Category: First Aid and Medical

The Basics: Medical

bvinson1 Comment

Perhaps no other aspect of personal readiness is more misunderstood than medical preparedness. Many of us have access to the supplies we need, but it is often the knowledge and mindset that is missing. On top of that, there is more to medical preparedness than treating wounds. Much more.

First, the disclaimer. I am trained in first aid and other minor medical procedures. I used to teach a wide variety of health and safety courses for the American Red Cross and for my own company and I’ve stayed up on this knowledge. I am considered a ‘knowledgeable person’ by the legal definition and, therefore, able to teach minor medical treatments. I am not, however, a ‘trained medical professional’, doctor, nurse, or professional healthcare provider. I do not give professional medical advice. Therefore, this post and all others by me or by non-medical professionals on this site are for information and educational purposes only. You should speak to your trusted healthcare professional for medical advice.

Mindset

As with most preparedness activities, the most important thing is approaching it with the correct mindset. We must be mentally ready to do what needs to be done.

Back in my 20’s I had a girlfriend whose sister was determined to be an Emergency Medical Technician. She loved the aspect of community service and helping people out, especially those who were having what was likely the worst day of their lives. She went to school to learn everything she needed to know and get her certification. Since she was paying her own way, it took a couple of years and in the gaps between class time, she did everything she could to learn more, stay fresh on her knowledge, and even learn the business side of ambulance services.

Finally she completed the schooling and went on her first ride-along with an ambulance. On that first evening, she went to a call for a victim with a gunshot wound.  The amount of blood, level of trauma, and sounds of suffering from the victim were more than she could stand. They got the victim to the hospital, but she found that she was unable to make herself get back in the ambulance. She was too traumatized.

Despite all of her desire and training and preparation, she could not deal with the trauma and never returned to finish her certification. Her mindset failed her.

Don’t get me wrong, people are built differently and I’m not passing judgment on whether her reaction was right or wrong. I’m just saying that she did not have the mindset that allowed her to fulfill her goal.

Make sure that you have the correct mindset to achieve your goals, or that you have a resource who has the mindset as well as the skills needed.

Preventative Medicine

One of the most overlooked portions of medical preparedness for emergency situations is to make sure that you are in the best health possible before the emergency situation.

Proper fitness levels can prevent or delay injuries when your body is called upon to do something outside the norm. If you are in good cardiovascular health, have muscles accustomed to being worked, tendons and ligaments used to be flexed, then you are much less likely to suffer from sprains, strains, and pulls when you’re called into unusual action.

Beyond the normal day-to-day activities you do, ensure that you are getting proper medical advice. Go see your trusted medical professional at least annually to make sure that everything is still good. Heart health issues such as high blood pressure and endocrinological conditions such as diabetes can creep up so slowly that we can be unaware of their onset. According to Mount Sinai Medical Center, those under 30 should get a checkup every two to three years. People between 30 and 40 should get a checkup annually. If you’re over 50, the annual is a must and you’ll likely need additional testing or monitoring if indicators of common health conditions are present. Between 40 and 50, no specific guidance is given, but the annual physical examination is a good idea.

The American Dental Association is a bit less helpful in their recommendations in their statement, ” To maintain optimal oral health, the American Dental Association (ADA) recommends regular dental visits, at intervals determined by a dentist.” If you read a bit further it seems that they recommend a checkup and cleaning at least annually and your dentist may recommend more frequent visits if you are considered high-risk patient. As someone who had a tooth break during Thanksgiving dinner one year (American Thanksgiving is on Thursday for our international readers), when no dentist was available immediately, most were closed the next day and following weekend, I can say that a broken tooth only complicates normal life. I would never want to experience an emergency situation with a broken tooth added on. Get those chompers checked and brush according to your dentist’s recommendation.

The final component of preventative care is diet and nutrition. Ensuring proper nutrition serves as the foundation for the other items. Eating right gives your body the resources necessary to stay fit. A balanced diet ensures that you have the right combination of macronutrients and micronutrients to allow your body to maintain your musculoskeletal structure, and fight infections. Lower acid foods means less wear on your teeth and crunchy foods help strengthen the muscles and ligaments holding your teeth in place. All of this works together help maintain that base level of health that you may have to rely on in an emergency situation.

These three preventative care considerations should help greatly and may actually prevent the onset of an emergency situation. It is an unfortunate fact of life that we don’t know each instance of when something didn’t go wrong. We only know when it did go wrong. Staying healthy should assist in keeping that count low.

First Aid and Trauma Training

This aspect of medical preparedness is what receives most of the attention in preparedness circles. It is important, so we’ll spend some time on it. However, we just can’t go into enough detail in this format to provide training for those who need it and retain interest for those who don’t. So make sure you do follow up with appropriate training.

