Epidemic/Pandemic coming to you soon... How would you react?

Greetings folks...

I am currently working on a topic for an eventual upcoming discussion on the ATS show Out of the box...

My topic of conversation :

If an Epidemic/Pandemic of whatever nature happens in your immediate vicinity, how would you react and prepare yourself and your family?

I kindly invite ALL INTERNATIONAL members to actively participate in this thread in order to get a personal, global and cultural overview of all thoughts and opinions.

Thanks for your respected feedback in advance.

Kindest respects

Rodinus

a reply to: Rodinus

I would go about things as I always do. Chances are bigger that I will be killed falling down the stairs, slipping in the shower, choking on my food, etc, etc.
Sh*t happens

a reply to: Rodinus

Given that there are constant pandemics and epidemics and people just carry on eating processed foods, drinknig alcohol and smoking cigarets despite the wide spread cancer and haert disease that comes with i suspect most people would be oblivious to fact that they are living through an epidemic/pandemic.

Im assuming you mean something more exciting then an obesity epidemic and more like an infectious diseases particularly a misunderstood and foreign one.

Personally i would carry on as usual i guess.. then again my job requires me to be directly responding to such an event so id probably just end up spending more hours at work and getting grumpy with the inevitable and rampant misinformation that will company it.

Look forward to the hearing others response plan, its useful in how we think about our official responses

a reply to: Rodinus

Odd this would come up as my youngest lad said today , if Ebola comes to Australia we are going into lock-down . I said don't be stupid we don't have enough food in the fridge for tea . But seriously i have a go to place . Scariest thing is a 13 year old talking about an Ebola lock-down .

originally posted by: D4rcyJones
Given that there are constant pandemics and epidemics and people just carry on eating processed foods, drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes despite the wide spread cancer and heart disease that comes with i suspect most people would be oblivious to fact that they are living through an epidemic/pandemic.

I have a theory that all the poisoning of our biological systems that we do to ourselves, may actually save us in the long run. I've deployed to many hot spots/disaster zones around the globe and I noticed that it was always the non-smokers that came down with something, not the smokers.

Despite the wide spread cancer and heart disease and epidemics/pandemics and even war, the human population keeps expanding and people keep living longer than before.

But I don't think people will stay oblivious for long, since the media loves a good panic attack of any sorts.

originally posted by: D4rcyJones
a reply to: Rodinus

Im assuming you mean something more exciting then an obesity epidemic and more like an infectious diseases particularly a misunderstood and foreign one.

Look forward to the hearing others response plan, its useful in how we think about our official responses

Thanks for your response.

Maybe I should have been much clearer... My sincerest apologies...

Actually and taking into account the current Ebola issue at the moment, maybe I should have just mentioned Ebola as an example.

Many city dwellers are out here on ATS and I would love to hear how city dwellers and ALSO country dwellers would prepare and cope with a situation involving epidemic or pandemic proportions.

I for example am based slap bang in the middle of the countryside, miles and miles away from the nearest town or city and over the years have had the possibility of stocking enough home grown and hunted (yep I hunt).../conserved food/*medical supplies etc etc to last my family (including at least 7 other members) for at least 2 to 3 years.

*Including basic emergency surgical equipment and easy to conserve medications (I am a veterinary surgeon)

We also have personal ressources at another country family destination and within a 5 minute walking distance which can keep us underground (at about 20 metres deep) and well nourished as well as health supplies for the same period of time.

Hmmm maybe I should have posted this thread in the Preppers forum?

Kindest respects

Rodinus

originally posted by: hutch622
a reply to: Rodinus

Odd this would come up as my youngest lad said today , if Ebola comes to Australia we are going into lock-down . I said don't be stupid we don't have enough food in the fridge for tea . But seriously i have a go to place . Scariest thing is a 13 year old talking about an Ebola lock-down .

Kids tell the truth mate...

Kindest respects

Rod

a reply to: Rodinus

Sounds like youve got a solid plan.
For hypothetical scenario where the SHTF and i thought it was better to abandon my work and seek some sort of isolation i woundt last longer than a week by myself i dont think, i live about 30 mins out of major CBD but am sourunded by pretty dense bush land. .Ive always been facinated with prepping, ive never actually embarked on estabashing anything myself apart from maintaining my camping gear and have a few spots in mind that are isolated enough but close to fresh water.. i reckon i could last about a week before id need to come back into town for supplies/help. So id only ever be prepared for an extremely short term emergency if it was longer id just have to take my chances at home or in government shelter/camp type thing if they were set up.

a reply to: Rodinus
I don't think there is much we can do , except stay home and survive for a while , with only 1 person going for supplies.
Then washing them with bleach when they get back ? dunno?
1%

a reply to: Rodinus

Sorry got sidetracked a bit . My go to place is my sisters farm .Well brother in laws actually . Big wide open spaces to the nearest roads . Lots of food . Hungry go get a sheep . Chickens ,veggie gardens ,and water . Oh and vitamin c aint a problem . The only thing not in abundance is water but if the worst came to worst there are enough farm sheds with tanks everything would be okay . Just less showering . Defensible . Yes . I would not expect trouble as it is situated in a place where i would not expect people to head . You don't run away from what would be perceived as safe supplies of water . Yes Australia is dry . People will be looking for water . Oh and the best is power should not be interrupted . Sorry i cant elaborate more i dont want to draw a map . cheers

a reply to: Rodinus

Would do all the normal things Rodinus such as getting in water, food, tinned etc and camping light and cooker plus candles and lighters. Plus cat food etc and plenty of vitamins etc.

