Pandemic or Not, It Doesn’t Matter

By Kellene Bishop

Pandemic or not, the time to prepare is now. Photo c/o ehow.com/

A lot of folks are e-mailing me or commenting that they don’t buy into all of this “hoopla” about the Swine Flu. My response is that it doesn’t matter whether or not the Swine flu amounts to anything at this moment, you STILL need to prepare for it. The point is that you should be preparing for the Swine Flu, Avian Flu, or Alien flu (yes, I made that up) the same way that you prepare for any other “disaster.” The only significance of the Swine Flu is the matter of timing. Due to the flu season and school starting back up, we MAY be looking at an imminent pandemic threat very soon. The fact of the matter is, you all still have a lot to do to get prepared to survive without all of your niceties that you’re used to. Just because the Swine Flu flurry may be perpetuated unnecessarily doesn’t make it any less of a circumstance to reckon ourselves with. I think that the issue with the Swine Flu being so pervasive in our minds is simply that it’s something that’s a bit more real to us. The timing of it is more visible. No one (who’s willing to admit it anyway) saw 9/11 coming. No one saw the damage that the tsunami was going to bring with it, and no one saw the complete disaster and horrible aftermath that Hurricane Katrina let loose on Louisiana either. Ask yourself, if you had a major earthquake tomorrow, would you be prepared? If your children all came down with some nasty flu and you were quarantined, would you be prepared?

Whether or not the Swine Flu ends up being equivalent to the Spanish Flu of 1918 is irrelevant. Yes, the Spanish Flu killed hundreds of millions of people. Yes, it affected virtually every part of the earth, even the Arctic and remote islands of the Pacific. But its biggest danger was that it came to people who were unaware, unlearned, and unprepared for such an instance. Thus what’s truly important is that you prepare for a pandemic situation like it right now while you can.

Here is a list of items for you that I recommend you have on hand in case you do end up having a patient who’s ill with a highly contagious flu virus. You will want to cordon off a room in your home for the care of such a person in order to avoid the unnecessary spreading of the virus. This list takes into consideration that you may or may not have electricity. (Obviously, this list is not all inclusive)

Items to Cordon Off a Sick Room

• Air filter                     
• Fan                                         
• Plastic sheeting
• Shower Curtain        
• Sheets/pillow cases               
• Heavy blankets          
• Cot/bed                      
• Bleach                                    
• Rubber gloves            
• Air masks                   
• Hair ties                                 
• Shower caps              
• Thermometers           
• Multiple sets of sheets                       
• Ways to keep sick room dark           
• Washcloths                
• Portable water bins               
• Capacity to heat water w/o electricity
• Towels (paper and cloth)

 Items Necessary for the Comfort of Patient

• Fabric for bandages (sanitize) 
• Baby wipes
• Anti-diarrhea meds
• Anbesol                                      
• Listerine
• Chloraseptic
• Whiskey
• Honey
• Lemon juice
• Water, water, water
• Salt
• Multi-vitamins
• Herbal teas
• Essential oils
• Lotions
• Washcloths
•  Towels
• Multiple sets of sheets
  

  Thieves Oil photo c/o aromatherapyliving.com

• Air flow
• Visine
• Hot packs
• Cold packs 
• Lavender
• Garlic/garlic oil
• Thieves Oil/products
• Lanacane
• Pain/fever relievers*
• Vaporizers (battery operated)
• Oversized T-shirts 
• Gowns
• Vicks Vaporub
• Icy Hot
• SOFT facial tissues
• SOFT toilet paper
• Gauze            
• Medical tape
• Neosporin                           
• Hot water bottle
• Straws
• Allergy meds                          
• Ensure               
• Band-aids
• Q-tips                         
• Cotton balls 
• Meal-in-bed tray
• Eye dropper               
• Mouth dropper
• Books
• Juice                        
• Baby monitor
• Pen/notebook for records
• Anti-bacterial soap    
• Olive leaf extract
• Yarrow root
• Goldenseal                 
• 

  Hot Toddy

  Red sage

• Raspberry leaves
• Catnip                                  
• Oregano oil
• Sage oil
• Bragg’s Amino acids                         
• Scar therapy pads      
• Hemorrhoid ointment
• Baby bottle                                        
• Rubbing alcohol        
• Bed pans
• Deodorizer                                         
• Walker                                   
• Sleep aids          
• Crackers                     
• Cough medicine* (or makings for a hot toddy: 1 T of whiskey, 1 T honey, 1 T lemon, 1 C. of hot water)
• Pain relievers (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen)*                     
• Simple proteins (peanut butter, canned chicken)
• Pedialyte ( Recipe: 1 liter H2O, 2 T sugar or honey, 1/4 t salt, 1/4 t baking soda)
• Hot cereals (cream of wheat and oatmeal are best on the stomach)
• Anti-Nausea treatment (crystallized ginger, chamomile, mint tea, crackers)

*Remember infant versions too

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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Why I Won’t Be Taking the Swine Flu Vaccination

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By Kellene Bishop

Swine Flu Vaccination photo c/o swineflutips.com

I’m sure I won’t earn any popularity points with this post today. But I do get asked my opinion on this issue regularly. So I’m going to post my OPINION on it today. Mind you, I will share with you why I have such an opinion, but obviously this is a decision that you’ll need to make for yourself.

