MindSpinner

Here is the message regarding pandemic flu preparation that went out to 60,000 Americans living in Hong Kong and Macau on 11/3. The message: stockpile food and water to last for twelve weeks, the possible duration of a single wave of a pandemic.

AVIAN FLU

American Citizens Services Newsletter
Pandemic Influenza — Preparing for Possible Shelter-In-Place

U.S. Consulate General for Hong Kong and Macau
November 3, 2006

The U.S. Department of State recently sent a cable to all diplomatic and consular posts entitled “Pandemic Influenza: Preparing for Possible Shelter-In-Place”. The cable’s main intent was to provide guidance to all staff regarding “shelter-in-place”. That is, in the event of severe pandemic influenza with high morbidity, the public may be advised to self-quarantine. Therefore, current guidance notes that families should be prepared to “shelter-in-place” for up to twelve weeks, and maintain sufficient food and water supplies to accommodate that entire period.

Just as in the United States, U.S. government employees and their families overseas have primary responsibility for maintaining adequate supplies of food to shelter-in-place. This also applies to private U.S. citizens. For the long term, families are advised to store foods that are non-perishable, do not require refrigeration, or preparation (including the use of water), or cooking. The cable also advises that families should store one gallon of water per person per day.

Potable Water

Please note that at this time, Hong Kong’s water supply is potable. In the event of complete infrastructure breakdown, water supply that is currently potable in some areas or countries may not remain so. However, water can be purified in several ways. Boiling is a reliable method for killing microbes and parasites. Bring water to a rolling boil and continue boiling for at least ten minutes. Also, regular Clorox Bleach isn’t just a laundry-aid, it’s a lifesaver (use only regular Clorox bleach, not Fresh Scent or Lemon Fresh). In an emergency, one gallon of Regular Clorox Bleach purifies 3,800 gallons of drinking water. First, let water stand until particles settle. Filter the particles if necessary with layers of cloth, coffee filters, or fine paper towels. Pour the clear water into an uncontaminated container and add Regular Clorox Bleach per the below indicated ratio, mix well, and wait 30 minutes. Water should have a slight bleach odor.

Ratio of Clorox Bleach to Water for Purification:

2 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per quart of water
8 drops of Regular Clorox Bleach per gallon of water
1/2 teaspoon Regular Clorox Bleach per five gallons of water If water is cloudy, double the recommended dosages of Clorox Bleach.

To insure that Clorox Bleach is at its full strength, rotate or replace your storage bottle every three months. Also, don’t forget to sanitize the water storage containers. To sanitize containers and utensils, mix one tablespoon of Regular Clorox Bleach with one gallon of water, creating a Sanitizing Solution. Always wash and rinse the items first, then let each item soak in Clorox Bleach Sanitizing Solution for two minutes. Drain and air dry.
Please remember that water in dehumidifiers is also potable, but be sure to sanitize the dehumidifier water container.
Emergency Supply List

The U.S. Government’s “one-stop” web site on avian influenza, www.PandemicFlu.gov, provides a sample list of foodstuffs and other emergency supplies for stocking:
Examples of food and non-perishables:

Ready-to-eat canned meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, beans and soups Protein or fruit bars Dry cereal or granola Peanut butter or nuts Dried fruit Crackers Canned juices Bottled water Canned or jarred baby food and formula Pet food

Examples of medical, health and emergency supplies:

• Prescribed medical supplies such as glucose and blood-pressure monitoring equipment
• Soap and/or alcohol-based (60% - 95%) hand wash
• Medicines for fever, such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen
• Thermometer Anti-diarrhea medication Vitamins
• Fluids with electrolytes Cleansing agents
• Flashlight Batteries
• Portable radio Manual can opener
• Garbage bags
• Tissues, toilet paper

To better help plan for “shelter-in-place”, all U.S. citizens are encouraged to refer to the www.PandemicFlu.gov website, as well as the World Health Organization website (www.who.int/en/). Please also visit the U.S. Consulate General website for further information: Avian Flu.

We will continue to distribute and share pertinent information on Influenza Pandemic Preparedness as we receive it.

And here is the same as it appeared on on the morning of November 9, some days after the CDC began receiving calls asking when Americans living in the U.S. would be advised of the 12-week recommendation. (As of this morning, Google cache still has the old version.)

Avian Flu

American Citizens Services Newsletter
Pandemic Influenza — Preparing for Possible Shelter-In-Place

U.S. Consulate General for Hong Kong and Macau
November 9, 2006

The U.S. Department of State recently sent a cable to all diplomatic and consular posts entitled “Pandemic Influenza: Preparing for Possible Shelter-In-Place”. The cable’s main intent was to provide guidance to all staff regarding “shelter-in-place”. That is, in the event of severe pandemic influenza with high morbidity, the public may be advised to self-quarantine. The Department of Health and Human Services, via its pandemicflu.gov website, advises that families have on hand two weeks of emergency supplies (food, water, medicines) in the event of a pandemic influenza.

The rest of the page remains unchanged. The drastic revision - from twelve weeks to two weeks - occurred after people began calling the CDC to ask when Americans in America would be advised by their government to prepare for a twelve-week period. No doubt the Department of Health and Human Services and the CDC slapped the State Department on the hand for deviating from the official message being peddled to the public.

Behind the scenes, key people are being instructed to prepare to shelter in place for three months in case of a flu pandemic. In many instances, the message is construed as an urgent one. Do it NOW, they are told. This is, in fact, no secret, as many have told their extended families and posted to word to flu discussion sites. A few hardy experts are trying to spread the word. (Just google David Nabarro, Robert Webster, or Michael Osterholm and pandemic flu.) But the American government is telling the public at large to prepare for only two weeks.

We are told part of the truth - that there is an elevated risk of a pandemic and will be for some time to come, such that preparations must be made - but we are not told enough of the truth about what we may face (high mortality) and how extensively we need to prepare in order to give us a fighting chance. There’s one message that goes to valued citizens in critical positions and a drastically different one that goes out to the rest of us. We are not only “on our own” with regard to taking care of ourselves and our loved ones during a pandemic, we are also “on our own” to figure out the real deal and what we need to do about it.

8:00 p.m. - Now the entire page is gone and simply redirects. POOF! But the genie’s out of the bottle, isn’t it?

An eight-point buck
crosses a harvest field
gold at daybreak, his regal antlers
lit by morning.

My son
achieves his first string of successes,
at just shy of eighteen, a recruiter’s target
etched now on his forehead.

And what do I think
when I see them both,
the buck and the boy almost a man -
both beautiful, young, and strong -
stepping out boldly into possibility
without grasping danger?

What do I think but “Run!
It’s almost hunting season!”

At CNN the morning headline reads
“Bush’s message: Democrats will cost you money.”

There is nothing to do but snort at the lie
and growl: “Republicans will cost you sons and daughters.”

I’m tired of hearing
that I’m supposed to care most
about money, and less
about futures
and planets
justice
and truth and even the life of my
own child.

I’m going a-hunting myself tomorrow, at the ballot box.

“Madame, all stories, if continued far enough, end in death, and he is no true-story teller who would keep that from you.” - Ernest Hemingway

The mouse was cold and stiff the morning of October 25, its head resting next to the wheat berries. I bought steel wool to close the two holes through which another mouse might follow, the one hole behind the stove and the other in the cabinet above the microwave.