disaster kit items. A garage, basement or utility room is ideal, but you’ll also need to ensure that insects or rodents can’t feast on your supplies. That’s why it’s best to purchase heavy-duty plastic bins to keep your supplies completely safe. Finally, make sure to check your food’s expiration dates every month or so and replace any items that have expired.
Medical Preparation for a Flu Pandemic
Aside from food, water and other everyday items, it’s also a good idea to prepare a comprehensive medical kit. A first aid kit containing bandages and over-the-counter medications is a must. Of course, you should also make sure that you have an extra month’s supply of any prescription drugs you or your family members need. In addition, check with your family doctor about how to buy Tamiflu, also known as Oseltamivir, a drug that can help people recover quickly from the flu if taken immediately upon the manifestation of symptoms. Tamiflu may also protect against swine flu and bird flu pandemics, so it is truly a powerful weapon against flu viruses.
You may want to purchase extra medications such as acetaminophen, ibuprofen, cold and flu medicine, and stomach remedies in case the flu or another illness strikes. These medications can make your family members much more comfortable if they are sick.
