Survival Scenario: What to do During a Pandemic

Survival Scenario: What to do During a Pandemic   

Larry Brilliant asserted, during in TED talk, that a pandemic is not only likely, it is probable.  He said that he had done a study with top epidemiologists. In that study, 90% of them said they thought there would be a pandemic within their children's or grandchildren's lifetimes, where: 

• 1 billion people would get sick
• 165 million would die
• There would be a global recession and depression
• and there would be $1-3 trillion cost to the economy

There are many reasons this situation is likely:

• Population has exploded:  More to get infected; more to spread the infection.

• More and more, people are moving towards cities.  There people are finding work in cities and conviences.  Not only does this create a breeding ground for disease, it also facilitates the rapid spread of any sickness.   

• The amount of time it takes to travel around the world has been greatly reduced while the availbility to travel has dramatically increased.  This above, everything, is the main reason this scenario could be a reality.  

                       

              

              

What do you do during a pandemic?

• Do not go to public areas
• Since public areas are the places you will most likely contract the disease, it is best to stay away from them.  Pick odd times to commute to and from work; don't hang out in public restaurants, stores, or community centers; avoid the gym at all costs; do your shopping late at night or early in the morning when few people are shopping.
•  Wear a breathing masks
• About 81% of flu patients have been shown to transmit disease in the air and wearing a mask will reduce your susceptibility to airborne diseases.  It will also protect your face if you try to rub your nose and mouth.  It will also be a constant reminded of the disease, which might make it the best reason to wear it.  People will tend to keep their distance from someone if they have a face mask, thinking that you are sick, which will in turn prevent you from becoming sick.  Don't use the same mask twice and be careful when you dispose of them.  
•  Use something in between your hands and doorknobs
• Doorknobs have been shown to be one of the main contributes to the spread of disease.  Basically, if anyone has touched it before, they could have left germs behind. So, anything, really, that people touch should be avoid: i.e., handrails, elevator buttons, coffee cubs, etc.
•  Wash and sterilize your hands often
•  Wear eye protection
•  Stay inside if possible
•  Create a quarantine room if someone wants to come inside: If the pandemic becomes increasingly more dangerous, it will become more important to build a quarantine room.  Here are some basic steps.
•    Seal room off with tape and tarps
•  Don’t let the person enter the main home for a period of time (depends on the sickness, but usually between 24 and 48 hours).
•  Strip person down and spray them down
•  Get rid of clothes
• Block the major windows and doors
• Treat anyone from the outside as if they are sick: do not approach them without protective gear; wash the protective give after it has been used; and make sure you remove the protective gear before you enter your home.  
• Assume anything that has been exposed to someone who has been into the public has germs on it and that it will need to be sterilized.