Strangely, though the Red Cross is considered the premiere agency for delivering First Aid training, they don’t really pause to define first aid. So we’ll go to Wikipedia where it is defined as, “the first and immediate assistance given to any person suffering from either a minor or serious illness or injury, with care provided to preserve life, prevent the condition from worsening, or to promote recovery.”

The United States has a set of laws commonly referred to as the Good Samaritan laws which endeavor to hold harmless those who provide first aid as long as they are not exceeding their level of training and basically do no intentional harm. If the person being treated is conscious, some states require you ask their permission before rendering aid (be aware of your local laws). Those unconscious are generally considered to have given implicit consent. With these stipulations, you can see it is a good idea to take training so you can prove your level of training should it be required as well as potentially understand other legal ramifications of providing treatment.

Certain professions have a duty to render aid with their own laws, regulations and rules. Such discussions are far outside the scope of this article.

The next item to understand is that there is a difference between first aid and trauma treatment. General cuts, scrapes, strains, stresses and even breaks can be treated through first aid. Trauma treatment is often outside the skills of first aid providers and the most those trained in first aid can do for a trauma victim is to attempt to stabilize the person and wait for advanced medical providers to arrive.

In this context trauma is considered major injuries, often with severe blood loss such as from car wrecks, gunshot wounds, or violent attack. In modern, developed nations most people will never see a trauma victim first hand. Those in the military or law enforcement, high-danger jobs, or closely associated with criminal activity will have a higher likelihood of such encounters and may benefit from such training.

Many classes will also teach you ‘expedient’ tricks and techniques you can use if proper equipment is not available. This is good to know, but relying on them is like relying on flint and steel to start a fire to stay warm when you can turn on the heater in your house. To continue the analogy, make sure your ‘heater is working’ by collecting the proper equipment.

Equipment and Medications

There are first aid kits available in a wide variety of styles and contents that will help facilitate such treatments. The costs and contents fluctuate widely. A personal recommendation is that you buy a decent basic kit that has most of what you need and then augment it with additional supplies purchased individually. For instance, many first aid kits will only have a small number of adhesive bandages (and they will often be of low quality). If that kit has a good selection of other items, go ahead and get it and then add adhesive bandages from a box purchased separately so you have enough to meet your needs. Most mass-produced first aid kits don’t come with the very useful triangular bandage. Trying to find a kit with the triangular bandage can be frustrating and expensive. Again, get the basic kit and add this extra item.

Large kits can be kept at the house, where most accidents happen, medium sized kits can be stored in your vehicle, and small kits designed specifically for the activity you’re undertaking can be stored in your office desk or even carried in a backpack or purse.

This idea of activity-based kits is important. There will, of course, be commonly shared items such as adhesive bandages and over-the-counter pain killers. But if you’re going on a hike, adding a mole skin to prevent blisters would be advisable. If you’re going for a night on the town, hand sanitizer may be more helpful. Change the contents of your small kit to fit your needs. By combining small numbers of the ‘extra’ contents you bought to supplement your main kit, you may be able to stock your small kits from existing supplies.

The way to know what these needs are involves planning – which happens to be the subject of the Thursday posts, so make sure you’re checking back for those – or go ahead and subscribe below to be notified of updates.

For most in the medical or trauma professions, first aid kits are considered ‘boo boo kits’. Most will not come with the items necessary to treat severe trauma. The main purpose of a trauma kit is to stop major bleeds. Usually they include pressure bandages, seals for sucking chest wounds, blood clotting dressings and a tourniquet. The user should receive specific training on the use of each of these items as the misuse could result in no assistance being provided or even further injury. Seek out appropriate training for this equipment.

Now that covers some of the ‘sexy’ equipment that can be used, but there are more mundane items which are more commonly used and need just as much – and perhaps more – attention.

So many people need medical equipment these days and that medical equipment relies on electricity. Electricity should, therefore, be considered a medical necessity for these folks. Whether you need an oxygen generator for breathing issues while awake, or a CPAP machine while asleep, you need electricity to keep your devices working. Your first step should be to ensure you have a battery backup for your life-saving equipment. Your next step should be to ensure you have a method to recharge the device or a plan to get to a location where you have access to electricity. If you are reliant on any other medical device for your day-to-day health, ensure that you can keep it operational at least long enough for you to get somewhere else.

Similarly, many people are reliant on life-sustaining medications. One issue that many have is that they are also reliant on the insurance industry to purchase these medications. Insurance companies are notorious for not allowing over-purchasing. So it is difficult to have a supply of these medications for emergency needs.

