Do you have a plan in place in case of a flu outbreak?

[CornField]

Or, in other words, do you think I'm crazy?

I've done a great deal of thinking and planning in relation to the possible coming of another flu pandamic. I've streamlined my business so it can be run totally from my home - invoices done through email, payments directly deposited into the bank, etc. I've collected text books and other curriculum materials in the event that I will need to homeschool our children for an extended period of time. Mr. CornField works outside of the home. He has also make arrangements/changes with his own work load so that, in the event of an emergency, he could telecommute. We've also purchased a larger freezer so that we can store up to two months worth of food.

The overall idea is that the less we would have to be out in the public, the less chance there would be of encountering the virus.

The next phase of my plan, however, is drawing the ire of my husband. We have a closed in entryway in the back of our property. I want to put a shower and other cleaning-type things out in that area. The idea being that nothing which was outside would come back inside our home until it was washed, cleaned and sanitized. Separate washer/dryer, separate shower, etc.

So, do you have a plan in place that is similar to ours and/or do you think I'm crazy?

[philarq]

1. Plan:

Remove clothing --Smear head and body with mud--find bible--run through downtown waving bible yelling "The end is near, The end is near"

I realize that it sounds more like a freeper plan, but without the guns.

Is this one good enough?-- I still think my Swine Flu shot is good so I am protected...

[Little Star]

64. You forgot a bomb shelter and duck & cover!

Silly. Sorry. I know that this subject needs to be discussed because the possibilities are real. I just couldn't resist adding onto philarq's plan.

[mainer]

2. We have a family plan. And people think WE'RE crazy.

We have an emergency stock of medications and a water source and wood heat. We are able to remain in our homes, if necessary, for months. It only makes sense, I believe, to be prepared.

[mom cat]

16. Then what happens when you come out of hiding? Just curious.

I've thought about it too and have enough to sustain me for a while. But then what? I don't think the virus will just vanish, and we still would not have any immunity.

[mainer]

22. You stay closeted until a vaccine is available

If you study the flu pandemic of 1918, small towns who were isolated enough to avoid contact with the outside world (or who quarantined off all outsiders) did not suddenly "get" the flu once they re-established contact. By then, the rest of the population had either died or gained immunity.

[mom cat]

24. Well then, see you after it is all over. I better stock up on catfood.

[Art_from_Ark]

48. A vaccine is available-- sort of

"The fear of avian flu stems from the historic 1918 influenza epidemic that killed millions and was caused by a virus similar to the H5N1 virus. The infamous lethality of the 1918 virus, however, might not be applicable to current conditions. Many of those who died in 1918 succumbed to secondary bacterial infections, such as pneumonia and bacteremia. Different from the situation in 1918, today we have antibiotics (penicillin, the first antibiotic discovered, was not stumbled upon until the late 1920s)"

http://www.princetonol.com/family/columns/pedgroup58.html

[instantkarma]

3. Just don't kiss any chickens

and if you see any loitering about, send 'em to the cornfield as quickly as possible. If you have trouble with this second item, just give Billy Mumy a call.

[Ikonoklast]

57. "It's good thing to have avian flu, Anthony."

"It's really, really good!":scared:


Creepiest episode. Still gives me the willies.

[northzax]

4. don't you still have all your Y2K supplies?

won't those work just as well?

I too, have a plan, I must confess. I have recently conducted a survey of my neighborhood to identify all the virgins. That way I have a list of people I can sacrifice to Zeus, if need be.

and one more thing: who are you going to send invoices to, when everyone else is dying?

[NNN0LHI]

62. I have...had a neighbor who filled his attached garage with gasoline...

...containers to run his generator before Y2K. I swear he did. They put him into a rubber room a fews years back. He ain't been heard from since. True story.

I must confess I too got prepared for Y2K. The day before it hit I filled my cars gas tank, got some Twinkies and a gallon of milk.

Don

[mike_c]

66. my ex and I drove down to baja, set up camp on the beach...

...and popped the champaigne to the end of civilization with shrimp tacos on the grill. I was rather disappointed to find that it was all still there the next day....

[SmokingJacket]

75. That's funny: I still do.

Someone gave a us a gallon of water at a New Year's party. It's still sitting in our basement, ready for whatever...

[northzax]

76. luckily, I still have my Terror Attack Gift Bag

water, wine, Sterno and food. oh, and a strategically stashed carton of Camels along with two bottles of Talisker. it's either good bargianing chips, or a fun way to spend time.