1)     Why I Won’t Be Taking the Swine Flu Vaccination Reason #1: Dangerous Side Effects. In a study in Britain, over half of all children who have had Tamiflu have had side effects to it.  (The current vaccination that’s being developed is based in part on Tamiflu.) Additionally, doctors STILL do not know why the vaccinations given in 1976 caused paralysis. Also, since the flu of 1918, the vaccination has killed more people than the disease itself. Um…I’m thinking I don’t like those odds. 

2)     Why I Won’t Be Taking the Swine Flu Vaccination Reason #2: Improper Testing. Since the 1980’s, vaccine manufacturers have been made legally immune to lawsuits in the event that their vaccine harms children. However, recently our U.S. administration has given blanket legal immunity to the manufacturers for the H1N1 vaccine. In other words, the manufacturers will simply make a whole lot of money with no motivation to actually test and make sure that their vaccine is safe. Given the history of the side effects of vaccines in the past, I’m also not liking those odds, folks.

3)     Why I Won’t Be Taking the Swine Flu Vaccination Reason #3: Illegal and Immoral. There have been rumors that the vaccination may become mandatory. When WHO made their Pandemic Declaration in June, they stated that all children under the age of 6 were to be immunized. Um, not only NO, but &%$# NO. Our laws prevent such actions. Additionally a government even conceiving of such a plan, is completely immoral. If women can decide whether or not to abort a baby, I sure as heck can decide for myself whether to put a foreign substance in me that is created by individuals who have no legal compunction to ensure its safety.

Photo c/o nworeport.com

4)     Why I Won’t Be Taking the Swine Flu Vaccination Reason #4: Known Dangerous Components. The base of the H1N1 vaccination is Thimerosal. This is a mercury base and is known to be a neurotoxin. It also contains Aluminum adjuvant: an aluminum-containing compound. This releases the antigen causing strong, enhanced antibody response. However, this component has specifically been linked to Gulf War Syndrome that has caused tremendous permanent damage to thousands of military. Aluminum is a known cause of cognitive dysfunction. It also contains Disodium phosphate: a white powder, water-soluble salt. It is used as an anti-caking additive in powdered products. This inorganic chemical is also used as a fungicide and microbiocide. Let’s also add a little bit of Formaldehyde—you know, that substance that you’re embalmed with when you’re dead. It’s also a known carcinogen and reproductive or developmental toxicant. According to PANNA, in 2007, California used 30,328 pounds of this carcinogen, as a microbiocide (a drug or other agent that can kill microbes) on the top 50 crops grown in the state.  And let’s also add a dash of Octoxynol 10: (Also known as Triton X-100) a detergent, emulsifier, wetting and defoaming agent. (Octoxynol-9 is a spermatocide.) It can alter metabolic activity, damage membranes, and cause a rapid decline in cell function.

Lastly, let’s sprinkle in a little Polysorbate 80, also known as “Tween 80.” It is used as an emulsifier in cosmetics, and is one of the ingredients in Gardasil, the cervical cancer vaccine that is being mandated/promoted for teenage girls. This ingredient is known to cause infertility, grand mal convulsions, spontaneous abortions, and life-threatening anaphylactic shock. So far, 28 Gardasil deaths have been reported.

 Thanks, but no thanks. I like my medical cocktails a little more refreshing. 

A good read on this topic is the following medical report: http://www.rense.com/general86/dngers.htm

5)     Why I Won’t Be Taking the Swine Flu Vaccination Reason #5: Too Much Speculation Involved—Not Science. Let’s face it. You can’t predict the future, folks. The planned H1N1 vaccination has not even been finished yet, let alone tested. I’m not about to be a guinea pig. I’ll do what I am already comfortable and knowledgeable about in order to ensure my health. This H1N1 strain has shown that it’s still evolving and resistant to vaccinations. We’re not even in the peak flu season as of yet. So who knows what the flu strain will evolve to by mid-October when the vaccination is expected to be available? Presently they are creating the vaccination based on the “1918 Spanish flu.” As you know, vaccinations have a portion of the flu strain in them in hopes that your body builds up an immunity to it. Ummm…I’m sorry. But I’m not interested in putting even a small portion of the most deadly flu outbreak ever into my body—especially one that has been festering in laboratories for over a hundred years.

