How long do you think you could quarantine for?

[kaseyb (Supermom!)]

No one has to really answer that question openly on this board for that would give up privacy, but it's something we all are thinking about I am sure.

 

From what I've heard it would be ideal to quarantine for 3 years, but that would be incredibly difficult to do. Even if you got food through the mail (assuming it would still be operational) flu germs can remain on paper....what is it? Up to 12 hours after someone has touched it?

 

Can you imagine how difficult this would be for families accustomed to running to and fro - apart from each other? People would be living within close confines with each other 24/7 avoiding all physical contact with the outside world. Those who don't get along well now during the good times would really find it tough. Would the murder rate increase? (just kidding....I think)

 

If you have well water you can tap, but neighbors don't....it's like you can't even share because of the possibility of contamination if someone with the flu touches the same handle you do.

 

People would see you going to your well and pumping. If they had none they'd likely shoot you. And those 55 gallon drums take up space, not to mention the fact that a family can go through water pretty fast.

 

The flu germs can stay on hard surfaces....is it 24 to 48 hours?

 

This is ridiculous.

 

We just plain don't need this. I'll take almost any other kind of disaster over this. The only thing worse would be all-out nuclear war.

[Mother]

I'm really grateful that I found this site. Very few people in my area are worried about flu scares or even stocking up for natural disasters. The reason? So many of them feel that "THEY" will do something about it at the most in three days. "THEY", being the federal/state/local Government or other powers that be. We can see how THAT happened during Katrina and HOW it happened.

 

If my understanding is correct, the government is more likely to quarantine people than to evacuate them in the case of the flu as the last thing they would want is masses of people being on top of each other. Now admittedly, the government might distribute food and water and whatever else they can get out to the quarantined people but, as Teaberry says, what germs will come with those supplies?

 

Personally, My DH and I could hold out at least nine months with just what we have stored if necessary but it wouldn't be lush fare. We dont'have the storage space for more (yet) but we do have a garden, lots of seeds and the knowledge to raise our own. We know how to forage, wild craft and how to hunt if there are any animals left that is. We have only cows, a few geese and an old goat now but hope to restock our 'critters' in the future. Will it be soon enough? Maybe not. Still, Here's a thought for those of you who do have animals. Will you be able to feed them from your own land or from stored feed? I know we buy grain and hay both for ours and figure the virus could come in on feed just as easily.

 

I guess this might be where the disposable gloves and medical masks might come in. You can handle whatever comes in from 'outside', leave it set for the required time for the virus to die and then utilize it.

 

I remember my grandmother telling me that her family went through the flu epidemic in the early 1900's and that they lived on a farm that was totally self sufficient. They did not go to town for months, had no one visit the farm in that time and still got the flu. They have no idea where it came from but half of her family was extremely ill with it, two died from it and the other half had only mild cases or didn't get it at all.

 

Will that be the case again with this flu? I sure hope not but if it is, then we need to be prepared to fight it also, not just escape it. Will Doctors be willing to indiscriminately dispence antibiotics for us to stock pile for secondary infections? Probably not especially considering the mutation of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics today. Can we get the flu vacine to take or should there be mass vacination before it hits and will that vacine even be effective for the particular strain that might come our way?

 

I will say that my grandmother's mother started dispensing elderberry syrup to everyone in their family who was sick. That's actually how we got on the subject, she was telling me that they used elderberry for the flu. They used the dried flowers in a tea for fevers also. I personally have my own elderbery syrup but I believe I will stock up on Sambucol also. I believe I'll also stock up on homeopathic remedies as they are easy to store and effacious. I grow and dry a lot of herbs that are helpful for the symptoms of flu but I will be buying some of those I can't produce myself such as eucalyptus.

 

Here's a question to think about, What food animal do you feel would be the easiest, cheapest and most productive with the least amount of outside feed brought in for it? My thought would be rabbit or chicken as rabbit can easily be fed on grass and other naturally occuring feeds and some breeds of chicken can exist quite well on gleaned bugs, and seeds if necessary. What do the rest of you think?

 

I believe with enough discussion here, we could all come up with an individual plan that would at least minimize the risk and impact of the flu for our own families. But as Teaberry says, we are also going to have to think of our neighbors and our extended families. Do you have a place to harbor extended family because you sure wouldn't want them coming and going? And if you do harbor them, do you have a quarantine area for them to stay in to make sure they are not carrying the virus? Do you arange, as the one article suggests, to leave care packages outside your property? How many people can you afford to support during a crisis like that? I would want to support them all but I'm sure if it came down to a choice between my own family and the neighbors, I might have to really think deeply about it. Where does charity end and self preservation begin?

 

If this scenario comes about, it's not going to be nice but consider this. Our ancestors dealt with things just as bad and managed, with inginuity, forethought and preparation, to come through it. We have even more resources than they did so I'm sure, taking tips from them, we can do it even better. Do not let fear paralyze you. The antithesis of fear is action. Start now and avoid the panic!

 

 

 

[kaseyb (Supermom!)]

Quote:

Our ancestors dealt with things just as bad and managed, with inginuity, forethought and preparation, to come through it. We have even more resources than they did so I'm sure, taking tips from them, we can do it even better. Do not let fear paralyze you. The antithesis of fear is action. Start now and avoid the panic!

Pure wisdom! Thanks for that incredibly helpful post, Mother. (Can I just call ya Mama for short?)

Personally, I think rabbits would work well. I have a high deck I could keep them on. They're good for lovin' and eatin' and they're prolific breeders. I think their droppings can be put straight on the garden too. I've never had them, but plan on learning about their care when I visit a friend who owns several this weekend.

Mother, when you get time to do so, would you mind pulling together a thread or a post detailing exactly the items you plan to have on hand to combat this flu? You mentioned several good items and I'd love having a list of names, dosages, whether you use it in tincture form or not, etc.

Are you familiar with the Pearls? They sell medicinal herbs and have a concoction called the Immune Booster. I made some, but haven't tried it yet. It was made using a crockpot and for some reason I'm not sure I trust it. Have you made tinctures yourself? This is something I really want to do soon. It might be helpful to have a thread where several of us do this together so we can discuss how it goes. Or, at least, for those of us new to it.

[Mother]

Hi Teaberry, you can call me whatever you want as long as it's not too late for supper! (I love this little guys long arms)

[kaseyb (Supermom!)]

Quote:

(I love this little guys long arms)

Ha!! Me too! He's absuwootly wuderful!

[gardnmom]

knowledge and preventative measures are our best tools.

[Mother]

You hit that right on the head Lois. I hope that the whole thing becomes a non-event myself but I'd rather be prepared as much as possible. It saves on the worry a bit.

 

Westy,,,I started working on a list of things I have in preparation for the flu and find that most of what I have, I ALWAYS have. So I'm trying to pick and choose what might be specific. Something that might be do-able for most people. I'll have it on soon....