[katsy]

5. Yep.

If I catch the flu... I'm gonna go hug * and a bunch of reps.

[goclark]

6. You are not crazy, just organized

I live in earthquake country and I need to get to stepping on a plan too.

[brainshrub]

7. I plan to die.

I'm not an optimist.

ON EDIT: I suppose I'll have to trust my insurance company to provide me with the care they promised.

I'm doomed.

[catmother]

12. my feeling is "when you're time is up you're gonna go" nt

[catmother]

8. i don't have a plan. just husband and me and 2 cats -- no kids.

i have chronic fatigue syndrome so when i go out it's usually in mid afternoon before stores get crowded. i have found that since i've been ill i don't catch colds -- maybe 2 in 16 years. before that i would get a least 1 cold a year. hubby works on outside, but probably could work from home. haven't really given much thought to this flu scare -- maybe i should but i don't want to give energy to a negative thought. maybe i'm crazy. it's a personal choice. you do what you need to do.

[SaveElmer]

9. Not crazy...

But I'm not sure I could live my life preparing for the next disaster. First it was Y2K, now worries about pandemics that may or may not come. Even if this one does not turn out to be the next pandemic (which is very possible), there is always the next one down the road. Global Warming, Ozone depletion....etc.

Not sure I could mentally sustain the effort it takes to prepare for all of this. I would find it hard to enjoy life.

That's just me though.

[Swamp Rat]

10. Party until my head falls off!

:toast: :smoke: :party: Maybe I am crazy and you are not? :shrug:

[philarq]

14. Thats the ticket----

Nice to see ya back in form there

[Swamp Rat]

21. "The only sound across the glen, is Edmund pushing up the daisies..."

As Baldrick might say, worring about the plague is just plain...

[philarq]

39. Ah Baldrick fair Baldrick

The path of my life is strewn with cowpats from the devil's own satanic herd.

Perhaps there would be a way to save the stench of plague in a bottle. Rather like saving a "special" smallpox infected blanket for the right indian, it may be possible to bottle the flavour of fear and pestulence to pass on to our progeniture the joys associated with scourge and destruction.

[Swamp Rat]

40. Watch your step Catpain Slack Bladder!

[philarq]

41. Ah but I smell fear

and it smells like happiness

[Richard Steele]

46. I have a cunning PLAN....nm

[timber84]

11. The flu?

regular or bird?

[Lost-in-FL]

A plan?

Sit and drink pina coladas...

[TomInTib]

13. I'm gonna quit kissing chickens. That's what got the girl in Turkey...

but seriously, I have always thought influenza is spread by contact/proximity so I just stay a respectable distance from other people during flu outbreaks.
I have had the flu twice in 50+ years.

And until this thing goes human/human I wouldn't give it a heck of a lot of thought.

As far as the shower, influenza rides in your nose- not your clothes.

Still, we should always be ready for emergencies. Just keep it local.

[northzax]

82. I'm going to quit kissing Chicken Hawks

that's what I'm going to do.

[SheilaT]

15. Despite all the hype,

life as we know it is not going to come to an end. You're not going to need to home school your kids or anything like that.

All of the people who've gotten bird flu so far have been in close contact with infected birds.

In short, you're not crazy, but you are overreacting. Tell me, how did you prepare for Y2K? Did you stock up on food and water and buy a generator? Did you worry that an airplane was going to fall out of the sky and land on you? Did any of the terrible things predicted actually happen?

[CornField]

23. Y2K

We took extra cash out from the ATM. That's it. I'm a planner, but not typically an alarmist.

[mainer]

25. I didn't care a whit about Y2K. I care about this.

We are physicians. My husband's involved in state disaster planning. We've seen the numbers. We are worried.

We saw the computer projections and understood the dangers long before little bushie-poo decided to squawk about it.

I know most people here think the whole thing is either hilarious or some Rummy-inspired scam. That's okay. Have fun.

I've seen the numbers.

[SheilaT]

73. What numbers have you seen?

I'm curious.

Linking bird flu to the 1918 Pandemic is misleading. Yeah, there are certain genetic similarities between the two viruses, but the conditions that caused the tremendous spread back then simply don't exist now. For one, thing, we're not engaging in massive troop movements across the world. And health experts kept on telling military planners to STOP moving the troops around, because that was what was spreading the flu and they were, of course, right.

