Are you guys prepping for a potential pandemic (bird flu)?

Bird flu is creeping closer... honestly, nobody knows just how lethal this thing will be for humanity yet.. (and God knows when it'll actually hit 😁)

Americans, Canadians, Englishmen, Frenchmen.. (even Americans) ..some people are already stockpiling massive amounts of food and medicine, planning to hunker down with their families and quarantine, if that's the right word, staying inside for maybe three months! (that's the rough estimate anyway!)

I'm torn, really. I've been obsessively researching this stuff for months because both me and my little one fall into the high-risk category—you know, the ones who catch everything, like asthmatics and such. Part of me feels like this is someone else's problem.. like it won't reach us.. or maybe it will, but more like some new "Y2K bug" style glitch

Americans and Canadians are generally pretty paranoid, terrified nations; they build bunkers to hide from potential terrorist attacks and all that. But once I saw the "pandemic preparedness guides" at my local CVS and at the doctor's office, I started digging deeper.. and yeah, I ended up grabbing some extra food, vitamins, cleaning supplies, and stuff.

But then I stumbled upon this:
http://www.londonprepared.gov.uk/flu.htm
And I have to say, reading that we should expect outages for gas, electricity, water, etc.. is not exactly comforting.. it sounds totally impossible to me..
Now the Mayor of Paris is putting out similar instructions..
European Union officials met tonight.. talking about preparations..
And the general advice being fed to the masses is basically:
'Stay home and fend for yourselves.'
Or that United Nations representative (from the World Health Organization) said yesterday that in a pandemic, preserving energy and food sources might actually become more important than saving human lives.

Then I read those crazy stories from Americans about their incredible underground food bunkers and massive supplies of water and heating fuel..

There is zero chance I'm heating anything other than via city gas or cooking with electricity or gas.. I've forgotten everything I ever learned on those camping trips 😁, and I've never even been a camper... I don't think I'd handle these kinds of messy situations very well.. especially if stores end up empty or closed, or if it becomes too dangerous to step outside because of crime.. not to mention the sicknesses..

This whole idea about gas, water, and power potentially cutting out really rattled me.. I still can't wrap my head around it being possible..

I'm curious what things are like where you guys live.. Is bird flu being talked about? Are people prepping? Are you personally getting ready?

It’s like this constant cycle where my folks start talking about it, then everything goes quiet, and then out of nowhere, the Secretary of Health pops up on the news. Then we hit another period of silence until some new case hits the headlines, and suddenly those folks over at the Department of Health are all over the airwaves trying to convince everyone there's no reason to freak out, promising that the federal authorities will do absolutely everything possible to shut down any potential outbreak. Then it shifts to the logistics—calculating how many vaccines we actually need and whether our manufacturing plants can even handle that kind of volume. And of course, you’ve got the opposition jumping down the administration's throat, claiming they aren't doing nearly enough and that the situation is going to get way uglier than what the people in charge are letting on.

Basically, it’s all just noise on the TV and in the papers. Politicians are just out there playing politics and scoring points, while the rest of us are just trying to live our lives—well, except for those few seniors who make sure to call into the local Talk radio shows to vent.

Honestly, I think I actually got over my bout of the flu about two weeks ago.

Just three days of heavy tea and Advil... and now I’m feeling totally fine.

Is that really all it takes?

When it comes to this whole bird flu situation, the big pharma companies are the only ones really winning; it’s basically a gift from above for them.
Sure, we could be looking at a global pandemic. Even the 1918 flu was likely an avian strain, and that one took a massive toll on humanity. Of course, things were different back then—there was almost zero medicine to rely on.
Having lived through the smallpox outbreaks here in the States, I can tell you that the panic is often worse than the disease. I still remember those old news clips: families freaking out over one unvaccinated kid, people locking themselves away in their apartments... it was intense.
If a real epidemic hits, I don't think hoarding pills at home is going to save me. It's not like every doctor is just going to quit or drop dead at once. Besides, what am I even supposed to stock up on? Some flu med? There’s already so much talk about how useless standard antivirals are against bird flu, yet people keep throwing money at them. Remember the hysteria over SARS or Ebola? Now it's bird flu's turn. It's always been around, anyway.

We aren't even talking about that... and if things actually go south, there isn't enough aspirin or herbal tea in the world to fix it, let alone help a company like 😂...

I eat chicken wherever I can find it, helping mitigate the risk. If I were a chicken, I’d be terrified.

enigma said:we aren't talking about that... and if things actually go south, aspirin and herbal tea won't be doing squat to help, nor will any company like 😂...

With those companies, it was probably just that California flu strain tearing through everything this year. It’s nasty, sure, but it’s nothing compared to the H5N1 virus.

