DISCUSSION: How would the Draft Guidance affect me and my family?

COMMENT THREAD

• Ebola today
  

  Submitted by Roy Kamen on 12/6/07 08:11 AM

  The medical people in Uganda are panicking right now.

• TRUTH
  

  Submitted by Catherine Jackie Mitchell on 12/6/07 08:17 AM

  Were the good people of Australia informed and educated ahead of time?
  
  Jay, as I have stated elsewhere I have followed and studied this for 10 years. I know how to prepare.
  
  It disturbed me to think that I, with my very big mouth, might start a panic in my town. I saw that as potentially causing more harm than good....I have changed my thinking and this is why.
  
  I am not prepared and I am not panicking. I am thankful that things have turned out this way. If I had a well stocked home right now I would not be able to have such clarity of thought and purpose now.
  
  I know that my neighbors can become prepared, as I can. I know where they will need my help, and I theirs. It really is beautiful and I didn't plan it this way.
  
  All I can say is that I have staked my life on the belief that a fully informed public will not panic. They will prepare and help to prepare others, if we have enough time. They need to know NOW. Don't let YOUR fear of panic, keep them from knowing the TRUTH.
  

  • Slippery slope
    

    Submitted by Jay Schmid on 12/6/07 08:31 AM

    Catherine, you as have I have invested time and effort into understanding a pandemic scenario and that affords us foresight that will helps to more calmly navigate the potholes of trouble that lay ahead of us. Information is a two edge sword here. Knowing that social distancing, PPE's and food stockpiles will be required of every member of our community is easy enough to digest and respond to on short notice but a large portion of people will not be able to or afford to do these things.
    
    I also believe that even after a well executed long drawn out public announcement campaign, people IMO will not respond well to the cold hard realities of empty store shelves, no more medicine at the pharmacy and no more patient capacity at the clinic.

    • So we shouldn't even bother?
      

      Submitted by Catherine Jackie Mitchell on 12/6/07 08:36 AM

      Honesty, right?
      
      I have no idea how I can afford to purchase what my family would need to be "out there" during the "storm".
      
      I can tell you though I would certainly want to know that I should not be going out in the midst of a hurricane.
      
      Are you saying that we should not inform the greater populace that there is a hurricane coming?

      • Last minute rush
        

        Submitted by Jay Schmid on 12/6/07 09:03 AM

        Catherine,
        
        Obviously, the message needs to get out and groups like Readymom, the one you mentioned, are an effective way to get the local community on the same page. But...I expect we will see similar behavior from the public in the way many wait until the Saturday before Xmas to do their shopping and wait until April 15th to do their taxes even though they had an entire year to do otherwise.

        • Again
          

          Submitted by Catherine Jackie Mitchell on 12/6/07 09:10 AM

          You seem to be imposing your thoughts and feelings and making a judgment that is not yours to make, with all due respect.
          
          I had to ask myself this question....
          
          Do I want to be responsible for the deaths of those who I could have informed and did not because of my own fear of their reactions?
          
          OR
          
          Do I want them to bear the responsibility for their own actions and beliefs and inform and educate them of the truth so they may be able to decide for themselves?
          
          I applied the standard of "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"
          
          I would want someone to tell ME if I did not know this.
          
          
          Would You?
          

        • Procrastination
          

          Submitted by MoMos Mom on 12/6/07 09:13 AM

          Jay, I'm sure that some member of society will procrastinate, but waiting to do your taxes and waiting to Christmas shop will not kill you. Waiting to prepare for a pandemic just might kill you or your children. For most mothers, the possibility that they can proactively do something to ensure that their child has the best chance of survival will take precedence over a lot of other things. Of course, those mothers need all of the facts in order to make informed and educated decisions.

          • For most parents, the possibility that they can proactively do something to ensure that their child
            

            Submitted by Roy Kamen on 12/6/07 09:31 AM

            Agreed MoMos Mom

          • Procrastinate
            

            Submitted by Jay Schmid on 12/6/07 09:33 AM

            I should of known better than to use the taxes analogy again - my bad. For over 2 years I have watched the government put out this message to prepare with all it's arguable insufficiencies. I myself have given presentations and participated in discussions to the uniformed. The reaction is the same - nothing, blank stares, "Oh that I don't need to worry about that Asian problem". Until the problem itself becomes something more that a probability or a "not if but when", people are not going to voluntarily do what they really should do now to prepare. The fact remains people procrastinate especially when it comes to spending money they may have let alone spending money they don't have for these expected efforts.
            
            Guideline or no guideline there will still be an outcry over the injustice of it all when told to get to the back of the line.

            • procrastination
              

              Submitted by Catherine Jackie Mitchell on 12/6/07 09:59 AM

              This is true but after "the telling" the responsibility is theirs. Before "the telling" that responsibility is on all who know. Just my 2c. Personally, that is not a responsibility that I want to have.
              

      • Education is Empowerment
        

        Submitted by J Mathis on 12/6/07 09:13 AM

        Refer back to Roy Kamens points at the beginning of this dialog. Perhaps there are communities that have informed their citizens (private, business,infratstucture,etc.)while there are many that have not. If the messages have not been given out and do not continue, "storm preparations" will not be adequate. Given the psychology of the audiences, there will always be those who hear and become proactive versus those who become "cavelier", "chicken littles" or ostriches". This comes from the time when I use to live in "Hurricane Land" and observed many people. None the less, education must continue and it must be now in order to have as many people, businesses and the instructure ready. For every person that is informed and prepared, it is one less drain on the system. You can become prepared by starting now, purchasing just one item a week and beginning your stockpile. Visit the web sites mentioned to learn the process. It is not difficult. As noted, once the disaster strikes, it is too late and panic does occur. Better to prevent the panic now than cause it because of an uninformed society. I believe the statement of, "We have nothing to fear but fear itself" rings very true here. The public deserves honesty now from the very highest levels of government on down to the local levels in every community.
        

• How the tier affects a family of 6
  

  Submitted by Kay Lock on 12/6/07 08:45 AM

  How would the draft guidance affect me and my family? I am a public health prof, scheduled to work on the front line of the mass clinic-Tier 1, my 4 kids ages 5-15-Tier 3, my husband, healthy school teacher age 48-Tier 5. My husband may be exposed at school along with the kids, but he's last in line for the vaccine. I'll be vaccinated and probably be afraid to go home for fear of exposing my family, who is still waiting for the vaccine.
  
  Knowing that-we'll plan accordingly. Maybe that should be a educational campaign. Helping people draft a plan based on where they fall in the priority list and their family situation. Preparing for this goes way beyond stocking up on tuna and hand gel. We need to recognize that and educate EVERYONE accordingly.

  • Kay - will you even make it to get the Vax?
    

    Submitted by Roy Kamen on 12/6/07 09:35 AM

    You wont if you dont have an adequate supply of replenish-able drinking water, food, meds, heat.
    
    Keep informed by reading one of the several flu blogs tracking the disease so you may have advanced warning unless the Media begin proper coverage.
    
    Get ready to have the schools close suddenly.
    
    Have your entire family start practicing anti-viral transmission techniques now.