EBOLA: What are you doing to prepare?

[Willie51]

I figured I would start this thread to hear and learn what you all think and are doing to prepare just in case this nasty virus gets out of hand here in the U.S.

Questions:

What are you doing to right now to prepare in case we have a widespread outbreak? What supplies, preps, etc. do we need?

What would you do if it mutates, God forbid, and goes truly airborne?

[realist]

Reading as much as possible. I'm going to be attending a medical ICS class which will be followed by a full day tabletop on Ebola. Should be interesting.

I figure we have a while. I'm accelerating a bunch of things I have had on the back burner.

Tyvex
Masks
Gloves
Bleach. I'm looking into what I need to to make my own

[ak474u]

Since I'm 19-20 miles from ground zero, just limiting travel to public places, disinfecting shopping baskets, washing hands, hand san often. I've got some gear and supplies set aside, but I think there probably is some time left to prepare. Good luck getting N100 masks in the dfw area right now.

[Willie51]

Reading as much as possible. I'm going to be attending a medical ICS class which will be followed by a full day tabletop on Ebola. Should be interesting.

I figure we have a while. I'm accelerating a bunch of things I have had on the back burner.

Tyvex
Masks
Gloves
Bleach. I'm looking into what I need to to make my own

Please let us know after your class.

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Since I'm 19-20 miles from ground zero, just limiting travel to public places, disinfecting shopping baskets, washing hands, hand san often. I've got some gear and supplies set aside, but I think there probably is some time left to prepare. Good luck getting N100 masks in the dfw area right now.

I have plenty of N95 mask, but no N100. I know they are better since they are HEPA rated and I probably should order some. Any online sources where we can still get them that you know of?

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Since I'm 19-20 miles from ground zero, just limiting travel to public places, disinfecting shopping baskets, washing hands, hand san often. I've got some gear and supplies set aside, but I think there probably is some time left to prepare. Good luck getting N100 masks in the dfw area right now.

FUBAR City, man you keep you and yours safe out there FIRST.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Gloves, yes, masks (short), CBR suits ineffective, LadyHK is doing her Courses, me I watch and gather intell. We are limiting our movements. Currently watching morons "House Subcommittee" Hearing on Ebola Crisis.

We are "preppers" we prep, these the scenarios we prep for. We don't know where this going or how this is going to end up. But we've ranted over this shit for years. So now may be the actual calm before the storm, the surge will come. This could lead to every scenario we've ever discussed, So I would say, "Look back in the cobb web covered filing cabinets of your brain and find those old files marked SHTF and you'll be fine."

And on that note, don't put your hopes in the government because they can't get the slide show working right now, too fuckin funny.......we're doomed.........

[Willie51]

Gloves, yes, masks (short), CBR suits ineffective, LadyHK is doing her Courses, me I watch and gather intell. We are limiting our movements. Currently watching morons "House Subcommittee" Hearing on Ebola Crisis.

We are "preppers" we prep, these the scenarios we prep for. We don't know where this going or how this is going to end up. But we've ranted over this shit for years. So now may be the actual calm before the storm, the surge will come. This could lead to every scenario we've ever discussed, So I would say, "Look back in the cobb web covered filing cabinets of your brain and find those old files marked SHTF and you'll be fine."

And on that note, don't put your hopes in the government because get the slide show working right now, too fuckin funny.......we're doomed.........

Agreed. And I have no faith in our gooberment to save us. Question why is CBR suit ineffective?

Also, can't wait to hear what the Lady is learning!!

[Sniper-T]

...can't wait to hear what the Lady is learning!!

"101 Ways to Wok your Cat"?

[bacpacker]

Realist, I to would like to how the ICS class goes and what course number it is, as well as, the results of the tabletop. Those are usually pretty revealing.

AK, keep your head down. Been wondering how you guys were coping.