Photo c/o magickdragonfly.com

6)     Why I Won’t Be Taking the Swine Flu Vaccination Reason #6: Suspicious. There have been a lot of rumors circulating about whether or not this virus was purposely released, etc.—after all, we’ve stored samples of all of the known outbreaks, and a whole lot of our own making. I’m not going to give any of that credence at this juncture. However, I do find it suspicious that the drug companies have been indemnified by the government for any potential physical harm the vaccines may cause—why would they do that if they were safe? And it’s very suspicious that one of the largest drug companies, Baxter, filed a patent for the H1N1 an entire year BEFORE the virus manifested itself. They also admitted sending contaminated flu viruses to subcontractors. And let’s not forget that it was Baxter that distributed tainted vaccine for the avian flu!  Hmmm…setting a stage? I’m thinking that they can make their bazillions on someone else’s body, not mine. And what’s with this “requirement” to the media to no longer calling it “the swine flu?” Instead we are going to call it the “H1N1 virus.” That’s like putting lipstick on a pig, in my opinion. (Excuse the pun)

7)     Why I Won’t Be Taking the Swine Flu Vaccination Reason #7: Mathematics. On a lighter note, I figure that if the vaccine does work as well as it was supposed to, then all I really have to do is encourage people around me who I don’t like to get vaccinated. And that should be sufficient. 🙂 Just kidding 

So, there is obviously a decision to be made here. But I think I’ve clearly shared with you the main reasons why I will NOT be getting the H1N1 vaccine. I trust alternative health methods and my faith a heck of a lot more than what my current medical options are out there. Perhaps you should make it a matter of a prayerful decision for yourself and your family—or at least a well researched one.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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Swine Flu Update – Argentina

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We’ve composed an update for you relative to the effects of Swine Flu in Argentina.  It’s worth paying attention to…which is why I’m posting it for you all.

President of Argentina Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner with Health Minister Dr. Juan Manzur, right. Photo c/o Enrique Marcarian/Reuters

July 8, 2009 from All Headline News 

• More than 60 confirmed deaths in Argentina from swine flu
• Government officials decided to shut down banks Friday (July 3) in an effort to contain the virus
• Travel has nearly fallen in half in the past few days, would cost the hospitality industry $150 million/week, should the pace continue.
• Economic analysts’ estimate economic impact at $1.6 billion if the epidemic last a month.
• 2,485 officially confirmed cases in Argentina

 July 7, 2009 from Republican American  

• Outbreak of swine flu in Argentina may cut output by 0.6 percent said Orlando Ferreres of Buenos Aires research company Orlando Ferreres & Asociados
• Health Minister Juan Luis Manzur said yesterday about 90 percent of the country’s influenza cases involve the H1N1 virus, displacing other types of flu that have affected Argentina in the past.
• The city of Buenos Aires and several provinces have declared a health emergency, moving up winter vacations for schools and universities, and canceling some public events
• The national government granted pregnant women 15 days paid leave.
• The Argentine Association of Theater Owners yesterday announced the suspension of functions for 10 days after demand for tickets fell 80%, said Carlos Rottemberg, head of group.

July 7, 2009 from Screenhead.com  

• Film distributors in Argentina have delayed the movie premieres as an outbreak of swine flu reaches attendance
• Admissions declined 34% from July 3-5 compared with the previous week despite releases of Ice Age and The Proposal, says box office tracker Ultracine

 July 3, 2009 from NY Times  

• Swine flu has killed more people in Argentina than in any other country in South America
• The death rate of 1.6 percent is more than three times the world average, Claudio Zin, the health minister of Buenos Aires Province, said Friday.
• Argentina passed Canada this week as the country with the third-highest death toll from the flu…remains behind Mexico and the US
• Officials suspect that there are 100,000 cases of swine flu in the country, compared with 320,000 cases of other types of flu.
• Some private health officials have said that President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner’s government should have declared a state of emergency before national congressional elections last Sunday.
• That would have likely delaye the elections, which Mrs. Kirchner had moved up by four months to increase the chances that her husband, former President Néstor Kirchner, could prevail in his race for Congress.
• Several doctors have said former health minister Graciela Ocaña had recommended calling a national state of emergency and delaying the elections, but was overruled.
• The outbreak is expected to cost the economy up to $2.9 billion this year

Swine Flu in Argentina photo c/o AP

July 1, 2009 from BBC UK

• Local officials said school in the capital and three other regions are cancelled from Monday (July 6), bringing forward winter holidays due to start on 20 July.
• “Families … should see it as a time for the children to stay at home as much as possible and avoid places where people are crowded together,” said Buenos Aires Mayor Mauricio Macri.
• Officials said that restaurants, cinemas and other public buildings would remain open.
• Many cases in the region have been reported in working class and poorer areas, says BBC’s Candace Piette in Buenos Aires.

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The Silence of the Swine Flu

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By Kellene Bishop

Photo c/o AP Photo/Victor R. Caivano

Why are we hearing the silence of Swine Flu news so loudly?  Why did the fact that the deaths doubled in Utah due to Swine flu not make all of the front page news?  Why is the word quarantine used so sparingly in what little news there is available?  WHO classifies the Swine flu at “Pandemic” status and yet our border officials don’t ask a single health related question still.

I’ll tell you why.  But I warn you, it may actually be a bit disturbing.  At the risk of sounding like a “conspiracist” let me boil it down to two words for you.  Money and power.