How about simple hand washing? How many people 88 years ago didn't have access to running water and so didn't wash their hands regularly? As physicians you must recognize that hand washing is probably the single best public health measure ever.

And again, as others have mentioned, this simply isn't going human to human, and why THIS strain is being hyped as the doomsday strain of flu, once it makes the leap to being readily transmissible to humans, and assuming that it remains deadly once it makes that leap is supposing an awful lot.

And while I'm not a doctor myself, I've read almost every book about epidemics and plagues (starting with the incredible Plagues and People by William MacNeill, and including Laurie Garrett's excellent books) and nothing I've heard about the avian flu so far has me worried. Other than the possibility that a flu scare will be used to do a country-wide or even world-wide lock-down, I'm not very concerned.

Of course, I'm the sort of person who doesn't bother with flu shots, generally avoids doctors, made it through menopause without hormones thank you very much, and I'm the healthiest person I know. I'm practically the only middle-aged person I know not taking multiple medications. So I'm not a very good judge of conventional medical wisdom.

[mike_c]

17. I've made arrangements for my cats if I die...

...and I have a full course of Tamiflu in the freezer just in case. I live alone, so it's quite likely that I could die and no one would even know for some time. So if a highly lethal pandemic flu reaches northern California, I'll make sure I have supplies laid in so I can stay hydrated, etc if I get sick, dump a huge load of cat food out at the first sign of symptoms, and start taking Tamiflu. I teach at a university, so hiding from human contact is not really an option.

And no, I don't think you're crazy at all. I'm a biologist, and I take the threat of flu pandemic damned seriously. At the very least, we should all probably think about disaster preparedness, and a flu pandemic is one form that might arrive in.

on edit-- the folks who talk about how "only people in close contact with birds get it" don't get it, so don't be fooled-- the current H5N1 avian flu is not a direct concern unless you "kiss infected chickens"-- that much is correct-- but it's also NOT the pandemic variety that public health officials fear so much. That one has not arisen yet, and might not at all from this avian flu. But one will someday, if not from this flu. That is a statistical certainty.

[CornField]

28. Yeah, I know

I'm not sure what perplexed me to post this tonight except that it's been on my mind today. I should have known that I'd be quickly written off as someone "out there."

I've read a great deal about the most recent pandemic and took most of my planning directly from that experience. Schools and churches were closed, as were any big public gatherings (sporting events, concerts, etc.) Folks were asked to stay home. There were even flyers distributed which described how to ice down deceased loved ones until emergency personnel could retrieve them.

Perhaps my whole "sanitation area" idea is a bit extreme, but the changes I've put in place for our family are changes which could benefit us in any number of situations. For instance, my middle child has asthma which is triggered by colds, flu and other illnesses. We have gathered an extra supply of the medicines she needs when those attacks hit her. The curriculum I have on hand is used now, as a supplement to their public school work. My business is running much more efficiently since I've implemented electronic invoices.

I think some find it easier to toss their hands up in the air when faced with a horrible unknown. I don't. I would not find it comforting to sit back and just let death come to my family or myself. (And we all know the assholes in Washington aren't going to be doing much to help/protect the regular Joes.) Just as I plan for a house fire or for a tornado, I plan for things like a pandemic. To me, it just seems like a responsible thing to be doing.

[SaveElmer]

29. Most recent pandemic was in 1968...

I don't remember alot of disruption...is that the one you are referring too?

[mike_c]

34. I presume she's referring to the 1918 pandemic...

...given the references to closures, quarantines, difficulty disposing of corpses, etc.

[SaveElmer]

50. I suspect that is the case...

There have been two pandemics since that one...each progressivley less deadly.

[mike_c]

65. but note that decreasing severity is not a general property...

...of flu pandemics, only of those specific pandemic strains themselves, which were considerably less virulent than the Spanish flu, which was also derived from an avian flu (an H1N1 antigen type). There were presumably less deadly flu pandemics before 1918 as well.

[SaveElmer]

67. Well we don't actually know if that is the case...

Since there is no way to quantify accurately previous pandemics. It is not entirely inconceivable that improved access to treatment, a better recognition of the nature of infectuous disease, and easier communication to quarantine and isolate outbreaks has helped result in decreased severity.