It is important to follow applicable laws and not falsely report anything to insurance companies, but one method that I have seen that works well for accumulating an emergency supply is fairly simple but takes a while to generate a substantial ‘excess’. Most insurance companies will pay for your next refill about seven days before your current prescription runs out. If you stay on top of it then, you can refill your 30-day prescription every 23 days. That adds a week of ‘additional’ medication every month. If the dates fall correctly, you could potentially have 12 weeks of ‘extra’ medicine by just staying on top of your refills.

I’m not a doctor or a lawyer, but I do know that it is a violation of federal law to take a medication in a manner inconsistent with product labeling. Most (if not all) medications come with a disclaimer discard by a certain date – usually a year after purchase. It may, therefore, be illegal to take medication that is more than a year old. I’m not telling you what to do or not to do, just bringing this to your awareness.

Conclusion

There it is, a thought project on medical preparedness. The general summary is stay fit, eat well and get checked out regularly. Have the skills and equipment you need to help yourself and others. If you can do that, you are many strides ahead of virtually everyone you encounter on a daily basis – which means you are a leader in medical preparedness. Encourage others to become leaders as well so maybe they’ll be there for you should you need it as you would be there for them.

Year 2020+1

bvinson2 Comments

Hi there folks, I’m trying to get into a rhythm of posting but this one will fall outside of that rhythm. I wanted to get some thoughts out there to help keep you focused and potentially provide insight you may not have considered.

Here we are on the day before the presidential inauguration. Many are projecting that now that the year 2020 is behind us and the new president is coming in, things are going to get back to normal.

I hope this is the case. I hope that we are truly on the road to recovery as a nation and across the globe.

If we are truly recovering, enjoy it.

I encourage you to keep your preparedness and readiness goals in mind though. This is not to say that we should run around with our hair on fire (this is never the correct response). This just means that as you go about your life, remember that you started on the preparedness journey for a reason and that reason has likely not subsided.

The year 2020 was harsh, primarily for three reasons. Unfortunately there doesn’t seem to have been a lot of progress made.

COVID

The COVID-19 virus is still a concern globally. Though it is most impactful to a small segment of the global community, for those people it can be extremely devastating. It should be taken seriously, especially for those folks and those closest to them. Even for those of us who think it has been over-hyped, it should still be taken seriously. There is no reason not to follow the basic protocols social distancing, wearing a mask (unless you have a physical reason not to), and washing your hands.

 I was a social distancing earlier-adopter. I haven’t liked people within six feet of me most of my life.

Some are hailing the arrival of the vaccine. Please remember that this vaccine is not intended to make you immune to the virus or even to keep you from spreading the virus. It keeps you from having symptoms. This can protect tens of thousands of people as, for most people, it is the symptoms that kill. Just keep in mind that it is still out there and that you still need to follow appropriate protocols for your personal situation and the protection of those you care about.

Expect mask mandates, continued social distancing, and other restrictions while a vaccine is developed that will actually halt the spread rather than halt the symptoms. My concern is that the current vaccines will provide false hope and people will become lax in the other preventative measures, allowing the virus to spread more easily or mutate at a faster rate than it otherwise would.

The Economy

With the lockdowns, the economy is still struggling. Even once the lockdowns are lifted, there is going to be a significant period where things will still need to unwind.

People who worked at businesses that will not open again will need to find jobs. Since the labor market will likely be flooded and businesses will just be getting back on their own feet, those jobs will likely come with a cut in pay, reducing overall consumer spending – which accounts for the majority of spending in a healthy economy. It can recover, but it will take time – and it will only start once people are allowed to work again.

The stimulus packages will need to be repaid. If they are not repaid, well, let’s not even focus on that. They have to be repaid. Government loans (which when you hear about deficit spending, that means the government is taking out a loan directly or indirectly) are repaid in two ways: taxes and inflation.

Higher taxes takes money out of the workers’ pockets by reducing money they have to spend and is a direct means of revenue for the government. Inflation takes money out of the pockets of the savers by reducing the value of money in savings, and is an indirect method by making money gained today be more valuable than money gained yesterday. I would expect both methods will be used. The Federal Reserve is already talking about letting inflation rise and the new administration has promised to remove the tax breaks of the soon-to-be-previous administration.

Add these factors together and we are likely to see a recession, if not a depression, as we come out of the lockdowns. It doesn’t have to be scary if you’re prepared for it. Unfortunately it is very difficult to prepare for it in with short-term actions.

Though the incoming administration as promised an extension on the eviction moratorium, this is not a forgiveness of debt. Those who cannot pay now are accruing a debt they may never be able to pay back and thus will face eviction once the moratoriums are lifted. In the meanwhile real estate is becoming more costly. Land owners must still make payments and maintain their properties. As this continues, it should be expected that many will sell (even at discounted prices) to avoid overhead on properties where they are losing money. This will likely result in a significant reduction in overall wealth in the nation, wealth that could have otherwise been used to rebuild. If you have investments in real estate (other than you primary residence), you may want to devote some time to your financial strategy with an advisor you can trust.