Let’s look at all of this logically.

Yes, it will get worse: Yesterday I shared with you an article that warned of a possible quarantine of one week “if” the Swine flu became worse in the colder weather.  Folks, logically speaking we KNOW it’s going to get worse in the colder weather, because we can see what it’s doing now even in the midst of the warm weather.  HEAT stifles a virus wave.  And yet we’re still seeing fatalities.

 

Grocery Store Empty photo c/o underunder.com

Grocery Stores Will Stop Their Deliveries: If there is a quarantine issued, then that means that folks will NOT be able to permitted to purchase goods at the grocery store.  So what does that mean to the store?  They certainly won’t want any additional non-perishable good delivered during that week, right? (Although they will likely be cleaned out within 30 minutes of the quarantine being announced)  And then employees of the store will not be able to staff their locations, right?  So this means that no incoming deliveries will be able to come in.  Now apply this to hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, etc.  That leads us to our next domino.

Businesses will LOSE millions of dollars. Criminals don’t typically strike where they are under watchful eyes, a.k.a. a lot of people.  Now you have all of these businesses laying isolated without the benefit of the coming and going traffic.  They are now ripe for vandalism and looting by individuals who would not have any respect for a quarantine mandate in the first place.  Millions of dollars of damage is anticipated from this very source even in the event of a “short” quarantine was required, let alone a 90 day one. Then you also have the sudden halt of tax generation, not only from sales tax in businesses, but also in employment taxes that will not be paid due to all of the employees who are forced to stay at home.  In a volatile economy, just one day of this kind of a halt in revenue could cripple even the strongest of states or counties.  I’m sure you’ve all read the e-mail which encourages people to not buy gasoline for one day in order to cost the oil companies millions of dollars in protest of their high prices.  Well, a one week quarantine will accomplish the very thing, except on a much larger scale!  Next domino.

Trucking Industry photo c/o AP Photo

The trucking industry: If a quarantine was ordered, even if it was only for 1 week, think about how much affect this would have on the trucking industry.  This industry is already barely surviving financially due to the gas price increases, the fewer crops to ship, etc.  Even if a quarantine was issued for only week, it could literally result in the closure of several trucking companies.  What many Americans may not realize, is that the crazy drivers who don’t signal when changing lanes, drive in the HOV lane when they aren’t supposed to, and who drive dangerously without sleep are actually critical to our way of life.  Without trucking our lives will dramatically change.  If there are only a few trucking companies left as a result of the financial damage of a quarantine, then the price of goods will skyrocket that much more.

Foreclosures: So many Americans are just barely living on the edge right now financially.  More than 80% of us live paycheck to paycheck.  Many of us cannot afford to miss a paycheck for a week, let alone 90 days.  But if that’s the case, how many of us would still be able to pay our mortgage payment or our electric bill, etc?  While those who operate such companies may not have a full staff due to a quarantine, you can bet that the computers will still be ticking your late payment days away.  Your late fees will build up, or your services could be automatically turned off.  This financial threat can compound into even more foreclosures.

The Panic Button photo c/o fastspring.com

The Panic Factor: Let’s not forget HOW a quarantine is enforced—by martial law.  Just the mention of this can cause an understandable panic on Wall Street and on Main Street everywhere.  I think even our Federal Reserve printing press couldn’t run fast enough to fix that kind of a mess.

These are just a few examples of the financial backlash that would occur as the result of a quarantine.  This is EXACTLY why you aren’t hearing more about the Swine flu and why officials aren’t taking more precautions to prevent the spread of the virus.  I can assure you there’s not a politician out there that wants a quarantine to happen “on their watch.”  Because if that were to occur, a quarantine and all of its consequences would indeed be what they were remembered for.

As I’ve said before, our economy is extremely volatile right now.  A quarantine could  cause a financial ripple effect that would truly send us back to the late 20’s.  And that, my friends, is exactly why what little warning you do get about preparing for a quarantine, is buried in a very non-descript manner in a local news broadcast.

The silence of the Swine Flu should be ringing very loudly for all of us.  While this may sound extreme to many of you, in my opinion it’s time to reconsider eating out at restaurants and going to the movie theaters for a while until this all blows over.  I’m thinking that the public pools this summer are not a smart place to go either.  Keep your kids involved in family-only activities vs. large group ones.  And use this time of relative comfort to get ready for the potential chaos that may ensue.

Click here for more from Preparedness Pro on the Swine flu.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

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A Swine Flu Wake-Up Call?

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By Kellene Bishop

Whether or not this article serves as a wake-up call regarding the Swine Flu (H1N1 virus) is up to you.

I hope that no one who reads this feels that I’m motivated by “fear mongering.”  I do not share this information for any other reason than to reinforce the reality that you cannot continue to ignore or put off your emergency preparedness efforts.