It is also possible the 1918 outbreak was a special case becasue of WWI. It is very likely that the disease bred in the fetid trenches of WWI. This is why many believe it attacked younger people particularly as that is where it incubated. Even in the crowded cities of Asia there is nothing remotely comparable to the conditions in these trenches today...

[SheilaT]

74. The 1918 flu probably originated in Kansas.

It was spread by troop movements. Read the phenomenal John M. Barry book The Great Influenza.

[SaveElmer]

78. Yes it did start in Kansas...

But it apparently spread and mutated in Europe's trenches. And of course we made no attempt at isolation or quarantine. Sick soldiers were transpoterd back and forth to Europe almost daily.

[NNN0LHI]

68. The one in '59 got more people sick than in 1918 but there were less deaths

Antibiotics and modern medicine is a wonderful thing.

Don

[SaveElmer]

70. Plus population increase I imagine...nt

[progressivebydesign]

71. My Mom had the Hong Kong Flu in 1968

She was sick for six weeks... living amongst us at home (I was 9 at the time), not one of us got it from her. Even tho she was cooking dinner for us right until she realized she was too sick to be standing in the kitchen. Man.. she looked bad for weeks... and recovered just fine.

[JVS]

18. I plan to do nothing and loot the convenience stores at the corner...

if necessary. Oh wait, I'm white, so that means according to the media, I cannot loot, but rather I'd be "finding" things. ;-)

[likesmountains 52]

19. Hand washing,hand washing,hand washing,hand washing,hand washing

[Bluerthanblue]

31. you got it!!- couldn't agree more-

and keep your hands away from your face-

[radio4progressives]

20. didn't you get the memo? this whole thing is a hoax perped by Rummy

who is a share holder of the pharmaceutical company doing the vaccine.

c'mon guys don't buy into this bs.. really.

[triguy46]

80. A diversionary tactic...

Anything to keep the masses scared will play into the hands of the repugs. They will soon be tapping phones to find out who has a suspicious cough.

[Ian David]

26. Start a lobbying group for people with the flu

Once infected, schedule appointments with Republican congressmen.

[savemefromdumbya]

27. Stocking up on Star Anise

'similar' to Tamiflu

[triguy46]

81. Yep, take as directed...

and in about 5 days you'll be feeling better. Or dead.

[Bluerthanblue]

30. my grandfather was a General Practioner for a small town

during the influenza of 1918-
And he, and my grandmother, and 3 of their eventual 5 children survived the flu just fine- despite having patients living right in their big house, and my Grandmother nursing those who had no one left to care for them. None of their family got deathly ill, or died. My father was born 6 yrs later, and my uncle 13 years after my Dad-

The one thing I can tell you- is that my grandfather was a STICKLER for washing up- He was paid "in kind" by many of his patients, but those who paid with money, regardless of the person, would have been very offended, (or amused) to see the clothesline of dollar bills he hung in the big kitchen after washing them thouroughly. He lived very activly for 94 yrs, and while I remember very little of him, except his incredible tallness- (6'9") I do remember being scolded very firmly and sternly for putting a penny in my mouth- "Money is one of the dirtiest and germiest things on earth!" he said- and I still think of that when when I see a penny- And wash up alot.

Wash your hands, keep them away from your face - eyes, mouth and nose. Eat healthy, get enough sleep, excercise and fresh air. Those rules will help more than anything I believe- Life is one of those things none of us will get through alive.

[Vanje]

32. I keep a few laying hens and some pretty bantams.

When the flu comes,I will make frequent referenceto my little flock as my "DEADLY APOLCALYPTIC POULTRY OF DEATH!!!!"
When I need a little more personal space, I can produce a pullet from under my coat, "This leghorn is loaded and I know how to use it!"

[Tsiyu]

37. LOL!

We also keep a few chickens.

I like your plan :)

BTW, have they developed a vaccine for chickens? I received a CD about bioterrorism and chickens from the Poultry Association but haven't bothered to look at it just yet.

[demgurl]

33. I know people will roll their eyes but....

we have enough supplies that we can stay in our house for about two years. Almost enough. We have three freezers full of food ... if they keep electricity going. We have long life bulbs - good for seven years. If electricity gives out then we have candles. This is all stuff I would normally have since I super coupon and get most of my supplies for free. We have everything from food to razors to dish washing detergent.