We have added to stocks of bleach and gloves. Still need more mask and would like to get Tyler to. Amazon has both listed. We have been very selective on where we go and what we do. Will trim that up more as needed.

[ElevenBravo]

More ammo I reckon... Never enough ammo. Or magazines.

[idahobob]

Getting ready to self quarantine. Did a practice run a couple of years ago...locked everything down for a month. Worked out well.

So for this crap.....we shall see.

Bob
III

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Agreed. And I have no faith in our gooberment to save us. Question why is CBR suit ineffective?

Also, can't wait to hear what the Lady is learning!!

Most are made of rubber but some incorporate a filter, allowing air, sweat and condensation to slowly pass through. One example is the Canadian military NBC suit. Most US suits are commonly of the charcoal type. By allowing these suits to breathe it will allow the virus to penetrate. Now, I hope I got all my facts straight. We are better off with a civilian hazmat suit designed for the the subject matter at hand.

[ak474u]

Most are made of rubber but some incorporate a filter, allowing air, sweat and condensation to slowly pass through. One example is the Canadian military NBC suit. Most US suits are commonly of the charcoal type. By allowing these suits to breathe it will allow the virus to penetrate. Now, I hope I got all my facts straight. We are better off with a civilian hazmat suit designed for the the subject matter at hand.

I thought those suits only breathe from inside out. I can tell you that's how tyvek is designed, but I don't know if it's pourous when it comes to microorganisms.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Like I said, I hope I got all my facts straight. But I would rather save my CBR suit for what it's designed for. Then get myself another suit that's designed this situation. Safe than sorry. If someone can prove me wrong please do so. I spent a few weeks sweating my ass off in the damn thing, mask on, mask off, mask on, mask off. One scud after another. BUT! We weren't exposed to.................uh...whatever.

[Willie51]

I know the CBR is for chemical, biological, radiological. I though those suits would stop anything! I've never been in one though and have no experience.

[Willie51]

I went ahead and placed an order from Amazon to supplement what I have already while I still could get them. We are preppers....rather have and not need, than to need and not have!

Ordered today- 6 ea. N100 mask, box of 10 Curad antiviral pleated face mask, 4 Dupont OC127s Tychem suits (yellow).

I'm a volunteer first responder here in town and a paramedic said the Curad antiviral is a must have for many things so I ordered a box, $13.75. Also, I figured the tychem suit would repel fluids. Worst case, I can use all this stuff to pressure wash my house or crawl under my car or use for the next time Songbird makes me paint the house. :)

[Stormfeather]

Mostly just stocking up on bleach, masks and food as usual. That and watching the movements of FEMA and CDC, keeping my ear to the ground and hoping for the best. My main concern is that with the flu season coming up, there will be cases of mistaken identity, which will in turn lead to panic possibly in some larger cities. The downside I see to this, is somebody becoming complacent after seeing 25-30 flu cases turn out to be just the flu, and that one case of actual no shit ebola slipping thru the cracks. Another viable scenario is someone with Ebola thinking its just the flu, and they go out and interact with the public during the course of their day and spreading it unknowingly. I know when I get the flu, I just suck it up and carry on not worrying about it. I minimize my exposure to people, but I still am out and about amongst the public, and I know theres plenty of people like me who do that. All it takes is one person to have ebola and act like I do, to make it go viral.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

At's a bull's eye right there. It's all your fault, we're doomed................way to go Stormy. BUT, you're right on all counts.

[Willie51]

Mostly just stocking up on bleach, masks and food as usual. That and watching the movements of FEMA and CDC, keeping my ear to the ground and hoping for the best. My main concern is that with the flu season coming up, there will be cases of mistaken identity, which will in turn lead to panic possibly in some larger cities. The downside I see to this, is somebody becoming complacent after seeing 25-30 flu cases turn out to be just the flu, and that one case of actual no shit ebola slipping thru the cracks. Another viable scenario is someone with Ebola thinking its just the flu, and they go out and interact with the public during the course of their day and spreading it unknowingly. I know when I get the flu, I just suck it up and carry on not worrying about it. I minimize my exposure to people, but I still am out and about amongst the public, and I know theres plenty of people like me who do that. All it takes is one person to have ebola and act like I do, to make it go viral.

