Aside from nuclear meltdowns occurring worldwide post TEOTWAWKI, deadly diseases and viruses spreading worldwide is arguably the next biggest danger to humanity. History is wrought with cases of deadly pandemics killing off in some cases up to 50% of a regions population. Governments are currently doing a great job at quarantining outbreaks but every so often a virus becomes pandemic and uncontrollable. If for whatever reason the system responsible for vaccinations/quarantining and viral research falls apart, the population worldwide (especially in large cities) would quickly succumb to deadly pandemics. Fortunately, there are things you can do right now to prepare for such a crisis.
What is a Pandemic
A pandemic by definition is an epidemic of any infectious disease that has spread to humans or animals across a large region (worldwide, or across multiple continents). The deadliest of all pandemics; Malaria is believed to have killed off up to 50% of all humans that have ever lived! Lesser pandemics such as smallpox killed of 92% of the Native Americans. Fortunately our current generation hasn’t had to experience the devastation of a deadly global pandemic but many scientists believe that we’re long overdue. In the last 100 years our population has grown from 1.6 billion to the current day 7 billion, because of the greater density and prevalence of humans, the next deadly pandemic is sure to kill millions, if not billions.
What is the Influenza Virus
In simple terms the Influenza virus is the yearly flu. Its first case has been described and reported in 412 BC by the Greek physician Hippocrates. About every 10 to 15 years it mutates into something highly virulent and deadly. The Influenza virus is responsible for; the Asiatic Flu, Spanish Flu, Asian Flu, the Hong Kong Flu, and many others. The Influenza virus and its many forms have together killed off 100s of millions or people worldwide. The reason this article will focus on preparing for an Influenza Pandemic is that it’s what’s believed to be the next world wide killer virus to become a pandemic by the worlds leaving virologist.
What to do Before an Influenza Pandemic
Before an influenza pandemic outbreak begins, be sure to do the following:
- Do research on the virus. Find out what the symptoms are, the mortality rate, where it has currently spread to, treatments. Stay up to date with any news on the pandemic (always question the news though as government authorities tend to place higher value on maintaining authority as oppose to your personal survival).
- Create a plan with your family/friends/neighbors. This plan should cover decontamination procedures, rally points, safe locations, contact information (phone numbers, addresses), and whatever else you deem necessary.
- Create a pandemic survival kit. Your kit should contain medicine/medical supplies to deal with a deadly flu (such as nasal/lung decongestants, anti-inflammatory meds, nitrile gloves, sanitizer, face masks, coveralls, extra bedding sheets/blankets, etc.). Your kit should also contain several weeks’ worth of food and water as you’ll want to isolate yourself from others while the virus passes through society. You should also consider personal protection items to secure your home from intruders/looters, consider guns, alarms, razor wire, window bars, and door jams.
- Have a post pandemic kit. In a worst case scenario, the majority of the population in your area could be dead! Such a scenario could cause absolute chaos; spawning violent gangs, looters, and result in the spread of other infectious problems like Cholera, Botulism, Dysentery, Salmonella, and Typhoid (just to name a few). Not only must you survive the initial pandemic but you’ll also have to survive the outcome of it. You must be prepared to deal with several months of chaos before society returns to an adequate level of peace and stability.
- Have an urban survival retreat. It could be in the city but ideally you’d want to have your retreat outside the city away from the sick people. Your urban survival retreat should contain all the basic amenities plus an ample supply of food, water, self-defense gear, and general urban survival gear.
- Boost your immune system. The supplement DHEA has been shown to be effective for this purpose and we recommend it, we also recommend a daily multivitamin supplement. To boost your immune system you should also consider regular exercise, healthy sleep habits, and a healthy diet comprising of mostly plant based foods.
What to do During an Influenza Pandemic
During an influenza pandemic, you’ll need to isolate yourself from the general public for several weeks! To do this, you’ll need an adequate supply of food and water (for 2 weeks – a bare minimum of 28 gallons of water and enough food to make 28 meals per person). Depending on the death rate of the infected you must decide to either remain in the city or to bug out to a survival retreat away from the city. If the death rate is 5% (350 million globally) or over, we suggest leaving the city as it will become a death zone. Regardless of whether or not you bugged out you must be able to remain indoors away from people and be able protect yourself from intruders while the virus makes its way through society.
If you or a loved one happens to contract the virus, you must do everything in your power to treat the illness and not spread it around to others. If you or a loved one has contracted the virus contact your medical authorities immediately as they may be the only hope of survival, depending on the severity. If you’re unable to get help from proper doctors in a hospital, you must treat yourself the way you would treat any other flu.
What to do After an Influenza Pandemic
Even if the pandemic kills 1% of the global population (70 million), the world would be a drastically different place; it could on the other hand end up being like any other seasonal flu and not really do anything at all. Because the severity of a pandemic could be so drastic, you must play the post pandemic as you see fit. On the bad end, you can expect an outbreak of looting, violence, and the collapse of society with the potential of normalcy never coming back. As the old survival adage goes though: “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst”. In the event of a collapse, the best thing you can do is get with family, friends, neighbors, and like minded people to set up a small urban survival community to better deal with a society that’s fallen apart.