I have also made out a list in case of an outbreak. At the first sign of outbreak, over here, I have things listed such as propane tanks, etc.... * has made it clear we are all on our own in case of emergency and I have listened to this warning. I have not stocked up on anything I can not get cheap or free (with coupons) but I have a ready list and will get everything on that list as soon as P2P has been established and the flu has hit over here.

I also have candles and a flashlight that does not use batteries and will last my lifetime.

I am lucky that my couponing keeps me well stocked on everything anyway and at a very low price (if not free). I hope we are well prepared if anything ever happens. 2 years worth of supplies will keep us safe - I hope.

[Silverhair]

35. The separate washers, etc are going a bit far.

Get a copy of "The Great Influenza" by John Barry and read it.

There is a mask that is supposed to filter out the flu virus. You might be able to find it by googling.

Germ-X is supposed to be great for killing hand germs, including flu virus.

Quarintine works, but it has to be done early. Monitor the news. That is easy to do with the internet. Once a day google "bird flu" in their news section.

[kestrel91316]

36. When and if H5N1 ever jumps P2P, I will lay in a supply of disinfectant

spray (for those pesky doorknobs and phone handsets), latex gloves, and surgical masks.

And my clients will have to use the sidewalk out front as a waiting room while I treat their kitties inside the clinic.

[Tsiyu]

38. You being a vet might know

Is there any vaccine for our chickens?

[kestrel91316]

58. Yes, IIRC we have one. But being a FLU shot, not sure how effective

it is at keeping them all healthy, IYKWIM.

The impact of avian flu on chickens is that it makes them sick as hell for a while. Some die outright. Most lose weight, and if laying hens, they stop laying. So it is an unmitigated financial disaster for the poultry producers if avian flu gets into a population of poultry. That's why they cull (destroy) all infected flocks, and I think they cull all EXPOSED flocks, too.

There is substantial financial compensation by the evil bloodsucking government, however (until we cut taxes some more, that is). (sarcasm off)

[XemaSab]

42. We've been stockpiling canned food

And the next step is to buy food seeds.

[DemExpat]

43. Whenever I start to think about stockpiling for an extended

period of isolation and supplies for my family (only) I realize that it would be useless because of my 2 young adult children and their decisions about staying here or not, all of our close friends in the area (I coudn't say "no" to them if they needed something), neighbors in need, etc.....so my isolation would be broken and my supplies would possibly dwindle rapidly.

I live in a city...:shrug:

DemEx

[rucky]

44. The "clean room" plan is over the top.

Everything else makes sense to me. Maybe not for the bird flu specifically, just for being prepared in general & keeping one's options open.

[oblivious]

45. It may be the bird flu is no more deadly than the regular flu.

Since most people who get it likely don't go to the doctor or hospital, their mild reactions to the bird flu aren't recorded. Only the worst cases end up in hospital, so the death rate might be far far lower than has been recorded so far.

But it seems people aren't much interested in hearing that. One response.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=364&topic_id=93723&mesg_id=93723

[Skidmore]

47. Duct tape.

[ContraBass Black]

53. And saran wrap!

:D

[leesa]

49. I prefer no to live in fear.

[ProfessorGAC]

51. No. Too Much Effort. Too Little MItigation

Unless you come into zero contact with anyone who has come into contact with any other person alive, the risk is just about the same. If you contact one person instead of a thousand, your odds of being infected don't fall linearly to 1/1000. Probability doesn't work that way.
The Professor

[NoPasaran]

52. I plan to get sick and die

No sense outliving "Arrested Development", is there?

[catabryna]

54. Yep...

Washing hands and staying home because we are fortunate enough to be able to do that. There is usually enough food in my home at any given time to last a while. As for myself, I'd probably be fine going out and coming home but, with a five year old boy... well, they are unpredictable little germ factories.

[Loonman]

55. You should always have a disaster plan + kit, regardless

That's just good common sense.

[PWRinNY]

56. Bring in the repubs

Petition them to start a War on... Birds... That'll keep us safe. :sarcasm:

[Ikonoklast]

59. One flaw in all these disaster plans, though

And I don't want to sound paranoid or overly pessimistic, but what would you do when someone that didn't have the foresight or means to prepare, comes to your place armed and ready to take what you have?

My friends and I had that discussion back during the Y2K hysteria. I asked my one bud what his plan was, and he said "I'll just look for the first place that has heat and light, because no one else will have it if the power grid collapses, and show up heavily armed and take what they got. If they prepared and have a generator, they'll be sure to have food. Unless they can shoot back, their stuff is now mine."

