Hi Bob & Julie,
I learned something rather frightening recently from a freind in Taiwan. China is preventing Taiwan from becoming a member of the WHO (World Health Organiation). In light of SARS and now the impending Bird Flu pandemic, this would seem to endanger the world in that Taiwan cannot share in the latest information. This is a nation where birds and people mix freely.
I was sent this lovely video which I assume the Taiwanese government would like seen by as many as possible and it's message is a powerful one. I thought you might like to add it to one of your newsletters.
Thanks for the updates.
http://www.doh.gov.tw/ufile/video/join_WHO.wmv
Regards,
Maurice Parker
Dear Bob and Julie,
First of all THANK YOU! for such a valuable website. I have been forwarding it to all of my friends (either making them very nervous; or making them think I am a paranoid nut!)
I have an important question that was not addressed on the Oprah interview or in any of the material I have read.
Apparently, the virus can live on a surface for 2-3 days, so how about mail that gets delivered every day. A lot of people handle those envelopes before it gets to your door and it's anybodies guess whether or not there's any of the virus alive on the surface. So what does one do? My mail slot is on my front door so all of these potential virus germs will be coming right into my house.
Any advice or suggestions?
Please let me know!
Thanks, in advance, for all of your help.
Lisa C.
Excellent concern.
Why not tape a plastic bag over the delivery slot so that all your mail goes into it, and then spray it with chlorine or alcohol?
I want to thank you for allowing me to subscribe to your news letter. My grandfather died of the Spanish flu, and I have been watching for any sign of it for years. When I first saw what was happening, I started to talk to friends and family about preparing for it. Sadly, my friends listened, and my family has not. My friends and I are making plans to stay in seclusion, at my home, as long as possible. I wish I knew how long that will be.I can only guess. Perhaps we will have a better idea soon.
If there is anything that i can do to help you, please let me know. You are so right about feeling like a voice crying in the wilderness. Until very recently, I just kept talking, and everyone just looked at me like I was crazy. I admire you for trying to reach people before it is too late.
Beth Smyth
I feel as if my voice is not heard. I am deeply concerned with this global threat. I currently work in a hospital, and I am sad to acknowledge that no one is aware of the potential of this infection despite national attention.
People look at me and think that I am nothing more than an alarmist. Please help me! I know what is coming. We are taking steps in the right direction to be as prepared as one can be. What are my rights as a health care provider? I fear the worst. I fear that I will be forced to stay @ the hospital to provide assistance to the very people that refuse to be proactive. I thank-you in advance and welcome any literature/educational materials that can get the word out.
Sincerely,
Laurie H.
Where is your hospital? Are you tied to a contract? Do you belong to a union? If so, then I would suggest that you ask them to intervene. Of course, nobody can actually force you to work. If a pandemic hits, most health care workers will likely elect to stay home.
Realistically speaking, hospitals won't be of much help during a pandemic. They're already severely overcrowded ...at least they are in Canada. My wife's co-worker and her husband were holidaying in Mexico recently where he suffered 3 heart attacks and had to stay in a Mexican hospital because there were no beds available for him in Canada. And this is in normal times.
The last couple of times I was in my local hospital I asked some nurses about their pandemic plan and they didn't know what I was talking about.
Scary stuff, indeed.
Thank you for the long and seemingly thorough list of
items for stockpiling. It is a list that is not only
good for flu but also in event of disasters. We
believe that endemic disasters are also coming caused
by fire, wind, earth and water which will cause the
same kind of shortages and are preparing through the
placement of strategiically placed totally
self-sufficient "sanctuary" sites. We are presently
awaiting the promised funding for the first four sites
in CA-WA-NM-AZ. The four horsemen are riding!
If you don't have a dog, make it look like you have one. Put a dog dish outside beside the door. Put a pair of large work boots outside beside the dog dish in plain sight. Place a 'Beware of Dog' sign up. There's an electronic device that will make the sounds of an angry watchdog which is very realistic. It even gets louder and more frequent as the intruder gets closer. And it senses movement through walls, doors, and windows.
Put a sign on your windows: "This Home Monitored by ABC Security Services". You can also install a window alert that will send out a 95 decibel alarm if someone tries to break a window. They're inexpensive enough that you could put one on every window of your house.
