Answers to Questions…H1N1 and Pregnant Women

I was traveling yesterday and there was just never a good time to post. Today, I’m back and ready to answer a few questions.

This is not really a question but just some great information I wanted to make sure you didn’t miss.

Storage space is in short supply on our main floor, so my extra supply of non-perishable things like toilet paper and tissue is stored in the attic. We don’t have a major mouse problem but every once in a while one will find it’s way in. Now mice love nothing more than paper to build their nests in, so what I’ve done to store that extra TP and tissue is put them inside large plastic storage tubs with the lids taped shut. (I found red ones for Christmas decorations on sale after Christmas) Now that it’s garage sale season, it might be a good idea to be on the look out for gently used clean storage tubs.

This is a great idea for paper products of all kinds. During a long illness or a long quarantine you will want extra paper products on hand, napkins, plates, cups, paper towels, etc. An attic or garage is a great place to store these and since they are not heavy, stacking several plastic tubs will save room and allow you to store plenty.

Storage tubs are traditionally on sale during the months of January and July so begin looking for sales in a few weeks.

Referring to our General Store post on Monday…

That’s a lot of cans. Can I store freeze dried or dehydrated?

You can do anything what works well for your situation, BUT, you knew there was a but coming…I would not store anything freeze dried or dehydrated except eggs and cooking ingredients such as onions and peppers. The reason, during almost every emergency water systems are affected and there is no water available or, the water that is, needs to be boiled and purified before you can use it. I have mentioned this before, but it is worth mentioning again since we have so many new people joining us. The syrup from canned fruit makes a great liquid to make oatmeal or other hot cereals. The liquid in vegetables can be used to cook rice or pasta.

My second reason for recommending against freeze dried and dehydrated is the amount of time it takes to prepare these meals, much longer than simply heating a can of green beans. If you are without electricity this will become a big problem. Canned foods will heat through quickly on a backyard grill or in a fire pit, the others will take much longer, using much more of your fuel supply.

And, third, these foods are much more expensive. If you really have $1000.00 to spend you cannot only get the same amount of food but also all of your paper supplies and toiletries for that same $1000.00.

What are the characteristics of N95 Masks.  Here in Australia, when I phoned the pharmacy asking for N95 masks they said they have masks that surgeons wear during operations. I read somewhere they said that those are very hot and sweaty to wear. Is N95 an internationally used mask?

I’m at a little bit of a loss here as far as recommending where to purchase masks in Australia. Maybe someone in Australia can help us out here. In the US you can purchase them at any pharmacy or chain store which sell over the counter medications. An N95 mask is any mask that has a government rating which confirmed that it prevents 95% of germs and bacteria from getting through. There are masks with valves, masks which are firm and cup shaped and those which are flat and have loops that fasten around your ears. All three types are effective. The important part is that they have a metal strip at the nose so it can be adjusted to fit firmly against the face. N95 masks should be labeled as N95 on the packaging.Yes, they are hot and sweaty, any good mask will be.

I search N95 masks, Australia and found several sources on the Internet. Please let us know what you find.

PREGNANT WOMEN

I have mentioned in the past that pregnant women are in much greater danger during a pandemic than other groups. This has been the pattern during past pandemics. Yesterday the CDC released this statement:

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Pregnant women are especially at risk for complications from the H1N1 flu virus and shouldn’t hesitate to use antiviral drugs if they even think they might be infected, doctors at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say.

Health officials are investigating 20 cases of infected pregnant women, several of whom had severe complications, says the CDC’s Anne Schuchat. One of those pregnant woman — teacher Judy Trunnell, 33, of Harlingen, Texas— died May 5.

Flu complications in pregnancy include pneumonia, dehydration and preterm labor, Schuchat says. Treatments include such drugs as oseltamivir, sold as Tamiflu, and zanamivir, sold as Relenza, she says.

“Sometimes physicians are reluctant to treat pregnant women with medicines, and sometimes pregnant women are reluctant to take medicines because, of course, they are sometimes risky during pregnancy,? Schuchat says. But ?the experts who have looked into this situation really strongly say that the benefit of using antiviral drugs to treat influenza in a pregnant women outweigh the theoretical concerns about the drugs.?”

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-05-12-swine-flu_N.htm?csp=usat.me

Pregnant women should take extra precautions to stay away from large group events, should practice social distancing, avoid hand shaking and avoid those who are ill. This will be very important in the early stages of a second wave. If you hear a second wave has begun and you are pregnant begin these precautionary practices immediately.

2 Responses to “Answers to Questions…H1N1 and Pregnant Women”

1. folding shower chair with back says:

   May 14, 2009 at 2:10 am

   This is good info for us all. Glad you posted this. I will be subscribing to this blog. Irma
2. N95 Respirator says:

   July 20, 2009 at 1:41 pm

   Oh my gosh. I didn’t even consider to think about the safety of where toilet paper is stored at work.