Social Issues

There have been no great advances in social issues over the last 9-12 months. All the same tensions that fueled the civil unrest of the summer of 2020 are still out there. Some segments of society are even more tense than they had been and even more unrest is being fueled. We’re currently seeing that over 20,000 National Guard from all 50 states have been deployed to Washington, D.C. and many state capitols are protecting themselves as well. Things have not calmed down yet.

Be aware of your surroundings as you go about your daily life – don’t let these issues keep you from having a daily life. Look a little further down the road that usual (literally) to make sure there aren’t road closures or obstacles.

Pay attention to entrances and exits from buildings. Most people try to leave a building by the same way they entered even if it is impractical. Be aware of side exits and rear exists. If things go sideways, don’t let “Employees Only” bar you from leaving by a safe exit. Get out the loading dock of the grocery store if you need to. If the situation warrants it, I’d much rather be outside and griped out by an angry store manager than be trapped in a building because I didn’t want to violate social norms.

The fact of the matter is that until we can talk, debate, and negotiate an agreement our society is going to continue to be splintered. Right now that is not an option. The outliers on each side are not willing to talk. My concern is that as long as differences cannot be settled by reasoned debate, they will be settled outside of reasoned debate. Most people I know, myself included, do not want that. It seems to be the direction we’re being led though.

Again, don’t be scared. Preparedness is not about being scared; it is about preventing being scared. When you are down to your last meal, you’re scared for food. When you’re down to your last dollar, you’re scared for money. When you cannot escape an attack, you’re scared for your safety. Prepare for these things and then you can stay alert for situations that impact you, but you have the resources and planning so you don’t have to be scared.

So while the calendar has turned, this year may end up looking a lot like last year. So rather than being in 2021, we may be in 2020+1. Let’s hope we can get it together so that this is the last 2020 we have to suffer through. In the meantime, keep to your preparedness goals. This is not the time to slack off.

Reusable Mask Safety

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Disposable masks are preferred. If you have a supply of disposable masks, use them and discard after use. However, since they are in short supply, use these tips if you have a reusable mask:

  • Know which side in the ‘inside’ (toward your face) and which is the ‘outside’ (toward others).
  • Use the elastic bands or ties to tightly secure the mask to your face before entering a public area. The mask should cover your mouth and nose entirely.
  • Remove the mask as soon as you have left the area of concern (public areas, doctor’s office, etc.) by using the elastic or ties. Try not to touch the mask itself.
  • Touch your face or head as little as possible while removing.
  • Use a plastic bag (grocery or trash bag) to contain the mask until it can be laundered.
  • Immediately clean your hands (soap and water is preferable, hand sanitizer if washing is not feasible).
  • Dump the mask directly from the bag to the washing machine (or sink if hand-laundering) to wash.
  • Dispose of the bag in the trash. We normally recycle bags, but these will be disposed of to reduce the risk of contamination to recycling processors.

If you are entering and leaving multiple public environments in one trip, try to use a different mask each time. If you do not have enough masks to do this, untie the top of the mask so it hangs down with the ‘outside’ touching your skin. Be careful not to touch or allow anything else to touch the ‘inside’ of the mask.

For an extra layer of protection, fold two facial tissues together and insert into the mask pocket or place between the mask and your face. This provides and extra layer of filtration. It is not equal to the filtration of a commercially produced respirator mask, but every little bit helps. Discard the tissues prior to laundering the mask and wash your hands immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Will using a surgical mask-style mask protect like a commercial N95 mask?

A: No. Even the best made commercial masks have gaps around the edges. However, they do offer some protection, so they are better than going without.

Q: How often should I wash the reusable mask?

A: After each use. If you are using the mask, you are assuming that you are entering a potentially contaminated environment, so you should assume the mask is contaminated with each use.

Q: Viruses are so small, can’t they just slip between the fibers in the mask?

A: Yes and no. Individual viruses are small enough to slip between the fibers of the mask. Multiple layers of material will, therefore, provide more protection. More importantly, viruses are generally carried on droplets from coughing or sneezing. These droplets are large enough to be caught by the mask. That is why you want to remove the mask as soon as you reasonably can – before the carrier droplets dry out and release the viruses they are transporting.

