Did you know that the U.S. government says schools will close for 3 months during a severe pandemic?

Question

The H5N1 avian flu virus has killed 78% of the people infected during the past six months. We're being told to stockpile food, water, baby food, pet food, medicine, and cleaning supplies.

Also schools will close for 3 months during a severe pandemic.

Have you heard the warnings from the U.S. government?

It’s not fear mongering or panic to discuss realistic outcomes. People need to be doing much, much more than “keeping abreast of events.” It's obvious that everyone can’t go to the grocery store the day a pandemic starts – they will run out of food within hours.

The reason that there have been only 291 patients is because the virus hasn’t finished mutating & does not yet pass easily from person to person on a widespread basis so we're not seeing many patients.

A pandemic is 1. new virus so that no one has immunity - most people who are exposed will be infected. 2. virus that makes people ill 3. virus that is passed easily from person to person.

There has been human-to-human transmission – quite clearly in Indonesia and Turkey. The virus is mutating, and only one mutation is still needed.

It can become pandemic with the current lethality. The CDC, World Health Organization (UN body) and the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy have all said this.

We will have absolutely no warning. When an infected person not yet showing symptoms gets on a plane in Hong Kong or Jakarta & flies to Rome, London, or New York, He is spreading the infection to the other passengers who then get connecting flights. The virus can be around the world in 24 hours.

We do not have a vaccine. The vaccines that have been developed (prepandemic vaccine) were based on the strain in Vietnam in 2004. It only worked on 45% of people injected. The virus has mutated so much since then that it won't work on current virus. There is no evidence that so-called cross immunity will work. There’s no evidence that it will reduce severity of illness.

The vaccine must be customized for the virus so they can’t start to make a true vaccine until the pandemic has started. Then It will take 6 to 9 months to produce a vaccine. It will be small amounts at first which will go to healthcare workers.

Most patients have been healthy chidren, teens and young adults.

If you're not convinced, check out a CDC drill....

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10012460

Answer 1

We've been told to exercise common sense in the event of a possible flu pandemic. 78% of 14 people isn't much of a pandemic. Common sense says to have supplies on hand in case of any domestic emergency.

No need for fearmongering.

Answer 2

It is good to keep abreast of events, but not to panic.
In its present form, H5N1 is not contagious from human to human. It will require a genetic mutation for this to happen, and it may not happen. And, if it does happen, the mutated form may also be less lethal to humans.
However, it is possible that it will someday develop into a highly lethal pandemic.
We in the West should have some warning of this, since these mutations usually happen first in Asia and work their way around the world. This is why, each year, by the time a new strain of flu has reached the US, a vaccine against it has already been developed.
In addition to this, vaccines against the current form of H5N1 have already been developed and can be produced. A person vaccinated with this would have at least partial immunity (also called crossover immunity) to the mutated more lethal form. If it did not prevent the illness entirely, it should at least decrease its severity.
If all these measures are ineffective, of course, it is indeed possible to have a pandemic comparable to the 1918 influenza outbreak, and extreme measures might need to be taken to prevent its spread.

Answer 3

I heard they were going to close the schools for 3 months, I think they called it "Summer Vacation"

Answer 4

NO I haven't heard it, and what is a PANDEMIC???