Photo c/o kcsg.com

Today Utah announced two more deaths as a result of the swine flu.  One of which occurred in the county I live in, and another significantly further north in another county.  Our death toll has nearly tripled in less than a month, and this isn’t even the flu season.  I have two sisters-in-law who work as nurses for a hospital in Salt Lake City.  They claim that the majority of their patients right now are H1N1 virus patients.

So, here’s the alarming part of all of this.  In a very non-descript way, lacking any bells and whistles, the news article which reported the most recent two deaths today shared a warning from the local health officials here.

“Should the virus become more virulent in the fall, public health officials may ask Utahns to take additional steps in order to limit its spread.  Families should begin preparing for what they would need if they are asked to spend a week away from school, work or other activities.  Now is the time to update, or create, your emergency stockpile.  Items like food, water, tissue, sanitizers, over-the-counter medications and prescription medications are all useful items to have on hand in the event you become ill and are confined to your home.”

See http://www.abc4.com/content/news/state/story/Utah-swine-flu-death-toll-rises-to-10/mc4dtcKIu0Gtvh1E1-sd7g.cspx for the entire article/news report.

Did you get that, folks?  They are trying to prepare us for the possibility of being quarantined.  This means that we will not be able to go to work, activities, or even school.  No Transformers movie, no dining out, and no scrapbooking parties.  🙂  While they attempt to make light of the warning by only using a “week” as a threshold for the quarantine, you and I both know that a quarantine would not be such a short period of time.

Dr. Margaret Chan of the World Health Organization photo c/o news.bbc.co.uk

Let’s recap the reality here, folks.  The WHO has officially declared a pandemic status due to the H1N1 virus.  The death toll continues to rise in states all over the U.S., and certainly the number of confirmed cases continues to rise in spite of the fact that we are NOT in the peak flu season.  In fact, we’re supposed to be in the “non” flu season right now.  Time and time again the virus is misdiagnosed and missed altogether only to have the individual die later.  Lastly, the virus continues to develop and yet we are working on an anti-biotic/immunization treatment for what we have before us right now, not what we may have before us this fall.

Do what you will with this information.  But remember, in the event of a quarantine, what you have in your home, and ONLY what you have in your home, will be all of your resources for you and your family to survive on.  Are you ready?

To keep posted on the H1N1 virus results for the U.S. you can go to www.cdc.gov/H1N1FLU

Click here for more from Preparedness Pro on the Swine flu.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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The Real Face of the Swine Flu

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By Kellene Bishop

Photo c/o AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd

Yes, The WHO has moved the swine flu alert level to level 6, the highest level available.  While some may speculate that this is merely a political move to free up funds for willy-nilly spending, understand that this is also a very historical move.  There are viable concerns about the swine flu.  This article intends to show you the real face of the H1N1 virus.  Here are a handful of facts that you truly do need to know.

1. It’s resilient: Typically a flu virus disappears in warmer weather.  This particular strain is still rampant even in some of the hottest areas of our country and the world (ie: California, Texas, Philippines, among others).  The southern hemisphere is actually moving into their cold season, so the number of swine flu cases could increase substantially there.  Be mindful of this and its impact on your travel arrangements.
2. It’s affecting YOUNG and old: Typically a flu virus is off balance in its claims to victims, with elderly and infants being most susceptible.  However, in the case of the swine flu, over half of those who have contracted the virus were “young and healthy.”  Thus no one particular demographic is immune at present.
3. It’s “unstoppable”: WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan stated this fact bluntly.  In other words, the H1N1 virus has already spread sufficiently that it cannot be contained to a particular border.  This is due in large part to our open borders and easy travel afforded to us today.  The virus has already affected over 74 countries and there have been a reported 28,774 WORLDWIDE cases of swine flu.  Over 13,000 of those cases have been in the U.S. alone.

4. 

   Photo c/o Polaris

   No immunization is planned against the swine flu until late September:

   This gives the virus a great deal of time to mutate and affect countless individuals.  In doing so, it is possible that the immunization treatments planned for the fall may become obsolete.  What this means is you need to take precautionary measures NOW so as not to allow the virus to run rampant in your system.  Build up your immune system by eating nutritious foods, take quality vitamin and mineral supplements, and be cautious in exposing yourself to other individuals who have the flu.  If at all possible, don’t venture into a doctors office or a hospital unless it’s necessary.  Lighten up on the junk food and sugar.  Those items tax your immune system dramatically.  Lighten up on the size of your breakfasts.  Your body uses the most energy prior to noon, thus the energy that it does not have to expend digesting your breakfast is better served to build your body’s strengths.