Coronavirus: Now What

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[This message was originally sent by email 3/20/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

So the last week was full of all kinds of stuff. I was busy with getting my workplace situated so I barely had time to keep up with what was going in, much less offer anything of value to you guys. Hopefully you’re all doing well – or as well as can be expected during this type of situation.
I know that many people rushed the stores when they found they were going to shut away for a while. Often it was found that our standard go-to items were gone and in many cases substitutions were made. I have found it interesting to note how many people bought dry beans but, based on social media accounts, seem to have no idea what to do with them. So let me offer on of my favorite, easy-to-prepare recipes in case you know someone in that situation.
This one is for a slow cooker (Crockpot), but if you use a regular pot on medium low on your stove top, you should be good as well. The key is to not cook them too fast – a high simmer to low boil is where you want to be.
Ingredients: 1 pound dried pinto beans (2 1/2 cups), rinsed and picked over to remove any rocks 7 1/2 cups of water Crushed red pepper (to taste, I use 1/2 teaspoon but 1 teaspoon will spice it up quite a bit) 1 teaspoon salt Black pepper (to taste, I use about 1/2 teaspoon)
Put everything but the salt in the slow cooker and stir. Cover and cook on low for about 6 hours and add the salt. Continue to cook until the beans are tender but not falling apart (7 to 9 hours total). You can add the salt initially, but that generally results on tougher beans that may take longer to cook. Turn off the slow cooker or remove from heat about an hour before serving, which will allow the beans to soak up more water and become more tender.

I like to add meat as well, because I’m a carnivore. Not only that, but it releases some fats into the beans, which releases some of the fat-soluble flavors to be released. I like something smoked like ham or turkey for the extra flavor. If you add turkey (a leg or wing), add about a tablespoon of butter for the extra fat. Throw it in at the beginning and it will be tender by the time the beans are done.
If you add beans to rice, it gives all the amino acids necessary to be considered a complete protein.
If someone you know bought some flour – hopefully they have yeast as well. If so, here is an easy bread recipe:
I call it Lazy-Man’s Bread 4 cups All-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon dry yeast 1 tablespoon salt 2 cups warm water
Add yeast to water and stir to blend. Add salt to flour and stir to blend. Add yeast water to flour mixture. Stir to blend (30-60 seconds) Put in a bowl and cover until dough doubles in size (8-12 hours) Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes (or until done – such as when a toothpick can be poked in and comes out clean) Let cool before slicing.
Remember to stay as active as possible. Most places still allow you to walk / hike / or bike as long as you maintain social distance.

Coronavirus Preparedness

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[This message was originally sent by email 3/15/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

I definitely never thought I’d send three updates in a week, but since this is Sunday, I guess it is the beginning of a new week so we’re all good.
Let me start by stating definitively that I believe the average person in the US has little to worry about with the actual COVID-19 illness. We may  have something to worry about in the reactions of other people though. The media is always looking for eyeballs and there is nothing like an emergency to get people to watch TV. Politicians are looking to get reelected, so they are always looking to be seen ‘doing something’ even if it turns out not to be the right thing. Then there are those around us who simply take in what the media and politicians say and let it play upon the reactive, primitive portions of their brains rather than processing it with the more intellectual portion. When we get enough of that happening, issues arise.
Real quick, why do I say that the average person in the US has little to worry about? Here we go:

  • About half of those infected are from mainland China.
  • Over half of the deaths are from mainland China.
  • Italy is being held up as why we in the West should freak out but Italy had the oldest average population in Europe which leads us to
  • The average age of those who have died is 80 – yes, that is the average age, meaning the trend is that people well over 80 are heavily impacted in order to offset those under 80
  • Based on the last report I saw (on Friday), no one under 18 has perished from COVID-19
  • Many who have perished live in third-world conditions where easy access to over the counter medication and appropriate hygiene (soap, clean water) is not easily accessible
  • We have a high degree of awareness the illness is out there and are being advised to exercise extra precautions

Ok, so moving on. Part of the psychology of an emergency is that people recognize that there is something impacting them that they cannot control. To compensate they will often try to control some other aspect of their life – whether or not it really makes sense. I think this is a major contributor to the Great Toilet Paper Shortage of 2020. It is also part of the idiosyncrasies of people who have survived trauma.

Now that the toilet paper (disinfecting wipes, paper towels, bottled water, diapers, etc.) is virtually gone but the stress persists, I believe that those who feel they need to exercise control will move on to another item. Just guessing, but right now since gas has dropped to an affordable price, it would not surprise me if it was the next commodity to be hit. This may be offset by potential quarantines (if you can’t go anywhere you probably don’t need gas), but since this ‘syndrome’ is not necessarily logic-based, I still think there is a high likelihood that gas will be impacted. Also, a quarantine in one area can create a shortage in another – an indirect impact.

I suggest you fill your vehicle and don’t let it drop below half a tank before filling again – just so you know that you can continue to get to work or go shopping if you are not impacted by a quarantine. Note, I am not saying you should *stockpile* gas, only that you get enough that you are not inconvenienced if it is the next ‘comfort blanket’. (Some cities have ordinances concerning the amount of gas you can store and where you can store it and, generally speaking, ordinances are usually imposed because something tragic happened.)

