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
- 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.
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