# Pandemic~HomeStead



## -prepper- (Feb 3, 2013)

How can I prepare rooms in my home from a pandemic ? Seal up the doors,windows,vents ... But how ? What else should I do to prepare the house ? Hopefully ReadyMom and Grimm will see this because I especially want their advice , but I'd really like to here everybody else too  !


----------



## celgrowr (Jun 11, 2011)

Virus particles are less than 2 microns, smaller than most masks protect. They can be spread by air but via sneezes, coughs, or direct contact. This is not just touching people but any possible items they may have touched. If you can stay isolated from people and shared items, you would not need plastic. However, you might want to set up a quarantine area for people to stay until you know they are not 'spreaders'. In that case, you would need a completely separated area such that you could not be exposed them, their air or any of their items. The tricky part is the possible shared air, this would include return air ducts. I would have them stay in the garage or an out building. Otherwise seal all air ducts and not just doorways. You should create a gray room, between your space and theirs. This is for passing food and necessities. Bleaching between entering if you can. For the best protection It should be a series of gray rooms, One for changing into protective clothes, one for passing items. I would quarantine for a minimum of 2 weeks. just some thoughts. It would be easier just to make certain no one enters your yard...you should be safe from 90% of potential pathogens.


----------



## JSank80 (Apr 30, 2013)

I agree with Celgrowr, quarantine newcomers. There are not many airborne viruses that can travel long distances or stay active outside a host for long. Effective viral warfare is a long way off, so direct transmission is going to be your biggest concern.


----------



## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

I wouldn't be too worried about a pandemic as much as chemical problems.

The bugs (even super bugs) can be killed off easily by using good industrial cleaners like Spray-Nine ( http://www.spraynine.ca/ ). I use that for cleaning just about everything - kitchen, bathroom, laundry-room, garage, hands, feet, cars, trucks, motors ... everything.

It does an amazing job on my shower, nothing stands a chance in there. My kitchen is done once a week (counters, stove, oven, etc), door handles and doors are cleaned regularly as well - even the deepest ugly grunge is removed. About the only thing that I find SprayNine doesn't do well is remove rust-stains - I have CLR in a spray bottle for those jobs. Its all I need!

Keeping the knobs on the faucets and doors and such clean is 90% of what you would need to do to keep sickness away - the other 10% is staying out in fresh air and not recirculating the germs inside the house.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I'm not sure how much I can help since I am of the school of thought that if we didn't have it/use it when I was a kid then I don't have it/use it now. I am even delaying vaccination of Roo. Or more like spreading them out. 

My husband doesn't take care of himself when he gets sick so the rest of us tend to get what he brings home. I use home remedies to ease sickness in our home as my mom did with me. We have otc meds to ease symptoms, comfort foods and a vaporizer. 

If you really want to prepare for a pandemic or a quick spreading illness there are two things to think about. #1 what does a hospital or clinic do to prevent illnesses from spreading? #2 what do I do now when myself or a family member is ill?


----------



## MDsapper (Mar 12, 2013)

a pandemic isnt something i worry about since i have a very strong immune system, and i'll be living by myself pretty soon so i wont have to worry about keeping other people safe


----------



## swjohnsey (Jan 21, 2013)

Spanish Flu killed the young and healthy.


----------



## drfacefixer (Mar 8, 2013)

swjohnsey said:


> Spanish Flu killed the young and healthy.


Killed them within a day from shock caused by a massive immune response. There were sightings of people feeling fine, getting on a Trolly and never getting of off because the when it struck it struck so hard. Those with the lesser immune systems had a better chance of being spared by the spanish flu. For a good legit scare read the great influenza by John Barry.


----------



## FrankW (Mar 10, 2012)

celgrowr said:


> 1)Virus particles are...... smaller than most masks protect. s.


this is an urban legend sadly some scientists (and I use the term loosely) 
subscribe to.

Mostly thats due to the act that getting a PHD in Molecular Biology does not necessarily teach you about filters.

While it is true that viruses can and usually are much smaller than the "pores" of a HEPA filter mask , Size exclusion is only one of 4 mechanisms HEPA filters use.

They are :

-Impingement
-Interception
-Diffusion and 
-Electrostatic attraction.

The smaller a virus is the less affected it is by impingement ( =size exclusion) BUT the more it is affected by some of the others mechanism of capture.
(I am not gonna teach the entire detailed class here tho cant type that much and I think am not authorized to publish my old HEPA filtration class anyway for copyright reasons as I dont own the copyright to the powerpoint)

The argument that "viruses are smaller than filters pores so they dont get filtered" has always been wrong and the TV "experts" in the CWMD community to spout this myth are mostly frauds who dont understand filtration mechanisms.

On top of that, viruses will never "fly" around singly by themsleves thru the air but always clumped to some degree in aerosols, droplets etc..