Guess how he votes.

There are people out there that would have the same plan. Just a thought.

[elsiesummers]

63. Except if people are scared of spreading/catching it, they might not.

I agree that it does make me wonder if guns are important to the mix, and I'm just not sure. I think cities will have more of a problem with armed bandits than remote country locations, but this could be incorrect.

There might be military check points too, if things get this out of hand.

Seems like armed bandits may also be locked in their apartments or too ill to raid. Who knows?

I've never owned a gun, but have considered it, mainly because of the quantities of bobcats and bears around, just in case, defensively, you know? (Would not want to shoot one of these creatures that mind their own business - bear hunting is illegal in my county and they wander around the property occasionally, but haven't had any serious problems - though we take in the bird feeders in March when they come out of hibernation.) Have seriously considered bear spray for hiking, in case we accidentally disturbed a den. That might work on renegade humans too:).

[progressivebydesign]

72. I live in a gated community filled with police...

and military officers, and even some governmental police types. I think our little corner of the world would be pretty secure. I'd pity the fool that came in here. Not a good scenario.

[Frank Cannon]

60. Yeah. Die.

If it's my time, it's my time.

Frankly, I take much larger chances of death when I drive on the freaking freeway every day, and it hasn't bothered me yet.

[elsiesummers]

61. I know of a major corporation that has ordered enough vaccine...

for maybe 30% of its workforce.

They also have hired a medical ethicist so that the vaccine is distributed to the most necessary employees, not just the CEO and most connected.

Anyway, according to their plan, they say that if the bird flu makes the people to people jump in Asia, or Turkey, wherever, it will take only 24 to 48 hours to cross the water to the US.

We are not directly connected to this company, but my source for info is quite good, and their disaster plan made me rethink and take seriously the idea of precautions.

I speculate that at the point the flu makes the people to people jump (if it ever does) that some mass transportation may be suspended fairly soon thereafter, and some panic may occur as the media hypes things, including panic buying. Also, the government may impose some sort of quarantine, at some point. So the key is to implement the plan early and quickly.

Anyway, my husband and I have decided that the moment the flu hits Asia he will take a commuter train out of the city and a vacation day. I'll pick him up in the car and we will grocery shop and retreat to our house out in the boondocks and wait it out. We have a well and propane - but will still be dependant on electricity (for the pump) and on propane deliveries. Worst case, he gets a mini-vacation.

I always buy in bulk so I'm not doing anything unusal to prepare.

I'm still feeding birds in the country, by the way, though I would stop if it seemed prudent and necessary.

I think self quarantine, if it is feasable and necessary, is a good idea.

I personally thought the whole bird flu thing, especially the media hype, was a little crazy, and a big scare tactic, until I learned of the plans that some companies have in place, and heard lots of detail about how and why these plans are being implemented.

I am separately thinking about installing some solar panels and a woodstove, irregardless of bird flu, simply for economy, but these adjustments would have the handy added benefit of acting as off grid back up if ever necessary.

[progressivebydesign]

69. Most of your plan is good.. the entryway thing is over the top.

I seriously don't believe you need a decontamination unit for your house. Chances are you'll pick up the virus in the air while you're out and about. Little over the top there.

My plan? Ummm... stay healthy, have some food and water, etc. on hand. I already work from home, as does my husband. My entire family lived side by side with my Mom when she had the dreaded Hong Kong flu in '68 (I think), she was sick for 6 weeks and was positively green... even though we didn't realize the virulent nature of the flu at that time, not one of us caught it. We rarely get even colds in our house... we are scrupulous hand-washers, and have no conditions or addictions that compromise our immune systems.

[SmokingJacket]

77. A shower won't help much.

I believe the flu virus is largely airborne: you'll get it from breathing what infected people sneeze or cough out...

I think getting lots of sleep and avoiding stress will be more helpful, in that your immune system will stay strong.

I have a kind of fatalistic attitude toward the whole thing. I'd like the experts to be working hard on a vaccine, but there's nothing I can really do.

Presumably if something like this happened, there would be a little bit of an advance notice, enough time to stock up on rice and dried beans.

[FredUptoHere]

79. 3-plus weeks worth of food/pet food on hand at all times...

and a couple extra boxes of shells for the 12-gauge.