I live in a small town, yet close to a major metro area. I try to do my normal work week purchases (gas and lunches) with cash – it helps with budgeting and reduces the possibility of identity theft. So I stopped by the bank where I normally make my withdrawals and it was out of cash in the ATM. I went by another close-by bank – in town – and it was also out of cash. Finally I went to a bank on the outskirts of town and it still had cash in the ATM. If you use cash in your normal daily transactions, please be aware that this could be another target for those seeking some control in their lives. So I suggest that you pull a reasonable amount of cash.
Finally, if we have a major quarantine initiated, there could be slight interruptions to the banking system. Banks require people to keep things running smoothly and minor irritations when a full workforce can be applied to the issue is one thing, but can turn into a major interruption when the workforce is isolated from their normal working conditions. If something like that happens, having a little cash in pocket for emergency expenses wouldn’t be a bad thing. Remember we’re part of a national and international community. Even if you are not directly impacted by a quarantine, you can be indirectly impacted.


So, happy Sunday all. We will get through this. A little preparedness can just make the difference between getting through and struggling through.

Coronavirus Update 2

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[This message was originally sent by email 3/12/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

When I sent out the first update I thought I might send one weekly, potentially monthly – as needed. I never thought I would send more than one in a week.

Things are moving quickly though, so here it is, the second one this week. Sorry this one is so long. If you already trust my opinion, you can skip the Intro part and go right down to the Preparation section and save yourself some reading.

Intro

I’ve heard from at least three people that they are forwarding on to others. That’s great. Please continue to send to those who you believe will benefit. It did make me think, however, that for some who read this I am just some random voice in the wind. So, I thought it would be good to let you know something about my background. There are probably even family and friends who don’t know some of this.

I used to be the IT Officer for the American Red Cross. That means that I had oversight of the technology used by the ~120 chapters of the American Red Cross in Texas and the states that border Texas. As part of that job I developed business continuity planning for the chapters and a program that the chapters could use to provide business continuity planning to businesses in their local areas. (‘Business continuity’ means the processes business uses to try to reduce the impact of a disaster situation and stay in business when they are impacted. It is a close relative of, but different from disaster response.)

Beyond the Red Cross, I have over 40 emergency preparedness certificates for coursework completed through the Texas A&M Engineering Extension office. I also hold a Certified Business Continuity Professional certification from the Department of Homeland Security /FEMA – the second-highest level of certification offered by FEMA for business continuity. Since then I have also consulted, researched, planned and implemented emergency response practices.

There is more, but if Red Cross experience and FEMA certifications doesn’t give a little confidence, the rest won’t be worth the time to write or read.

Now for the core of why I’m sending this update: the current situation.

Preparation

For all practical purposes, the COVID-19 coronavirus is here. So while we should continue taking practical precautions to avoid getting it, we should also assume that the likelihood of being exposed is at least equal to the likelihood of not being exposed. It is time, therefore, to prepare for what we would do if exposed.

I’m not medically trained, but I’ve been doing a lot of research and these are the tips I’ve gathered from the US CDC and European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control as well as other knowledgeable sources. These tips are not a substitution for consultation with a trained medical professional. If you have specific medical questions, talk to your professional medical provider.

  • Prevention. Though most of the guidance is what to do once you have symptoms, still stay vigilant to preventative measures. The CDC has a nice  sign for that: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/stop-the-spread-of-germs.pdf
  • Acquire what you’ll. The vast majority of people recover at home without hospitalization or major medical care, so ensure that you have what you need at home.
    • Acquire over the counter decongestants and expectorants. The majority of deaths from this virus are respiratory related, so make sure you have enough medical to treat member of your household for approximately 2 weeks. Don’t over buy – allowing others to be protected and recover helps you too.
    • If you are at high risk (elderly, compromised respiratory system, diabetes, heart conditions) and are on prescription medications, talk to your doctor about getting an extra supply now so that you do not need to go in public if there is an outbreak in your area. Also consider mail order prescription services.
    • Use acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil) for fever maintenance – if you can use these medications. Following dosing instructions on the bottle or as guided by a medical professional. Do not use aspirin for fever management. If you don’t have enough of these products to treat yourself and your household for a week, consider getting more.
  • Isolate. The less exposure you have to others before you’re ill the less likely you will be to catch it. The less exposure you have to others if you get it, the less likely you are to pass it along.
    • If you feel symptomatic, do not immediately go to your doctor’s office. Call them and see if they have protocols for seeing suspected coronavirus cases. If you can’t get through to the doctor immediately, treat your symptoms with over the counter medication and continue trying to call.
    • Don’t go to the emergency room for these symptoms unless you would go there with the same symptoms when the coronavirus was not a consideration. You don’t want to be needlessly exposed to this, or any other illness and you don’t want to take up medical resources that may be needed to treat more severe cases. If you are a severe case, call ahead and do what you need to do.
    • If you must circulate in public, especially in areas where people may be ill (hospitals, doctor’s offices, pharmacies, or mega-marts with health clinics and/or pharmacies), avoid close contact. Close contact is considered to be within six feet of those displaying symptoms. You should be able to stretch out your arm, and they stretch out theirs, and not touch.