This _dramatically_ increases their effective size and usually makes Impingement available as a filtration mechanism anyway.

In an epidemic situation Social Distancing is your most effective tool rather than wearing masks.

(The primary exception to this is if you are entering an indoor area that's heavily contaminated by agent or a concentration of virus aerosol shedding/coughing patients, such a quarantine ward.)

As others have pointed our correctly if you must go out, guarding against fomites via frequent handwashing is a must.

I always enjoyed shocking a roomful of Lab folks when asked what level of gear I recommend for a given Bio Agent I would say "flip flops, boxer shorts and a PAPR" :laugh:

No one could argue it ever, even though in the end usually we would engage in security theater and wear Level C or even B.

No need to tape up windows for Bio Agents BTW they simply dont "fly" like that in the outdoors. (this is distinct application from hermetically sealing a lab area)


----------



## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

As many others have stated most pandemic effects/chances of contracting a sickness can be lessened by a few simple rules. First wash wash wash your hands with warm soapy water for at least 30 seconds. Disinfect things that come in contact with "outside" bleach and lysol are good for this. And if you must go out at a minimum wear a mask and gloves. Also some triple antibiotic ointment swabbed in your nostrils can assist in catching any nasties. Don't unnecessarily touch your face, eyes, nose, or mouth without clean hands. 

Ideally don't let sick people or people that have been exposed to sickness into your home. If they must come in set up a sick room to care for them and make sure that you use the same precautions as above. 

Keep basic medications like Tylenol, Vicks, pepto, cough drops, etc on hand. If the sickness is a virus it's most likely going to have to run its course. Pandemics can be scary and dangerous but following precautions can help. Mostly wash up!


----------



## lazydaisy67 (Nov 24, 2011)

As I've tried to learn more about how to treat such a thing as viral outbreak and what-not I've also found that even diseases such as small pox don't just fly around the room looking for a healthy person to land on. They HAVE to be transmitted through a "carrier" so to speak. The caregivers are the ones at highest risk of being exposed through coughing, sneezing, pus and/or other body fluids. I think I'd have a set of clothes to put on before going in their room, have mask and gloves on and change linens every day if not twice a day depending on what the person is doing on/in them. 
This seems pretty basic along with hand washing, but in a SHTF scenario think about the amount of water needed for that kind of washing!! If you are on ANY kind of "water budget" you are going to be hard pressed to accomplish all that washing. Maybe having several sets of sheets that you can throw away as they get soiled. Just burn them instead of trying to wash them over and over again. If you have a plastic mattress cover you can wipe that down with Lysol spray once a day.


----------



## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

lazydaisy67 said:


> As I've tried to learn more about how to treat such a thing as viral outbreak and what-not I've also found that even diseases such as small pox don't just fly around the room looking for a healthy person to land on. They HAVE to be transmitted through a "carrier" so to speak. The caregivers are the ones at highest risk of being exposed through coughing, sneezing, pus and/or other body fluids. I think I'd have a set of clothes to put on before going in their room, have mask and gloves on and change linens every day if not twice a day depending on what the person is doing on/in them.
> This seems pretty basic along with hand washing, but in a SHTF scenario think about the amount of water needed for that kind of washing!! If you are on ANY kind of "water budget" you are going to be hard pressed to accomplish all that washing. Maybe having several sets of sheets that you can throw away as they get soiled. Just burn them instead of trying to wash them over and over again. If you have a plastic mattress cover you can wipe that down with Lysol spray once a day.


Back in the day when people became ill with very nasty illnesses they did just this- burning the sheets and clothing of the ill. Anyone remember the story of the Velveteen Rabbit? Little boy became very ill and all his belongings- including toys- were gathered to be burned to prevent the spread or reinfection.


----------



## BillS (May 30, 2011)

If you're concerned about pandemics then you need to look at what you do for a living. Having a job that creates a lot of contact with other people is a potential danger. Working at an airport or a school would be very dangerous during a pandemic. Chances are it wouldn't be considered a pandemic until after it's spread by air travel. Being an EMT would be the worst job. You could be called to render aid to someone with a serious disease that's easily spread. During a future pandemic, the collapse of medical care would be one of the effects. Doctors, nurses, and EMT's could be killed by the disease or be too afraid to go to work.


----------



## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

Check out drofficesupply.com I stumbled upon this site awhile back and they have tons of medical supplies at a good price. They even have hospital grade cleaning supplies that you can buy in bulk. Might be worth checking in to for a pandemic type situation.


----------



## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

In a pandemic situation you don't want to tighten up the home, except for a possible sick room. You need a certain amount of ventilation to keep the home healthy. When houses started getting built to tighter standards we saw what came to be known as sick house syndrome.

A chemical spill is a different matter.


----------