5. This is NOT cause for panic: It’s cause for vigilant, passionate caution.  Be careful.  Be mindful.  Wash you hands ALL the time, especially after handling money!  Don’t touch the bathroom door after you’ve washed your hands when leaving the bathroom.  Perhaps it’s better to treat yourself to movies at home instead of in packed theatres.  Take this summer break to build up your children’s immune system while they aren’t exposed to crowded classrooms and other children.  Use the sanitary wipes on the handles of the grocery carts in the stores.  Wash your produce.  Eat out less.  In other words, minimize your exposure to the swine flu unnecessarily.
6. Sorry, but new cases are NOT declining in the U.S.: Contrary to some news reports I’ve heard, U.S. cases are still increasing.  In fact just recently a college, scout camp and a couple other large facilities were closed down here in Utah because of new cases confirmed.  We’ve even had another fatality in the last week.  I know that Utah is not the exception to this increase given that we do not house a major international airport such as Chicago O’Hare airport or JFK airport in our state.  (Note that Illinois, even though it does not border a foreign country or a large body of water has the THIRD highest number of confirmed cases of the swine flu in the U.S.—even more than California and New York.  Shockingly, Wisconsin has the MOST confirmed cases of swine flu, with Texas the second highest.)  In fact, the WHO admonishes countries which believe they’ve had their wave of swine flu already, to actually prepare for a second wave.
7. A declaration of a pandemic does not mean the virus has become more deadly: It simply means it’s become more prominent.  However, because of such, there is still a significant risk of mutation.  Once the H1N1 virus mutates with the avian flu virus, then it will EASILY be transferred from person to person and it will indeed become more deadly.  This caution has been confirmed by John Oxford, a professor of virology at St. Bart’s and Royal London Hospital.

All in all, what this means is that we still need to be on guard and in a preparatory mindset against the swine flu.  Keep your eyes open for gloves and dust masks to purchase.  If we WERE to be quarantined for 90 days, which is possible if swine flu cases continue to rise, then you may actually want at least one mask per person per probable day of a quarantine.  Also, look into stocking up on essential oils that have historically proven to battle the spread of such a virus as well as aid in the cure.

Click here for more from Preparedness Pro on the Swine flu.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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Ready to Survive a 90-day Quarantine

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By Kellene Bishop

Photo c/o sqpn.com

Are you ready to survive a 90-day quarantine?  Is such a scenario even realistic? Well, let’s explore that. 

Suppose the flu virus did get out of hand.  In all actuality, it’s quite likely.  The most current strain is eerily similar to the Spanish flu virus of 1918 which went pandemic in less than 3 months.  It took the lives of over fifty-percent of those who contracted it.  It took only 8 months for it to kill 100 million people.  The only thing saving us right now is that the swine flu and the bird flu have not completely morphed to the point that it transfers easily.  Once that does occur, you can indeed expect to see a quarantine situation.  It means that each and every home affected by a pandemic must be ready to survive a 90-day quarantine.

Photo c/o AP

Why a 90-day quarantine?  Because our government and the World Health Organization will definitely demand that the virus be halted.  This can only be done through a quarantine period of time that is sufficient to ensure that the virus ceases to be transmitted.  Ten to twelve weeks is that appropriate period of time to ensure that someone is past the incubation period and the virus is no longer spreading.  (But remember, it took 8 months for the Chinese to eliminate SARS from their country.)

While our nation has not experienced such a quarantine in over a century, I assure you that when a quarantine occurs, it will cause panic and unintentional deaths.  Many of these deaths will NOT occur as a result of the pandemic, rather as a result of a lack of preparation.  Being ready to survive a 90-day quarantine is about much more than just food and water.  To be sufficiently ready you will require several components you may not have previously considered.  

So what does this mean to you in terms of physical and emotional survival?  Well, for starters it means that the person’s household you planned on joining to live off of their preparedness supplies will NOT be an option.  You will be forbidden to travel under any circumstances.  While many have strategized that they will gather in groups to survive a crisis, such a plan under these circumstances could mean death to those who leave the sanctity of their homes.  However, travel restrictions may require you to stay right where you are which may be in a gathering.  This means that if you are visiting at Aunt Beatrice’s or on a vacation when the pandemic hits, you will have no choice but to stay put and ride it out for 90 days.  Ask yourself.  Do you have at least a multiple day survival kit on hand with food, water, a change of clothes, and simple medical supplies such as a dust mask for such an occasion?  Remember.  You must think in terms of surviving a full 90-day quarantine period.  

This also means that you will NOT be permitted to go to the grocery store or gas station for a last minute stock up.  A mandatory quarantine of this nature will require that the roads are clear of anything other than non-essential travel.  This also means that if you have the luxury of the quarantine order going into effect while you are home, you—and all those with you at the time—must be able to live off of the food, water, medical, and financial supplies that you have for three whole months.  It means you will NOT be able to visit your grandmother in the nursing home.  Depending on where you are, this could also mean that you will NOT be able to get to the hospital to give birth to your child—and frankly, you will not want to go to the hospital in order to avoid getting deathly ill.  Typically, only life and death cases will be admitted during a quarantine.  This means that many of the businesses you rely on will be shut down as the owners and employees will also be quarantined to their homes.  As such, this also results in many desperate individuals, unable to obtain their oxycontin or other drugs of choice, who may roam the streets.  Not only will you need to make sure you can survive in your home with sufficient food and water, you will need to make sure you can defend safely as well 

Another consideration to survive a 90-day quarantine is whether you will be able to endure the flu itself should someone in your home contract it.  The food you have in your storage could literally mean life or death to all who are dwelling with you—not just from the standpoint of providing meals, but being able to provide nutrition for the ill.  Stocking up on effective anti-oxidants, intensely nutritional products, air masks, sanitizing solutions, WATER, FLUIDS, nutritional foods, and other needs are also vital for you to be prepared. 

