Swine Flu

Hi Ferfal

I've been reading your blog for quite a while now and its been incredibly helpful, so thanks very much for that. I have a question about the swine flu outbreak in Mexico and USA - are you prepared for such a situation? If so, how? I understand that there is a vaccine available - Tamiflu - that can in some circumstances be bought over the counter. Would you consider this or rely on the government to provide a vaccination through the WHO (World Health Organisation)?

Many Thanks and keep up the good work.

Jay

Oh, I’ve learned long ago not to rely on the government, specially the Argentine one.
I think there’s not a single Argentine left that trusts our “leaders” any more.
If some international organizations truly gives away medicine for free, our government and some down their chain will simply steal it and sell it to the people.
If things get bad, I think I’d just leave the country fast and move to Spain where I can go immediately and would have a place to crash.
I bought Tamilfu a couple years ago. I suppose it already expired. Maybe I’ll buy a couple more boxes just in case.
It’s cheap insurance when you consider the alternative.
Regarding locations, take for example what’s happening here with the Dengue.
The disease has spread a lot, thankfully autumn is coming and the mosquito slowing down it’s activity.
But what did the government do after people protested for the lack of official action?
They started fumigating, but where? In the city, where there’s the greatest amount of population, and, maybe more important, where people notice the government action the most.
So, in the city they get rid of the bug, while in the outskirts and other smaller provinces they are still getting people infected for lack of government action.
Of course this is one particular case, other diseases work differently and in other cases you want to be as far away from populated places as you can. But with a mosquito spreading a disease, or rats, pests that can be controlled if the authorities do a bit of effort, being in the capital city helps a lot, since it’s the last place they allow to go down.
About flu, sorry don’t have much advice there. Get Tamiflu ( I think it’s expensive in USA) .
If the disease spreads in your area, you might want to start wearing one of those 3M cloth masks rated N95.
I carry one in my bag all day, mostly for smoke and debris, but it would help avoid (read help, not avoid completely) flu as well.
Maybe people are afraid of looking like dorks. If the disease is spreading in your area, forget shyness and dorkiness, those have no place in a survival minded person.
People with immune system diseases use those masks all day, so they are not that uncommon.
Avoid crowded and dirty places like public transportation, go shopping to the supermarket when there’s the lesser amount of people, preferably early during week days.
If things get really bad, you just better move somewhere else. Here’s where the Plan B and C we’ve talked about before comes into play, just one more example of when it can come in handy.
Take care.

FerFAL