What surprised me was that I am plowing my way through Stephen Kings The Dark Tower series where in the story they have come into a world suffering from Capt Trips which is the sort of scenario that I imagine a plague would give us. I hope its a coincidence!

I'd wash my hands a lot. Probably buy one of those little containers of steriliser so I could wash my hands as I'm out and about.

And... that's about it. Regular hand-washing.

I'll bite.
I'm a paranoid whacko who doesn't want to turn into a bloody sack of meat.

I live about 30 miles from a large city.
I've got 3 spots picked out where I'd relocate to depending on the type and location of the pandemic.
The key being to go where there are very few people to carry the disease and those that might get it are separated by a decent distance.

In light of the confirmed case of ebola that has been wandering around NYC recently, it might be prudent to have a plan if you live on the eastern seaboard of the US.

Just sayin.

originally posted by: TDawgRex

I've deployed to many hot spots/disaster zones around the globe and I noticed that it was always the non-smokers that came down with something, not the smokers.

Interesting observation.

That reminded me of the movie Sign where the child has asthma and doesn't easily succumb to the 'Alien death spray' because of it. I had childhood asthma [Grew out of it in my early teens] and I can't tell you the last time I had any sort of chest infection/cold, of course I get sick every so often and have had the flu numerous times like everyone else, Runny, sneezey nose, head congestion, fever, headaches and the usual all over feeling like crap. just no chest congestion.

As per the threads premise.

I like the acronym

KISS

Stick to the basics, it's like any potential communicable health threat. The only real consequential difference is that if this happened the lethality is much greater and has the potential to be a major game changer as far as how we interact with each other in public.

I see an increase in sales for masks, gloves, personal packs on sanitary wipes and of course more people bringing their own eating utensils to restaurants.

My immune system isn't quite up to snuff, so I have years of practice.
I avoid crowded places, and limit my trips to town for supplies to once a month. I wear a face mask in public, keep my distance from other shoppers, carry sanitizing cloths to wipe down carts, keep my hand from my face, and constantly apply hand sanitizer. I have not had the flu or a cold in three years, and I believe it is due to the precautionary measures I now take.
If a bug starts going around, I wipe down my groceries when I get home with a bleach cloth, and wash produce in a vinegar solution.
Before starting this regime, I used to be cold-free for maybe 30 days total all winter; the rest of the time I was sicker than a dog. I'd get over a cold, and 3/4 days later catch another.

I keep enough food on hand where I can eliminate going to town for a good length of time if an exceptionally nasty virus hits that I don't want to catch.
I love to can, so in a worst-case scenario, I have lots of fruit, tomato sauce, pickles, peppers and sauerkraut to get me through for a long time.

I even have plenty of extra toilet paper....so bring it on!

a reply to: Rodinus

The ebola situation hasn't crossed my bug-out or shelter in place threshold yet, but my wife and have been adding additional preps to our weekly groceries as a precaution (we live in the Dallas Ft Worth area). That and I have upped the amount of ammo I purchase (I do a lot of training so I go through a good bit of ammo anyway).

To keep it short I sort of have my own tier-system of how we would respond if a bad outbreak really did start happening.

First Tier - buy extra supplies / food / water and store it in case

Second Tier - stay in the house, work from home (wife is a teacher so that decision will have to be made), ration food and water more carefully

Third Tier - bug out to one of 3 possible locations here in Texas (one of which is a large private property with its own natural spring) with all my gear, wife, dog, and a few other like minded buddies

Top Tier - bug out to my best buds place in very rural Canada (wife has dual citizenship)

Edit to add: The top tier solution would involve almost 25 hours of non-stop driving and lots of red bull, lol

originally posted by: nugget1

I love to can, so in a worst-case scenario, I have lots of fruit, tomato sauce, pickles, peppers and sauerkraut to get me through for a long time.

I even have plenty of extra toilet paper....so bring it on!

Especially the sauerkraut - definitely a "super-food" and in fact the German navy dating back over a century used sauerkraut to prevent scurvy!

a reply to: Rodinus

more information required : my response to [ and exytected survivabiklity of ] the following pathogen vectors :

a - body fluids
b - aerosol
c - airborne
d flea / tick / mite
e - water
f sewarge

would obviously be radically diferent

EDIT TO ADD :

and obviously - incubation and infective period would also affect my survival plan and survivability prognosis radially too

a reply to: Rodinus

You know, this is something I have given thought to, but if the time came, I just wouldn't know how my little village would react, so I could make a plan. It's okay saying 'I know what I would do', but it's what 'they would do' that could make a huge difference!
Last week, I did a big shop of canned and dried foods only. And cases of water. And was actually paranoid about unloading it in the street into the house in broad daylight.
I will do another one when I am paid at the end of the month. I have told no-one what I am doing.
We can't have weapons in the UK, so that is a huge downfall. I would be quite comfortable using one, but alas, not allowed.
I'm also a single mum of a 5 year old. An extra consideration.
I have no 'safe' place to go.
So..........it's a case of be alert, and pray.

a reply to: MissBeck

I'm also in the UK. If you don't mind me asking, where abouts (roughly) are you based? I'm down in Sussex and not too far from a couple of National Parks. If SHTF, me, my girlfriend and hopefully her family, will head up to one with all our bug out/survival gear. My partner and I have pretty decent survival knowledge and are pretty certain we could keep ourselves alive. As for weapons, we are a bit stuck in the UK, but we are allowed bows & arrows, and some knifes (although, they are somewhat short). A good place to get cheap knifes in the UK is a seller called AngloArms on Amazon (not affiliated, just own more than my fair share of their products).

Be careful and stay safe.