Food, water and medical supplies are obvious needs in such a situation.  Please understand that regardless of whether or not you’re permitted to go out and work, your obligation to pay your bills, your mortgage, and credit cards will NOT go away.  In fact, in the midst of such an event, it’s likely that companies which find themselves financially vulnerable right now may act with less compassion and patience than they may have in the past.  

I’m not attempting to alarm or panic anyone.  But I assure you I will be quite distressed to think of all of the folks I know presently who are indeed NOT ready for a quarantine.  To me this is not a matter of IF it will occur.  It’s a matter of WHEN such an instance manifests itself.

Here’s a little bit of comfort for you.  Chances are, in a quarantine we will still have electricity and sewage services.  Thank goodness.  So that means that while we may have to endure a 90-day quarantine with people we don’t get along with 24/7, at least we can have some comfort.  Refrigeration should still be viable, as should microwave uses, and even video games.  🙂  Additionally, sufficient food for one person can be obtained for only a dollar a day.  You do not need to spend a fortune to get ready for such an instance. 

So, don’t panic.  Just get educated and get prepared.  You can indeed be ready to survive a 90-day quarantine.  And in fact, that’s just the beginning. 

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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A Crisis of Choice

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By Kellene Bishop

Photo c/o classesandcareers.com

OK. It’s no secret.  I could very easily be called “zealous” in my emergency preparedness efforts.  Some lovingly or ignorantly (I don’t mind which) may even call me “paranoid.”  That’s OK.  The bottom line is I’m ready for the majority of crises that may occur.  And as such I have a great deal of peace of mind and fortitude.  Clearly it’s hard to be so prepared and stay completely under the radar of the notice of friends and family, and even more difficult when you regularly write a public blog.  🙂  So I’m sure that many other likeminded people can relate when I share with you some of the following comments that I regularly hear from friends, family and associates:

• “When all hell breaks loose, I know where I’m going” (Translation—I’m coming to YOUR house, Kellene, and helping myself)
• “Why do I have to store any food and water?  You’ve got enough to feed an army.”  (Translation—I absolve myself of any responsibility to take care of myself or my family because I can manipulate your good nature to take care of me instead.  Meanwhile I can purchase my boats, fancy cars, have a mortgage bigger than I can afford, go into extensive debt, and ignore any reasonable indications that I must be prepared.)
• “I don’t need to be prepared.  I’ve got all the ammo I need.” (Translation—When the going gets tough, I intend to forsake all of my standards of morality and ethics and murder and pillage to get what I want.”
• “If you’re a good Christian, I’m sure you’ll share with my family in an emergency.”  (Translation—I have no need to comply with scriptural warnings on my own behalf.  So long as there are others that will be obedient, I can ride their coat tails and absolve myself of heeding the very same warnings that others have been given.  Oh and while you’re at it Kellene, can you also say my prayers for me, read the scriptures for me, get a college degree for me, and take over the care and nurturing of my family?)
• “Why be prepared?  When everything goes South, I just want to die anyway.”  (Translation—I choose to ignore the “enduring to the end” quotes in the scriptures.  Instead I choose to determine when my life ends and I do not value my worth and my ability to help others in a crisis and beyond.  I forsake the innate human desire for survival, perhaps even out of cowardice, but definitely out of a lack of faith that any good can come from surviving and helping through a crisis.)
• “I don’t need to be prepared for more than 72 hours.  The government will provide for us just fine.”  (Translation—I forsake my own accountability for the well-being of family and loved ones.  I also believe in the Easter Bunny, Socialism, and that pro-wrestling is real.  Oh, yeah.  And I also had no television, newspaper, or internet access during the Hurricane Katrina debacle.  And, and one more thing.  I also dabble in fortune telling.  I know that there’s no such thing as a disaster significant enough to last long-term, such as year or more.)

Unfortunately, anyone who’s made significant attempts to be prepared has heard all of this nonsense before.  And yet for some reason they struggle with the proper response.

Well, this is how I deal with it.  First of all understand that I absolutely LOVE my friends and family.  While family has always been important to me, I’ve somehow been blessed with lifelong friends as well.  In fact, my feelings of love and concern for one or the other are hard to differentiate at times.  Lately my circle of friends has increased significantly.  I find myself reaching out even to friends from junior high and high school and employment from years past.  I believe the reason is due to the fact that my awareness for the need to be prepared for a real emergency has been heightened substantially.  As I ponder the ramifications of such an event incurring in our nation, I can’t help but feel more connected to the people around me in a very humanistic way knowing that they will struggle if they aren’t prepared.  I know that witnessing their struggle may even be more difficult for me than the crisis itself.  That being said, while my concern is genuine, I realize that I cannot argue with reality.