Great point! The wife and I were discussing that very thing the other night because the first systems are the same as flu.....fever, headache, nausea, muscle aches, etc. My other fear is if this spreads to S. America, then up through Mexico. Where do you think they will rush to. Yep, there will be a mass exodus across our borders for FREE healthcare in the good ole U.S.A Then the true nighmare begins!

[realist]

For your CBRN suits most people think of the moon suits (level A). These along with the level B suits let out very little heat and moisture. The level A obtains 100% humidity after about 7 minutes and you need an SCBA to operate. The level B suit has a hood that allows you to wear an APR. Other CBRN suits such as the Lanx and Saratoga suits do breath and are designed to be worn 30 day of continuous use. These work well with an APR. However these suits are pricy. The nice thing about the Lanx is they can be washed several times before loosing their protection. Another thing is you could wear them under you regular clothes and no one would know because they look like long under wear material. However I think the gas mask may give you away. For just protection against Ickies like Ebola your Tyvex or Sananx.
Hope this helps you folks who are trying to make decisions on this stuff.

[mitunnelrat]

I'm not privy to details on the suits my employer provides, i don't use them, but I was reminded of this thread when the following, random email reached me... Figured I'd pass the info along.


Employees, please read this important message from Procurement:
*
*
'Due to the current worldwide*Ebola crisis, Tyvek hazardous materials suits are now on national backorder with no release date. While Materials Management does have limited inventory, we must restrict the amount of suits issued at one time. Materials Management will now issue Tyvek suits by the EACH.*Tyvek suits were previously issued by the CASE of 25 each. This change is effective immediately. The Procurement*team is attempting to secure additional inventory as quickly as possible.
*
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.'

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Well I guess you better get your "each" there little brother before someone decides to take your size down at the supply depot. But nothing a little duct tape won't cure.

Now having said that I did find a great deal, they still have them as of this morning now only in large and XL. but the price is better than most. I received mine the other day and it came with chem gloves and n95 masks as well. All vacuum sealed, Damn nice of the fellow http://www.ebay.com/itm/330805831929

DUPONT TYCHEM F CHEMICAL PROTECTION SUIT w/BOOTS & HOOD

Tychem® F coveralls, are made of a proprietary barrier film laminated to a Tyvek® substrate. Strong, durable, and lightweight, it is a preferred choice for law enforcement, emergency medical services technicians, and military personnel. Tychem® F fabrics are tested by a third party laboratory to assess its chemical permeation resistance. DuPont has data for over 190 chemicals for Tychem® F in SafeSPEC™ 2.0 so that the user can select an appropriate garment.

Here's a link to fill in the blanks check out the PDF files (Data sheets) further down the page.

http://www.dupont.com/products-and-services/personal-protective-equipment/chemical-protective-garments/brands/tychem/products/tychem-f.html

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Oh and to answer said topic uh yeah we're suited up I just need to put them into kits now, goggles will be in today. I think MCU2P's might be overkill but then again, WHAT'S THE SCENARIO?

[ElevenBravo]

Banking ammo... :-)

http://i.imgur.com/Owxi9.gif

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Our fearless leader, SALUTE! HOO-YAH!

[ElevenBravo]

Clint Eastwood and John Wayne... they sure dont make them like they used to!!