Perspective

Let me reiterate that this is a serious condition and should be taken seriously, however, the coverage of this illness is completely (in my opinion) out of scale with the level if threat. In fact, again in my opinion, the hype around this illness may be more dangerous than the illness itself. People overreacting may be causing even more dangerous situations – such as unnecessary depletion of necessary treatment items so those who need them can’t get them. This is why I recommend that we steadily prepare even during ‘good times’ so we have what we need during ‘bad times’ and aren’t a burden on the system when others are in dire need.

The flu is still a much more deadly potential illness than coronavirus. I’ve heard people say, ‘but we have a vaccine for the flu’ as if that changes anything. According to the CDC, on an annual basis the flu vaccine is between 50-60% effective, and down to as little as 16% in adults (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/vaccines-work/effectivenessqa.htm). So assuming even the highest level of effectiveness (60%), with the lowest incidence of infection (3%) and the US population (327M) we’re still talking about more than 100 times the infections in the average year just in the US as compared to what coronavirus has caused globally.

Of course, it could get worse. For the moment this appears manageable. The best way to keep it manageable is to practice good preventative measures and stay as healthy as you can.

Coronavirus Update

bvinsonLeave a comment

[This message was originally sent by email 3/10/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

There is a bit of new information out there, so I thought a new update would be prudent. If nothing else, please see the CDC guidance links below.
Again, this appears to be a contagious illness with a moderate mortality rate (~3% for known cases) – but it is most dangerous to those in the high risk category (see below). 
For those of you who don’t know – or don’t remember – keeping track of this kind of thing and building appropriate plans to respond used to be in my job description. It was part of business continuity planning and that was a primary consideration while I was at Red Cross (and continued at TRC). From my estimation, we have much more to worry about from the reaction of others than we do from the virus itself. With that in mind, here is the rest of the update.

  • New cases in China seem to be slowing.
  • Where there have been outbreaks in the rest of the world, the outbreaks do not seem as big or as deadly as China – with the possible exceptions of Italy and Iran
  • Italy has closed its borders in an attempt to control the spread
  • Israel has imposed a quarantine on new arrivals
  • Iran has the third-highest incidence, behind China and Italy
  • New York is isolating a ‘containment zone’ around much of New Rochelle

The CDC has issued new guidance, especially for those who are particularly susceptible: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/specific-groups/high-risk-complications.html

The CDC defines those at higher risk as older adults, people with serious, chronic conditions (such as heart disease, diabetes and lung disease). Those most susceptible seem to be those over 80 years of age. There is a significant reduction in mortality for each age group under 80. I know some on this list are in that vicinity, so please open the link above and familiarize yourself with the guidance.
Also, the CDC has issued a group of graphics for a quick reference for work, school and home: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/workplace-school-and-home-guidance.pdf

I encourage you to read the full package, but in a nutshell:

  • Practice good hygiene
  • Be careful with travel or large group meetings
  • Practice good food handling techniques
  • Stay away from others if you are sick

I hope those of you who wanted disinfecting wipes were able to get them. I went to Wal-Mart on the way home yesterday and the Wet Ones and Clorox wipes areas were completely empty. Toilet paper and bottled water were fairly well picked over too.
Even if you are not directly impacted by the virus, you still may want to pick up enough toilet paper to last a couple of weeks (or more), if you can – just sayin’.

Coronavirus Info

bvinsonLeave a comment

[This message was originally sent by email 3/4/2020 to select group of friends and family – prior to the creation of this site.]

Since I’m involved with ‘preparedness’, I’ve gotten a few questions about the coronavirus from friends and family and what could/should be done about it. It made me think that it might be a good idea to have a group message.

Some of you may think it is silly to be concerned with this kind of thing specifically and/or preparedness in general. I’m ok with being the silly one if it means helping you be safer, healthier, or even just a little calmer. But if you don’t want to be included in the future, let me know and I’ll take you off the list.

Since this isn’t just friends and isn’t just family, I’m going to refrain from mentioning specific people, or specific conditions, favoring instead giving more general information. Everyone has also been ‘BCC’d (blind carbon copied) to avoid the massive email storms that can erupt with the liberal use of the Reply All button. If you Reply or Reply All, it will only come to me.

If the situation warrants, I’ll send more info later.

If there is another preparedness topic that you’d like me to address, I’ll see what I can do to give you some practical info.