The H5N1 virus (Bird flu) is way more like the Spanish Flu that ripped through back in 1918. So far, every single case of bird flu where people didn't get actual antivirals immediately has been fatal.

Angela Kelly said:The H5N1 virus (Bird flu) bears a striking resemblance to the Spanish Flu that ravaged the world in 1918. So far, every victim of bird flu who didn't receive proper antivirals in time has died.

I am no virology expert, but as I understand it, the virus hasn't mutated into a human-to-human strain yet. Until that happens, we will only see bird flu outbreaks in areas where people live in close proximity to birds (Asia, Anatolia, etc.). At worst, it might threaten elderly folks feeding pigeons in the park.

Speaking of pigeons: Is there any hope those flying rats die off from Bird flu?

stormylynx14 said:I’ll eat chicken wherever I can find it, honestly—it's my way of lowering the risk. If I were a chicken, though, I'd be freaking out.

That's probably how it is across almost all of Europe. Here in the US, they're taking this virus pretty seriously; pharmacies and doctor's offices are absolutely flooded with info..
Recently, BBC did a whole segment on Bird flu. BBC is actually pretty legit and you can trust what they say:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ma/4382868.stm
You can still watch the program on their site (Facing pandemic)
and if you ask me, it's actually quite interesting and well-produced.

The real issue is that this virus is already endemic in birds, and they're passing it to domestic poultry. It's already endemic in Asia.. and parts of Euro Asia too.. basically.. it's bleeding into Europe.

Yesterday, they reported the first human cases in Iraq (the World Health Organization even noted that, according to their sources, they suspect H2H transmission—human to human—in Iraq). On top of that, Bird flu was found in Cyprus just the other day, which caused a massive stir in the European Union—Germany immediately sent specialists over to Cyprus.

Angela Kelly said:... even the World Health Organization has noted suspicions regarding H2H transmission in Iraq, and meanwhile, bird flu has been detected in Cyprus.

This changes everything. If confirmed, we’re looking at a serious problem.

stormylynx14 said:Look, I’m no virology expert, but from what I gather, the virus hasn't mutated enough to spread easily between humans yet. Until that happens, we're mostly looking at bird flu cases popping up in places where people are constantly around birds (like parts of Asia or Anatolia). At worst, it might just hit those elderly folks out there feeding pigeons in the park.

Speaking of pigeons: Is there any hope these flying rats die off from bird flu too?

The whole science side of this is actually pretty well laid out by 'flu diary', Santana, and El Tome over in the Bird flu health thread. It's a massive thread, but honestly, it’s got everything one person would ever need to know—all the doubts, the facts, and even the nonsense have been picked apart already.

stormylynx14 said:This changes everything. If this actually turns out to be true, we are looking at something seriously scary.

First off, they warned us about limited H2H transmission right when the first H5N1 cases popped up in humans (back in Hong Kong, 1997). The Hong Kong government is pretty transparent about it—their official sites mention indications of moderate H2H back then. From what I gather, a healthcare worker caught it from a sick kid.

Then there was that case in Indonesia where a mother traveled a long way just to care for her sick child—she didn't even eat any infected poultry—and both of them ended up dying.

In Turkey (the media totally botched the coverage on this, but it’s common knowledge), the people getting infected and passing away are all family members. So, we're talking entire clusters within the Kyci and Ozcan families? Maybe 4 or 5 different families hit, and everyone is related.

Just yesterday, the WHO stated that they still have no clue why the virus in Turkey is hitting children so hard—over 80% of cases—and they're basically guessing it might be some kind of genetic predisposition.

Donat said:In this whole Bird flu situation, the pharmaceutical industry is the only one truly reaping the rewards; for them, it feels like a windfall from above.
It is entirely plausible that we could face a global pandemic, given that some argue the 1918 influenza outbreak was essentially an avian strain, which resulted in massive loss of life. Of course, the circumstances then were vastly different from our current reality, as there were almost no medical treatments available at that time.
As someone who vividly remembers the measles epidemic in the old days, I can tell you that the sheer panic is the worst part; I still recall the news footage, the intense anxiety within families over an unvaccinated child, and the sense of isolation while staying confined indoors.
If and when such an epidemic occurs, I do not believe that stockpiling medicine at home will offer any real salvation, nor is it likely that every physician will simultaneously resign or fall ill. Furthermore, what specific medications should one even purchase? An antiviral for the flu? There is already so much information circulating regarding the futility of such antivirals against Bird flu, yet people continue to spend money regardless. One only needs to remember the hysteria surrounding SARS or Ebola; now, the focus has shifted to Bird flu, which has always been a persistent threat.