[realist]

I have been meaning to write this for a while, but I’ve been busy. Ebola is the flavor of the month at this time, as my old teaching partner used to call it. There are several thousand cases in several African nations but relatively few here. Remember the Anthrax scare? Before the Anthrax incident the US was experiencing about one suspicious powder related to some biological agent a month. Then after the attack just our county alone we experienced about 250 incidents a month and this went on for about eight month. So much money was pissed away on idiots. People were sure the white powder next to their coffee pot in the break room was someone spreading around Anthrax. Well looking at Ebola from a third party standpoint, it appears were are doing the same thing all over again. I attended some training recently which was very enlightening to say the least. It was four hours of the incident command system as it relates to medical personnel and then it was supposed be a table top exercise on Anthrax. Well since Ebola was the topic of the month we went on to it instead. First I would like to say this was not some whitewashed explanation. Everyone for the most part was in the health care profession. One of the main speakers, was a doctor who I would trust my wife’s life to, because he pretty much saved her last year (that is a whole another story). There were no tin hats on I could see in the room, although when I had to use the restroom there was one guy who was having a hard time getting out of the bathroom without touching the door handle.

We went over just how to get it. Most people know it come is contracted by coming into bodily fluids of a person who is infected. Because of the third world environment Ebola has been spreading more and more. There is a huge number of health care workers over in Africa who have died treating these patients. They are trying their best but when you do not have any breaks everyone is tired and the do make mistakes. One issue is the dead bodies which according to some local customs the relatives handle them to prepare for burial, which I do not see a problem in our county, we now have protocols in place for their disposal. The other way is to come in contact with the person’s bodily fluids during treatment or by accident. Ebola is a hemorrhagic fever which causes the person to bleed out of their orifices, this along with vomiting and diarrhea is where the body fluids come. It is for that reason most health professionals have said you need to keep at least a 3 foot distance from anyone suspected of carrying the disease.

One important thing brought up was Ebola is really a fragile disease. When it is in fluid you can get it but the disease dies when it dries out. Part of the problem in Africa is health care professionals are treating the patients as fast as they can and have no time to study the disease. Over here things are moving along. For instance in one of the facilities which treated one of the patients then could not find any active virus on the toilet seat or the floor even through the patient had vomited and had severe diarrhea. This is a good sign but I have seen little put out to the public. Coughing and being vomited on can get you contaminated. However this is not always the case. If the virus was as contagious as everyone in the press would have you think everyone in Africa would have contracted it now. Even when handling dead bodies family member don’t always catch the disease.

Should you be concerned of people coming from Africa carrying the disease? Sure but not to the point of getting hysterical. The doctor leading the talk told us of one of his colleagues getting a call from one of his patients being worried about catching the disease. He said he had recently flew in a plane over Dallas and was concerned……………….stupid. I know my wife says stupid is a bad word, but stupid is as stupid does.

The cost of taking care of those people brought into this country was approximately $500,000. Here on the left coast all the University of California hospitals have been designated are treatment facilities. It is expensive to treat the disease. Because it is the flavor of the month everyone is throwing ungodly amounts of money at it. Whoever makes a vaccine or cure for it will hit the jackpot. I want to say the president wanted to throw $6.9 Billion at it………….WTF?

Okay so there is always a silver lining or as one infamous person said, “Never let a good crisis go to waste”. Everyone is getting up to speed on contamination avoidance. Procedures are being changed on a weekly basis to protect those health professionals in the field which in turn will protect us. Like a lot of you, it has got me off my ass and I added to my medical supplies a large amount of infection control supplies.

So what do I see long term? Well we have our military over their assisting in building treatment facilities, or so I am told. Other countries are now getting more involved in making sure they are controlling people coming from those countries which are affected. If this virus is not contained then it is estimated over a 100,000 people could contract the disease within the year. The big problem with this is the potential for it to morph into something else. For the time being I think we are good. I do plan on being more involved in a couple of groups in this health care field which I have made contacts. If I come across more information I will pass it along.

One last thing get a flu shot. Some of the symptoms of Ebola are flu like. So there are a lot of people who get the flu this year just know they have Ebola. I do hope is when there is a flu pandemic those who have been vaccinated might have a better chance, but we won’t know until then………..

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Only time will tell I reckon.