Hello Mary and GP-UK,
Saturday, October 15, 2005, 6:46:50 PM, Mary wrote:
> In message <[log in to unmask]>, Chris Salter
> <[log in to unmask]> writes
>>Saturday, October 15, 2005, 9:17:43 AM, Mary wrote:
>>> Should we be asking for space suits as well? How effective are they in
>>> cases of 'flu? If they were useful in SARS, why weren't we told?
>>
>>> My instinct would be to stockpile supplies and keep home in isolation...
>>
>>I have arrived at much the same conclusion although it raises a number
>>of issues. One of which is should patients on long-term medication be
>>allowed/encouraged where practical to obtain say six months supply
>>with a repeat two months before their supply runs out? In the event of
>>a significant outbreak the Government advice may well be to stay
>>indoors so the last thing you would want to do is travel to the local
>>pharmacist to pick up your prescription. What does the team think?
> At the millennium - when we didn't know whether the worst case scenario
> might occur - I did something like that for some of my patients.
> The shelf life of insulin - which has a very long production/supply
> chain and is not manufactured in the UK - is 3 months in the
> refrigerator: prednisolone for asthmatics is cheaper and lasts
> longer.....
> I recommended a months supply of food which did not require cooking -
> and bought a wind-up radio and dynamo torch for myself...
While some may well wish to plan for the worst case scenario (e.g.
DEFCON 1 Equivalent [Note 1]) I was thinking more in terms of 'DEFCON
3'. In the Millennium Bug scenario, utilities would have failed
because the control systems failed. If a bird flu pandemic takes out
the workforce to the point that utilities fail we are all in deep
trouble! From a less pessimistic viewpoint, I am focusing on the point
when some form of outbreak (human infection) may appear *very likely*
but before the Government advises 'stay at home'. I admit that at the
moment I am not at all sure how that point would be determined but
suspect we will get a better idea as the weeks and months pass.
> A bird flu epidemic would be worse: if patients are advised to stay at
> home, who is going to make deliveries?
It *seems* a reasonable assumption that there are plans for
distributing these millions of doses of antivirals that don't
contribute to spreading the infection! However, I must reemphasize
that I am suggesting that patients obtain a reasonable stock of
existing long-term medications *before* the risk in doing so becomes
significant.
> Joking aside, surely the first thing would be to close the schools?
> Can't think why it wasn't done in the last food poisoning outbreak..
I would guess that if contingency plans are not *already* in place
most decisions are taken later than is probably desirable.
> MaryH
> PS would your pharmacist be *able* to fill the prescription?
See above.
Chris
Note 1.
DEFCON DEFense CONdition
http://www.fas.org/nuke/guide/usa/c3i/defcon.htm
--
Chris Salter mailto:[log in to unmask]
Lincolnshire Post-Polio Network http://www.lincolnshirepostpolio.org.uk/
Polio and Post-Polio News http://mt.lincolnshirepostpolio.org.uk/pandppnews/
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