I am in complete agreement. Roughly a hundred people have died worldwide, and now we are all expected to dig a hole and hide because there is a statistical possibility that more may perish. In reality, the likelihood of dying in a terrorist attack is far higher, not to mention the risks of driving, skiing, or even choking on a piece of ham in a sandwich. We rarely discuss heart attacks, strokes, the entire spectrum of cancer, or hereditary diseases. If I were to purchase a potential remedy for every conceivable cause of death, I would simply become a human test subject and eventually succumb to an overdose.😁

stormylynx14 said:I eat chicken wherever I can find it, which I guess helps lower the risk. If I were a chicken, I'd be pretty worried too.

Don't be so dramatic. I used to shop at that poultry place near the clinic—I can't even remember the name anymore—
but they definitely have the H5N1 virus... don't let them spread it to the rest of the country or they'll ruin everything!😁

I'm 100% ready 👍

I told my wife she absolutely has to bury me on Nantucket 🙂

...but if the budget isn't there, she can just tuck me away somewhere behind a corner 😬

Honestly, I’m already mentally packing my bags for some tiny little island out in the Florida Keys just so I can finally get away from all this madness. My master plan? I’m going to set up a makeshift quarantine zone in a little seaside shack where I can just catch fish all day and fight off every nasty virus in existence using nothing but high-end Napa Valley wine and some heavy-duty bourbon.😁 😁 😁

The World Health Organization (WHO) announced on Tuesday that since the onset of the Bird flu epidemic in 2003, there have been 160 recorded infections across six nations, resulting in 85 fatalities, according to a spokesperson.
The H5N1 virus first emerged in Vietnam toward the end of 2003, infecting 93 individuals and causing 42 deaths, based on data from the WHO which tracks only laboratory-confirmed cases.

In Thailand, the disease has affected 22 people, with 14 passing away, while Indonesia has seen 19 cases and 14 deaths, China has reported 10 cases with seven fatalities, and Cambodia has documented four infections, all of which proved fatal.

Regarding Turkey, a laboratory in the United Kingdom analyzing suspicious samples determined that 12 out of the 21 specimens provided tested positive for H5N1, as stated by WHO spokesperson Iain Simpson during a press briefing in Geneva; this included four deaths.

Notably, the WHO report does not include Iraq, where authorities disclosed on Monday that a young girl and her uncle both succumbed to the virus, while another infected woman remains hospitalized.
Associated Press
01/31/2006 22:02

The WHO is always lagging behind... there are way more hotspots, deaths, and infections out there than what they actually report.

For instance, over in the United Kingdom, they found 37 dead swans (probably flew in from Siberia), and nobody knows why they died... plus, they weren't even tested for H5N1.

What I’m getting at is that the accuracy of the data depends entirely on how transparent a country is being and if they're actually reporting things correctly. Besides, the WHO is controlled by major global powers, so sometimes they don't get the green light to go public with certain stuff.
Take the current situation in Iraq—on local forums, people were whispering about dead birds and sick people for months before the truth finally forced its way into the light.

Remember those dead swans in America? They were routed through Canada, yet Canada still hasn't reported any cases to this day.

Governments are terrified of reporting anything until the situation gets too massive to hide... and honestly, reporting cases carries heavy economic consequences. So many of these countries rely on tourism (like Greece) or depend heavily on poultry farming to keep the economy moving.

Look at what happened in Turkey; Bird flu is treatable if you can get the antivirals in time.

dr.kronja is back said:I’m basically packing my bags to move to some tiny little island off the coast of Florida just so I can get out of here. I’ll set up a little quarantine spot in a beachside shack, eat nothing but fresh seafood, and try to kill off every virus in sight with nothing but heavy wine and moonshine.😁 😁 😁

And don't you dare forget the sauerkraut. Apparently, according to those Korean studies, fermented cabbage—you know, their kimchi—is supposed to be the cure for bird flu.😁

Angela Kelly said:The UN sources are perpetually behind the curve, and the actual number of outbreaks, fatalities, and infections far exceeds what the UN officially reports.

For instance, in the United Kingdom, thirty-seven dead swans were discovered—likely having migrated from Siberia—yet their cause of death remains unconfirmed because they weren't tested specifically for H5N1.

My point is that the accuracy of this data depends entirely on a nation's level of transparency and how diligently its government chooses to report its findings.

One need only recall the dead swans in America, which were subsequently moved to Canada, a country that has yet to report any related cases.

It is possible there was a fundamental misunderstanding here: the report above originates from the World Health Organization (composed of humans), rather than some sort of global organization for swans. Perhaps the discrepancy in death tolls is merely a consequence of this confusion. 😁

Furthermore, it is quite significant to recognize in the context of avian flu that the virus primarily targets birds. It is hardly unusual for a bird to contract avian influenza and perish from it. The real question we should be asking is why avian flu has received such intense scrutiny over the last three years when it was largely ignored previously; does anyone truly believe that swans weren't dying from avian flu prior to 2003?