Feel free to forward.

General Info

I’ll start with saying that from the numbers being reported, this does not look like the next ‘great plague’. While the infection rates are high, the mortality rate isn’t astronomical. More on this later.

Coronaviruses are fairly common. The common cold as well as the seasonal flu strains are types of coronavirus. With the spread of the virus in Washington state and six deaths (as of this writing) in the US and lax protocols around the treatment and release of those infected, for all practical purposes the COVID-19 coronavirus should now be considered to be ‘in the wild’ in the United States. This means you would be prudent to reduce contact with those who exhibit symptoms. COVID-19 symptoms are very similar to flu, so try to steer clear of people who may be presenting with flu-like symptoms:

  • Wearing unseasonably heavy clothes and still appearing cold
  • Appears feverish
  • Coughing
  • Complaining of unexplained body aches

Hygiene

Wet Ones wipes have the active ingredient of Benzethonium Chloride (0.3%). This ingredient at this has proven effective against a variety of coronaviruses, though there is not yet a published study for testing against COVID-19. They get pride-of-place here because they are easy to carry.

Many products are effective against coronaviruses. You probably already have some.

  • Benzalkonium chloride, found in Lysol sprays at an effective level, can be used as a surface decontaminant.
  • Clorox Disinfecting Wipes with Alkyl dimenthylbenzyl ammonium chloride (0.13% or greater) also have proven effective against other coronaviruses.
  • Ethyl alcohol is also effective at the 70% (Purell Hand Sanitizer) level as is isopropyl alcohol of at least 50%. I recommend the one with aloe because this stuff can tear up your hands.

With any of these products, apply generously to the surface and let air dry. There are other agents that can be used (included diluted bleach), but some of them stain or damage surfaces, so sticking with the ones mentioned above should give you the ability to remain safe without undue damage to clothes, counter tops or furniture.

As always, the first course of protection is to ensure you have good personal hygiene and you wash your hands, with soap, regularly. Using water only is rinsing, use soap for washing. Fronts, backs, between fingers, you know the drill.

Masks

Counter to what is being circulated by the media and government at the moment, N-95 masks do protect you. Virtually anything that keeps a high dosage of someone else’s coughs or sneeze from entering your nose or mouth (or eyes for goggles) will help. It may not be 100% effective, but it is certainly higher than 0%.

There are also N-100 and P-95/P-100. ‘P’ versions are oil resistant. These masks are harder to breath through so people tend to go without more often or take them off prematurely. Use the N-95, if you need to use a mask at all (and if you can actually find them).

Rather than saying the masks are ineffective, the messaging should be that while you may have some protection from masks, people delivering treatment to patients – who will be directly exposed – need them more at the moment, so please refrain from removing unneeded masks from the supply chain.

Please make sure that your masks – if you have them, if you need them, if you use them – are disposable. If you are using a mask that is not disposable, rethink it. When you remove the mask, put it on, lay it on a counter top, or with other items (such as on your bed, briefcase, purse, etc.), you can be spreading the virus to areas that otherwise would not have been contaminated. If you have a reusable mask and decide to keep it, consider dousing it with Lysol and letting it air dry before setting it down somewhere. Also ensure that you wash your hands and/or use hand sanitizer after your touch your mask and before touching anything else.

Gloves

If you use gloves I suggest nitrile disposable gloves. You should also thoroughly wash your hands after removing gloves. Gloves should be snug, but not tight. Over-stretched gloves can become permeable to fluids and viruses. Gloves are also intended for relatively short periods of time. You should consider changing disposable gloves approximately every four hours with regular use, more frequently with heavier use and any time that it is noticeably compromised.

At this point, I believe that masks or gloves are not warranted. If you’re going onto an aircraft or other confined condition with a large group of people, especially for return from foreign travel, they may be more warranted.

Impact

I’m seeing a mortality of approximately 4%. By comparison, the last great pandemic was the Spanish Flu of 1918, where the mortality rate was about 15% (estimates range from 10-20%). We are still fairly early on and many people who have it but don’t need medical care aren’t being counted. One estimate I saw said that approximately 80% of people who have it don’t know – they either don’t have symptoms or they aren’t bad enough to go to the doctor and be counted. This could reduce the mortality rate significantly.

The mortality rate is highest with those with previously compromised immune systems, the elderly and the very young. The primary cause of death is through pneumonia. So those who should take the highest precautions are those who are already ill, in frail health and/or with respiratory considerations. Having over the counter medication decongestants and expectorants would be a good idea so you can begin treatment of symptoms if being able to get into a doctor is delayed.

Finally, stay aware of your environment. If you see people around you becoming sick and the government has not declared an outbreak, you may still want to isolate yourself from others as much as feasible until this blows over. It will.