"Officials" are still reassuring the public that they have the first, and possible second, case of Ebola in the U.S. under control. Forgive me if I'm not 100% confident in our professionals, the media, and our government officials. This contagious man spent between 2 and 4 days with family and friends. These same people have now branched out into society; at least 5 schools have been effected.

Hopefully this terrifying virus is truly contained. In the event of a pandemic, how prepared are you?

Could you shelter-in-place with food, water, medicine for an extended period of time?

If you had to venture our, could you protect yourself? Without re-inventing the wheel, I'm linking some excellent articles and lists of items to stockpile. Check them out below:
Prepping for Mandatory Quarantine

Here's Why You Should NOT Panic over Ebola

Ebola: Does it Matter by Dr. Joe Alton

Prepared NOT scared!
RWM :) 

Not saying the video I'm posting is going to happen, but History Channel thought it was important enough to produce.

 

This email from Lisa, the "Survival Mom" is a no panic approach - the thing I like best about "rightwingmom"'s postings!


Brace yourself! This isn't a doomsday, all-is-lost email!

Like all of you, I have been trying to keep up with stories about Ebola, ever since this terrible virus reared its deadly head, again, in Africa. At first, the stories were interesting and a lot of us in the prepper/survival niche toyed with the idea of, "What if it came to America..."

Well, now it's here, and by the time you receive this email, things could have gone very, very wrong, indeed. Or, perhaps not. Perhaps the notorious patient from Liberia, Thomas Eric Duncan, didn't pass the virus to anyone else and he was just an isolated, freak case. Another possibility is that the Ebola hype has died and another potential pandemic is on the horizon.

Whatever the case, there are 7 things you should know about this Ebola scare and they apply to any type of outbreak:

1. If you're prepared, in general, you're already prepared for Ebola or any other outbreak. Almost. Be reassured that you have many survival pieces in place and are way ahead of the game, if the worst should happen. Now it's just a matter of adding some additional supplies and making a few, new plans. Just in case.

2. Almost prepared for something like Ebola isn't good enough! In addition to your food, water, cooking/heating, and other preps, you should begin adding:
Heavy duty trash bags. These will serve a multitude of purposes, but this story about a woman in Liberia who was able to treat her family members with little more protection than a raincoat, rainboots, and trash bags is inspiring and shows the need for this basic supply.

Multiple pairs of Nitrile gloves. They're inexpensive, so stock up.They'll come in handy for far more than Ebola.
Face masks. Read this article for more details, but a respirator is highly recommended. The ReadiMask is a good, inexpensive option.
Safety goggles. If you ever have the misfortune to be in the presence of an Ebola patient, every bit of skin should be covered. You'll need safety goggles to protect your eyes and the skin around them.
Several gallons of bleach. If you know how to use calcium hypochlorite to make your own bleach, that's a better option, but it's also more of a challenge to get the chlorine at a safe level.
Hand sanitizer in every possible form.
Protective clothing, if possible.
3. Begin thinking about hunkering down, in place, for weeks or possibly months. If any pandemic grabs a foothold in your area, say within 100 miles, you won't be able to go to work, the kids will stay home from school, even going out to buy groceries or other necessities may be too dangerous. What should you have on hand in this case? Could you begin homeschooling your kids? Do you have cash on hand, rather than just in the bank? Read The Jakarta Pandemic for some practical tips.

4. Keep track of news from multiple sources. Information coming from the CDC is scary, not reassuring, and they are supposed to be the ultimate source for controlling disease. On the other hand, some voices on the internet are screaming that it's all over and we're doomed. Read everything you can and assess information from multiple sources.

Four articles that have given me a lot of insight and food for thought:
"When Ebola Protection Fails"
"What We're Afraid to Say About Ebola"
"Ebola, A Nurse's Perspective"
"The Most Terrifying Thing About Ebola" (This one is sad.)

5. If now is the time to panic, you absolutely must not panic! This is the time to assess your preps, get the facts and the latest information. Prepare to hunker down or pack up what you can and head for a part of the country that remains unaffected. Thinking clearly and making logical plans will be your 2 best survival preps.

Having said that, if a particular website or radio host or friend is a source of nothing but negative, doomsday information and you find yourself swallowed up in it, avoid them. Just a friendly tip from Survival Mom!

6. At this point, normalcy bias could be your worst enemy. I never dreamed that you and I would be talking about EBOLA in AMERICA, yet here we are. There's no point in trying to take comfort in, "It's just one guy in Dallas." That's normalcy bias talking. If the virus made it this far, it's likely to pop up again, and again. That could be our new reality. Hiding behind, "It couldn't happen here..." is the least helpful thing you can do.

7. Continue to enjoy life. Make plans for holidays and birthdays. Go ahead and try to lose those last 15 pounds! We've seen good times and bad times come and go, but what keeps us steady and sane are the little things in life that aren't so little -- family, faith, friends. In the stories coming from the Ebola hot zones, there's something that comes up over and over: family bonds and traditions. It's important that we keep those going in our own homes and communities.

As a Christian, this verse from Ephesians 6:13 comes to mind:

"Therefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."

You may not be a Christian and this email isn't about the armor of God, but as a group we are determined to survive and are every bit as determined as any ancient warrior. So to paraphrase, "Take unto you all common sense preparation plans both for you and those you love that you may be able to stand strong during worst case scenarios, and when you've done all you can, stand strong."

Prepare a little more every day and stay safe and aware.


Lisa Bedford
The Survival Mom



7554 W. Thunderbird Rd.
Suite 1, Box 188
Peoria, Arizona, 85381 USA
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Franklin Graham (son of Billy Graham) and Dr. Lance Plyler are with Samaritan's Purse. They're organization is on the front line of the Ebola epidemic in Africa! The doctor who contracted Ebola was one of theirs! Check out their interview with Glenn Beck. It's EXTREMELY eye-opening; especially Dr. Plyler's take on this scary disease!!!

Graham / Plyler interview w/ Beck 

Here's a link to 5 Rah's posting. Excellent common sense advice!

10 Things You Should Know About Ebola at The Survival Mom 

Encouraging!

A Dallas nurse who contracted Ebola after caring for the first U.S. diagnosed patient will be discharged from the federal medical facility treating her Friday.

Nina Pham worked for Texas Presbyterian Hospital Dallas and was among the dozens who helped care for Thomas Eric Duncan before he succumbed to the disease earlier this month. She then tested positive for Ebola a couple of weeks ago. While Pham was cared for at first by the Dallas hospital, last week she was transferred to the National Institute of Health?s Clinical Center, which is located just outside of Washington, D.C.

Slightly more than a week after receiving treatment from the NIH, Pham was declared free of the virus.

Pham was the first nurse diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. and she was later joined by her colleague Amber Vinson, who tested positive just a couple of days later. Vinson is being treated at Emory University Hospital in Atlanta.

Vinson?s family said this week that she is also free of the virus, but this has not yet been announced by medical officials. The statement from Vinson?s mother, Debra Berry, said hospital officials and those with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention could not detect the virus and approved her transfer from isolation.

Pham?s recovery news comes just a day after a New York City doctor was admitted to the hospital into isolation and tested positive for Ebola. He had recently returned from caring for Ebola patients in Guinea.


Source: First Dallas Nurse Now Ebola-Free, Being Discharged From Hospital