I am more concerned given how quickly and out of control COVID spread around the country and the world.
1 Like
It will be a big deal eventually. Not yet, and when it is, too late.
5 Likes
It feels like one more thing that people near us will not take seriously, even if people in this area die from it. The flu and RSV are on the rise and yet people won’t stay home or mask in public. If a vaccine becomes available, H and I will avail ourselves of it and then hope for the best.
6 Likes
I am concerned. It just needs to mutate a little bit and then . . .
I have stocked up on N95s, gloves, etc (it doesn’t go bad!) and I have just started stockpiling some foods.
9 Likes
I’ve stocked up on N95s and gloves too. And TP 
.
6 Likes
YLE just put out a newsletter on this. #4 of her reasons to be concerned:
- Lack of urgency in the U.S. government, particularly USDA. The time to stop a pandemic is now, and it needs to be stopped at the source—that’s animals. This is USDA’s lane, but priorities, agility, experience, and politics differ from those of the agencies dealing with human health. We are still flying blind. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) finally allocated $306 million to bolster the nation’s human preparedness for H5N1, including giving $183 million to regional, state, and local programs.
It seems we learn nothing, despite having top scientists studying this.
6 Likes
I’ve gotten N95s, gloves and toilet paper. What kinds of foods do you stock up on?
Canned goods. Beans, olive oil, flour, salt (ran out when covid hit – lack of salt has a surprising impact!) coffee, tea. Chocolate chips.
8 Likes
We were surprised to see news of a bald eagle presumed to have avian flu in the suburb next our old home town. It was euthanized at a local wildlife center. I was most surprised to learn there were bald eagles in the area since I don’t remember that as a local species when we lived there.
And yes, it’s a concern. But there’s already so much to worry about the future. I will do to protect myself as I have been doing for the last several years.
3 Likes
What bothers me is how people in my county are sure it is a hoax and are totally boohooing it. They are relating it to chem trails and one guy is convinced it is a result of a killer fog. I just plan on having masks, gloves and extra food around.
9 Likes
And all I am stating is a fact: we are getting ready to have the same President who managed the Covid pandemic.
19 Likes
I was just thinking of when the bird flu hit a number of years back and crows essentially disappeared for a couple of years. There are a lot of crows around our new neighborhood so I will keep an eye (ear) out for diminishing numbers.
1 Like
If you have pets, make sure you have a stash of their food, too. Just avoid any “raw”’foods as a cat in Oregon died of bird flu after eating bird flu positive raw food.
9 Likes
I just stocked up on TP and gloves. I think I’m good on food items, N95s, hand sanitizer. Better safe than sorry. Thanks for the thread.
2 Likes
Just ordered KN95 masks and gloves. A far cry from 5 years ago when I’m sure I was on a thread in the cafe saying I don’t think Covid-19 in China was anything we needed to worry about.
4 Likes
I appreciate this thread. This has been in the back of my mind, and the fact that others are concerned is spurring me to take some action along the lines of what has been mentioned above (PPI, food and necessities). I think that deregulation is ahead, which will contribute to issues in the food supply being more likely to increase, and a push toward “personal responsibility” rather than public health will complicate a concerted response (if any) to an outbreak.
4 Likes
Chocolate chips are particularly essential. (We have a large stockpile also.)
11 Likes
I have been hoping that they come up with a vaccine for H5N1 in time to prevent a widespread pandemic. I see this as a small number of unknown people working very hard to help everyone else, with the understanding that we do not even know whether their work will end up being critical, unneeded, or somewhere in the middle.
If they do come up with a vaccine, then hopefully people who deal with cattle and wildlife will get priority, perhaps along with health care workers.
6 Likes
Definitely! Go well with red wine. 
so… Stockpile your favorite adult beverages, folks!! 
3 Likes