[tmazanec1]

How much demand destruction was there in 1919? In 1351 (not culturally equivalent, and hard to estimate, but this is what they are saying for intensity)?

[PhilBiker]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'H')ow much demand destruction was there in 1919? In 1351 (not culturally equivalent, and hard to estimate, but this is what they are saying for intensity)?

[kelee877]

I was reading today the are going to ban feather pillows...

[erl]

Bird flu seems to have lost some of it's lethality in exchange for easier spread.

Independent Online

[threadbear]

This is typical of most infections. Viruses prefer a host that helps them to replicate over a dead body any day. The WHO has become another fear mongering politicized entity, keeping people all nervous, all the time.

[Grimnir]

Yes; by the time it learns to spread easily from person to person, it may be just another flu.

[erl]

We can only hope.

[Grimnir]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'W')e can only hope.

[smallpoxgirl]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('threadbear', 'T')he WHO has become another fear mongering politicized entity, keeping people all nervous, all the time.

[tmazanec1]

What would a Spanish Flu scale pandemic do to our economy?

[erl]

The lethality of the Bird Flu has dropped (in some areas) to 20%, down from 70%. Still, 20% is four times worse than the 5% kill rate of the Spanish Flu.

Here's hoping that it's not even as bad as Spanish Flu.

[turkey_farmer]

Greetings all.

I've been reading the posts on your board for some time now and have learned a great deal.

I've lived in a rural area about 11 years now, but as a native "city dweller", I feel that I'm still a beginner when it comes to the ways and wisdom of country living.

My user name "turkey_farmer" refers to a small flock of heritage turkeys that keep me company as I do my outdoor chores.

I don't know how many of you have been following the news on the on-going story of the asian avian flu.

http://www.peakoil.com/fortopic8746.html

The situation seems to be getting more serious.

For me it raises several questions.

1.) If you raise poultry, as I do, what extra risk, if any, will they present in the case of a pandemic? Will the risk of keeping them outway the risk of getting rid of them and going hungry? (Of course a government order to slaughter them could over-ride these concerns.)

2.) What preparations for staying healthy would be prudent, in addition to all of the general plans that you have discussed on your board?

I did a bit of web searching and ran across many on site that I would appreciate your feedback on. Its url is

http://www.newstarget.com/005652.html

I read the free download the author titled "Beat the Bird Flu Virus and Survive the Pandemic"

http://www.truthpublishing.com/survivinginfluenza.html

It seemed to me that the advice was sensible. I'm unfamiliar with the chinese herbs he mentioned and most of the other less common remedies. I would appreciate any comments from those more knowledgable.

Another comment, and I'm not trying to be sensational here. Take a look at the picture of the author at this link.

http://www.newstarget.com/adamshealthstats.html

There was a story in the NYTIMES or WASHINGTONPOST about six months ago when there was a cluster of stories on the bird flu outbreak in Thailand. The story related the case of one of the survivors, a young man of around 35. (Yes, I am a number of years older than this.) The article related how the man had a daily regimen of running for two hours a day, and of generally taking very good care of his health. Although he became deathly ill, he recovered fully once he beat the virus and was back to running an hour a day! I'll see if I can find a link to this story if anyone is interested.

Unfortunately, I don't think my health is even in the same league as Mike Adams or the Thai survivor, but I'd still like to hear more about what an ordinary person might do to prepare for this or other infectious diseases if we get into a situation where the normal health care delivery system breaks down.

-TF

[turkey_farmer]

Sorry, I didn't realize that I would be dropping such a lead balloon.

The bird flu articles just made me realize how much of my preparedness is directed towards growing and storing food, and how little towards medical care.

So I'll get the ball rolling on this.

For staying healthy, especially in the winter, and fighting colds and flu, extra good nutrition is something I think we can prepare for.

I'm going to plant in pots as many healthy herbs as I can this summer with the thought of keeping them alive over the winter. (No greenhouse yet, but I'll work on something.) Chives and basil are two that I know do well in pots.

Outdoors, I'm going to plant shallots and multiplier onions. This type of onion stays green all winter here in the middle of the U.S except when it gets well below freezing. With a little cover, plastic or glass, it might stay green all winter. The same is probably true for kale which should be planted here soon.

Whether you garden or not, sprouts are supposed to add high nutrition to any diet. The article I referred to earlier said that brocolli sprouts (or others from the cabbage/mustard family) are the highest in nutrition and anti-virus/bacteria properties.

And I'm going to take some of my extra roosters and send them off to chicken heaven before anything bad happens to them and turn them into chicken soup, with lots of extra garlic and ginger. (We'll can it in the pressure cooker). How would that be for irony if the chicken soup could help prevent the bird flu.

