What YOU can do to STAY SAFE in the AVIAN FLU or FLU season

This guide is written to teach people about the Avian Flu and how to protect themselves and their family and friends in a "no tech" way from getting the flu. 

The Bad News:

With the Avian Flu considered by most experts to be an issue of WHEN and not if... it is important to know how we can all take care of ourselves, our family and our communities.  The last major Avian Flu breakout in 1918 was called the Spanish Flu by many.  It started in Kansas actually, and spread to over ONE THIRD of the world's population.  Death tolls in the U. S. were at least 500,000 people and the world deaths topped 22 million people.   One in every three people in the US contracted the flu. And since it is a quickly mutating flu spread in a bird population, it spreads much.  There are six criteria that must be met for scientific organizations to consider a disease as a pandemic.  This current Avian Flu has met FIVE of these criteria and the last one will be met as soon as someone who has a regular flu "gets" the Avian Flu it is likely that there will be a mutation that will enable human - human contageon.  That will likely set off a rapid spread of this flu across the globe.  That is the bad news.  Some more bad news is that vaccines won't work because the virus that causes the Flu mutates and makes it difficult to produce the exact antigen that will protect the body from stopping the virus.  One last piece of bad news.  It is the healthiest people who get the most sick because of the way the virus works with the immune system.

The Good News:

The best way to stay healthy is fairly easy, especially if you take some planning seriously.  E-Bay can help you do this.  Here is a list that will help you do just what you need to do in order to plan for the Avian Flu:

1. Hand hygiene - wash your hands with soap as often as possible.  At other times use an alcohol-based hand sanitizing gel or wipe.  Wear nitryl gloves or other disposable gloves in public places.
2. Surface hygiene - sterilize surfaces on which you cook, eat, door knobs, bathroom fixtures, or anything that may end up on your hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitary wipe.
3. Breathing hygiene - wear a mask, either disposable or reusable, during your waking hours, anytime you are outside or in a crowd or group and even in your sleep if there is someone with any illness in your home.  Masks should be marked at least N95 - N99 or the equivalent, or a Nano-technology-enhanced filtered mask, activated charcoal, or reuable masks such as the Silk Mask with activated charcoal and/or Sapaper filters. 
4. Air Purification - utilize air purifiers with at least UV/HEPA filtration systems in rooms where you sleep and work or spend any amount of time.  Household air pollution is actually a major problem in our country, but it will become essential with the Avian Flu which is airbourne.
5. Eye Protection - use goggles or large clear plastic glasses which can fit over glasses if need be when outside or around someone who is sick.
6. If someone is sick in your home, don't take them to the hospital or to the doctor.  Try to talk to your doctor on the phone at home, check out appropriate websites for instructions, have sets of disposable gloves, masks, isolation gowns, and seperate dishes.  Only visit briefly and keep doors closed.  Keep a large box full of special colored plastic bags for removal of contaminated disposables.
7. Stay home as much as possible and avoid all crowds or even shops as much as possible.  Have extra food and other important items like prescriptions in your pantry so that you can minimize your shopping, be prepared for a tight quarantine as well. 

To summarize briefly, really keep your hands clean in various ways, wear a breathing mask over nose and mouth, avoid going out especially in crowds, use HEPA/UV air purifiers and disinfect surfaces.  Not that hard, really.  Not compared to the alternative...

We hope that this guide is helpful to you.  You can find some wonderful Silk Masks from Thailand made by craftswomen who have formed a collective there.  Their husbands are the very poultry farmers who are working with the sick birds, and they are proud to be creating a product that can help people all over the world.  They are delicate and quite beautiful.  You will also find small leather NoFlu kits for your purse or pocket with gloves, tissues, masks, wipes and sanitizing gel.  You can find NoFlu Pantry Packs that include boxes of the various products just listed plus some gowns and a pair of eyecovers so that you can have a complete supply of all the materials, here on EBay.  You can also find a special deal on UV/HEPA Air Purifier on EBay as well. 

The most important thing to know is that if you are taking care of yourself and your family you are also taking care of many other people.  The more people who take care of themselves this way, and realize that one is contageous BEFORE the symptoms start... the less sickness will occur.  Thank you for reading this and thinking about making a difference.