Why?
During a bird pandemic you should remain as isolated from everybody outside your family as possible. Therefore, you should shop only for necessities: food, water, fuel and medicine.
Where?
Therefore, you should go only to a supermarket, drug store, gas station, convenience store or discount store.
A bird flu pandemic is not the time to buy furniture, clothes, electronic toys or tools. It's not a good time to hang out at the mall.
When?
Go during the slowest periods possible, so you will be exposed to as few people as possible. Check out your area to learn what stores stay open 24 hours a day. Which ones are open until late at night? Or start early in the morning?
Go at the time you'll most likely be the only one in the store except for a few employees.
How?
Gasoline may be in limited supply or totally out of stock. So you should not drive far.
Of course, you must make trade offs. If there's a Wal-Mart open all night but it's 3 miles away, that's worth driving to at 4 AM so you'll be alone except for the cashiers and the floor cleaners. However, driving to a store twenty miles away would use up too much gasoline.
Also, if you're going to walk to the store to save gasoline, do so only during the day. Yes, you may be exposed to more people, but they're less likely to rob you or worse. During a bird flu pandemic you cannot depend on law and order, so don't go out after dark unless you are in your car.
What?
Bottled water
Canned vegetables
Canned fruit
Sauerkraut -- good for encouraging growth of favorable bacteria in you, to discourage growth of H5N1. If you're in Asia, substitute Kim Chi.
Hand operated can openers
Garlic
Onions
Pre-cooked meats
Raw meat only for as long as you have electricity and/or gas to cook it with.
Fresh vegetables
Fresh fruit
Horseradish
Ginger root
Dried meat
Cheese -- low-fat preferred
Eggs
Fresh milk
Canned and dry milk
Canned fish
Canned meat
Quality vitamins and supplements, especially Vitamin C, selenium, zinc, Omega-3, lysine, beta glucan, Vitamin E, beta-carotene, Vitamin Bs, super green foods containing chlorophyl, ginseng, reservatrol, magnesium, DHEA, quercetin, bioflavanoids
Yogurt
Soap
Alcohol wipes
Antiseptic hand lotions
Propane
Kerosene
First aid supplies, including tea tree oil and NuSkin
Cold packs
Vaporizers
Toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoos -- all personal care items
Toilet paper and diapers
Household soaps and detergents
Magazines and paperback books to read
Leave behind:
Gimmicks herbs that don't increase your immune system functioning
Sugar and all sweet snacks and candy
Bread
Rice
Spaghetti and all noodles and pastas
Cigarettes
Alcohol
Fruit juices
Soft drinks
Reduce your risk of catching bird flu and strengthen your immune system to survive in case you do catch it.
Anything that increases your risk of catching bird flu is bad, as is anything that weakens your immune system.
A bird flu pandemic is not the time to be undisciplined and self-indulgent.
The pandemic is out of your personal control -- but you increases your odds of surviving by the actions you take.
Richard Stooker Richard Stooker is the author of How to Protect Yourself and Your Family From Bird Flu and Bird Flu Blog
Rick Crandall – Host of the Breakfast Club – KEZW 1430 AM
ILADS
Last month I read "The Shack," by William P. Young with the South Denver Book Club, and I had a wonderful experience as a result. I highly suggest reading this book, and with a group if you can swing it.