TF.

[angrysurgeon]

For all the medics out there:

The bird flu, or H5N1 can be stopped in its tracks with the following medicine: tamiflu(r) (oseltamivir), sold among other places here:

http://www.drugdelivery.ca/s3353-s-TAMIFLU.aspx

For a low tech approach, read the following excerpt:

"The key is to relieve symptoms using drugs, ventilators, and fluids to
reduce fever. If patients can survive for more than 10 days the chances of
survival increase considerably," said Nguyen Van Thong, who has dealt with
more H5N1 cases than any other doctor worldwide.

This article was published may 15th 2005 on the guardian.

[I_Like_Plants]

If nothing else, REST REST and REST some more!! Lie in bed and do nothing! And get your fluids! And kim chee, gotta have your Kim Chee!! Trying to "work through" the flu will only keep you sick longer.

And this sounds sick BUT... Coke. Yep good old cokie-colie, by the bottle and by the liter! It's the only time I drink the stuff.

[strider3700]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('I_Like_Plants', '
')And this sounds sick BUT... Coke. Yep good old cokie-colie, by the bottle and by the liter! It's the only time I drink the stuff.

[I_Like_Plants]

Unfortunately I think the Coke makes my system acid, which might help against the flu but also is probably leaching calcium from my bones. Yes it tastes good and feels good when little else does, but my feeling is, if you can set up something better, do so!

Vit. C and calcium supplements, cans and cans of soup, are apparently much better. If you live near pine trees, the needles are supposedly just full of vit. C. and as for calcium, you can save bones from chicken etc and eat, or grind and eat, those.

But in the absense of pre-planning, I have to admit, Coke has been good to me in the past.

[kelee877]

When I was out shopping yesterday I looked for iodine at the locale pharmacy and they did not have any on the shelf..we have couple more places here I will look when I am out today..

[uNkNowN ElEmEnt]

Its really sad but I can average 2 litres of diet coke a day easily. Yesterday for example was 3500ml. sad eh? While I don't get that sick often I have to say it didn't seem to do a damn thing for the norwalk virus I just had. I've had it twice this year infact.

He missed oregano and (for women) angelica. It looks like all he's done is taken the biggest anti-viral herbs and made a concoction of them. He also forgot Melaleuca Alternafolia which is a really big gun.

Having a good diet with some of these herbs (like onion, garlic.pepper and ginger) would do more for you because you would be using it more consistently. Long term use of echinacea for example is not a good thing. The more you use it the less effective it becomes. It needs to have breaks in the useage to be really effective.

You really want to do something for yourself? get off caffeine. give your body a break. 3/4 of north americans are in adrenal fatigue and don't realize it. and excercise everyday for 30 minutes to the point where you have raised your internal body temperature for 20 - 30 ofthose minutes.

it doesn't matter if you jog or just walk slowly, as long as you raise your body temp for your level of fitness. (it must also be at a level you can sustain and not dread every day. If you are very overweight walk slower, don't kill yourself going all out, just get your temperature and endorphins up).

as an 1800's farmer once said
"better to search for health in fields unbought,
than fee the doctor for a nauseus draught,
rather upon work, let your health depend,
god never made his work for man to mend."

or something like that I can't remember the third stanza but its goes like that.

[goetic_neuromancer]

I have been educating myself and my wife for 3 years about herbal medicine. we started small and lately we buy about 3-500 dollars of pre-preped phyto-medicine every 6-8 months. we have books, with other books and even other books to cross reference with from a variety of perspectives and i often make my own tinctures, pills, tea blends, ect as I am learning how to identify and prepare plants in the wild, with limited overhead/setup. I also am an eagle scout who used to teach first aid with the red cross. by the end of this summer i should be set up with all the tools and accuterments to perform field surgery hopefully beyond gunshots and major disease outbreak. all with herbs/phyto-medicine as a drug platform. I have used every herb in this recipe here (except cats claw or whatever that is, never heard of it). and i can say that all, IF PREPARED AND MANUFACTURED PROPERLY FROM GOOD SHIT, are totally effective against a variety of viruses to varieing degree, that i have encountered. They work best together in synergy with other treatments and care we get sick less now (good diet, excercise no toxins like MSG/asparatame) but havent been to a doctor in 5 years because we are poor. whenever it goes around work we are the first to recover if we even let it get that far. our friends come to us sick and we barter herbal products and friendly advice. the key is good shit, and a good lifestyle. ive never used this advertized product so i dont know about jennylee.com or whateverthe site name is, but these ingreedient herbs are what i am stocking in my preps for the bird flu.
--john