Photo c/o wormsandgermsblog.com

First reality check—there’s a lot of assumption by a person who believes that they will even be able to MAKE it to my home for food, water or other supplies.  What’s to say that they haven’t moved by the time a disaster strikes, or that they are trapped in their home due to a nuclear blast or a pandemic quarantine for a long period of time?  PLANNING on going somewhere else in order to survive is NOT a plan. 

Second reality check—sharing is voluntary.  I’m sorry, but if I have a choice of bringing someone into my “community” who has been faithful and has done all that they could do to prepare and can contribute to the strength of the survival of the community, then they are going to get first dibs on what I have to contribute.  A community is only as strong as its weakest link.  Can any community afford to take on a dangerous liability or vulnerability and risk the lives and health of all others involved?  A person who has willfully, belligerently, and defiantly ignored all reasonable warnings of preparation is not an asset to anyone else.

Third reality check—and this I believe is the most important.  Food and water is NOT the real security.  They are only a material representation of the faith, confidence, knowledge, and mental preparation required for a person to survive an emergency.  Confidence cannot be instilled into a hollow soul simply by will.  The same goes with faith, mental preparedness and extensive amounts of knowledge.  Thus, as much as I wish to usurp the natural laws at times and give my friends and family a “brain dump” of my knowledge and the proper mentality I’ve acquired over the years to deal with most imaginable crises, I cannot.  To do so would be to violate an eternal law of choice and agency.  I have this peace of mind, emotional and mental attributes as a result of my preparedness efforts—the purchasing of food,  the classes I’ve attended, the countless hours of research.  Not the other way around.  Even more importantly, I must guard against the disease of fear.  I simply cannot allow your fear to infect the world of preparedness and peace that I’ve worked so hard to create.  While material goods can be willingly shared, the peace and confidence which one seeks in light of an emergency cannot.  It is only had by exercising faith and a commitment of action in response to that faith.  

I hope that this assist many of you who may be postponing your own preparedness, as well as those who are encountered with the kind of opposition I’ve shared previously.  

In closing remember this one phrase of wisdom. “You can warn them, but you can’t own their actions.” 

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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Thirty Minutes. Do You Feel Lucky Today?

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By Kellene Bishop

If there ever is a cause for a run on the grocery stores, the supplies will be depleted in thirty minutes.  That’s it.  One half hour warning is all you will have to get more food, more water, more produce, more seeds, more medical supplies, etc.—you and the rest of your community.  Yet in that thirty minutes, your local stores will only be able to supply less than 1% of your community with the goods they would need or hoard.  Do you really want to risk that you’ll be a part of that lucky 1% and that you’re fast enough to get all of your necessary goods available in that one half hour?

• Wheat shortages
• Threat of Global War
• Escalating oil prices
• A trillion dollar national deficit
• Constitutional freedoms being shredded
• Threat of banking collapse
• High rate of home foreclosures
• Threat of H1N1 Flu epidemic
• Unprecedented inflation of the dollar
• Foreign hackers successfully tapping into the power grid
• Skyrocketing unemployment

These are all sound reasons and even warnings why many Americans are beginning to wake up and take steps towards emergency preparedness today.  Thank goodness many are beginning to notice some signs which cause them to take such actions.  My greatest concerns are for those who still ignore the inevitable.  Grocery stores aren’t stocked for any kind of a panic.  They are orchestrated solely for a consistent replenishing of cupboards throughout America.  

Gas stations will last approximately one and a half hours depending on the day a rush to hoard comes into play.  Again, are you willing to risk that you’re a part of the select few who will have access to gasoline in a crisis? 

No one has to play Russian Roulette with the security, safety and survival of their family today.  Everyone has been sufficiently warned that the need will exist in which you will need your own emergency preparedness supplies.  Whether you’re a reader of the scriptures, or simply a viewer of the broadcast news, evidence is mounting just how vulnerable our current way of life truly is, and as such we must be prepared. 

Stocking up for the future is not only wise preparation, but it’s very therapeutic one as well as it exerts a proactive control in an uncertain world.  The choice is ultimately yours.  Will you prepare or perish, suffering needlessly?

If you would like Kellene Bishop to present an Emergency Preparedness message for your community or church group, please contact us at 801-788-4133.  Ms. Bishop is an experienced speaker and demonstrator on Emergency Preparedness topics and has created a great “Preparedness Party” platform which makes the learning of such a topic more enjoyable for all.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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WHO Level 5 for Swine Flu

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World Health Organization (WHO) just increased their alert to Level 5 due to the swine flu epidemic.  They’ve never increased to to level 4 previously so there’s plenty of reason to take notice.  Got your food and water, folks?

http://www.latimes.com/news/science/la-sci-swine-alert30-2009apr30,0,6098426.story

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30398682/

Click here for more from Preparedness Pro on the Swine flu.

Copyright 2009 Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.  All rights reserved.  You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Preparedness Pro & Kellene Bishop.

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