There are also outside motion detectors that you can install. The "Driveway Alert" will alert you if a car or person passes by the transmitter. Simply place the transmitter near the entrance to your driveway and anything passing by the transmitter will cause the receiver to sound a pleasant chime.
Thanks for all your effort.
After Hurricane Andrew, we found cash, particularly SMALL bills very important. No power=no credit cards nor ATMS. I don't if you remember the shame of ice for $20.00. 'Oh gee, sorry, no change' was what these criminals said, taking advantage of a disaster.
Since my bank teller had known me for a long time, they DID let me have all of $100 from my account. Remember...no power. Took the entire $100 to get a tree cut out of my home. For some silly reason the young man wouldn't take a check!
Thanks again,
Pat W.
Hi,
You guys got a definite "Atta Boy" !
Good job on the Flue Prep Survival List that I read through one of the subscribers mail outs.
I've been into the Survivalist issues for quite some time, and glad to see that you've given quite a bit of work, in the preparation of yours.
I might suggest you use the "Excel" program, (if you have it) I find that sorting Equipment, Staples and other Classes of items is useful.
Keep Healthy,
COLONEL
Hi Bob & Julie,
I have been receiving your pandemic news articles for a couple of months now, you are doing a wonderful job in disseminating this vital information.
Even if it saves one life.... that saying may be a cliché, but if/when the pandemic strikes, you can hold your heads high and be sure that your work will have saved many lives.
I try to bring awareness to my family and work colleagues of this issue, apathy is hard to dislodge, but I vow to keep being extremely vocal about this business!
I mean, how could I look my family in the eye, with the knowledge I have now, if a pandemic struck, and say I did nothing to prepare?
Thanks again,
Russell.
Dear Bob & Julie Butler,
Thank you for you important information. I am staying in Bangkok and I think that I will not get enough time to run away, if the bird flu really happen in Asia. I do know that it is going to happen because many scientist warn the mutation in the virus and the governments are trying to cover up the news.No one could stop the pandemic throughout the human history.Could you kindly give me information about the bird migration tracks? Do you think I will be safe, if I ran away to the Iceland or South Africa or the islands in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans?
Many people in Bangkok are not interested in this deadly virus. I often ask the people I meet on the bus and they don't have any collected information. They know that bird flu is happening but usually don't know how deadly it is and what causes the bird flu. A very few people know H5N1, but don't know these are protein that kill the people.
I am not crazy or panic too much. But I'm aware of this because I love reading and use most of my time by reading books. Anyway, Pls kindly drop a usefly information to me.
Best regards,
George
Hi, George...
Here's a LINK to a map showing migratory paths.
The safest places would be where there are fewest people. Central Australia is one such place. Another is along the mid west coast of Canada. Bangkok is one of the worst. When it hits I hope you'll be able to get out. At the very least, you must avoid contact with others as much as possible.
Good luck.
I just wanted to tell you that I live in tampa and the local and several Federal agencies (including homeland security and CDC) took part in a drill for Bird flu yesterday.Approximately 1500 people took part in this excercise that used our fair grounds as the staging area where "victims" were brought, triaged and given medical care, sent to " ICU" or the "Morgue" or released home. If they are doing the drill. they must believe it's a real threat. Just thought you'd want to know. The news coverage that I saw was on Bay News 9. Jo Ellen.
P.S. Keep up the great work!
Thanks for the info. I see from the news report that this was the first exercise of what could be many more to follow across the nation. On the one hand it's comforting to see that preparations are in effect, but chilling at the same time.
Dear Bob and Julie Butler;
According to a recent Reuters poll Most US physicians are not concerned about the Avian Flu
threat. I can't believe that 53% of the US physicians have no concern about the bird flu or the health
and safety of their patients or family. I have to say two things in reply to this survey which I did take.
First nature and and it's attachments (eg.viruses) follow Darwin's "survival of the fittest or most
virulent" Already,since 2003 the avian virus in birds has mutated several times within the species
and is capable of infecting carnivors and human handlers.
Secondly,there will be one or two of the human handlers because of their genetic structure will
be able to harbor the virus so it will mutate and be transmitted without the death of the initial
host carrier or progenator.
A good phycician or healthcare monitor (eg. CDC) should have been proactive since the bird flu's
first case in 2003. It will take about 4 years to develope a safe and effective bird flu vaccine.
Thank you for your pandemic site.
Sincerely,
Don Pichler Phd,MD,FAAFP
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