Dear Editor,
I am an emergency physician practicing in Southern Californistan. I share TXNurse’s concern about influenza in general, and especially new variants of Avian Influenza, like H7N9. Her information is current and valuable. I would urge standard OPSEC [1] on this information if you are a nurse or physician or other health worker.
Many of my colleagues pooh-pooh my concerns about Influenza. They just don’t believe it. And these are educated physicians! Given many of them are liberal and believe FEMA [2] will protect them and all that, but even so you would expect a nod from other physicians about the threat, given the history of the Great Pandemic of 1916-1918.
Our family knows the value of OPSEC. We just don’t discuss our preparations, especially as to Influenza. My wife, a Nurse by the way, and I already monitor world influenza cases, and have email alerts regarding influenza.
One thing we have done that others may find helpful is to have pre-determined sentinel events for keeping our children home from school and implementing quarantine. Our quarantine triggers involve cases in adjoining states, a pattern of progressive number of cases, and so on. Our triggers may not fit yours, so research the data as to your local situation and prayerfully make a decision.
One more note regarding OPSEC. Two months ago our doorbell rang about 9PM. Odd. While I went to the door, our son stood by at the ready. It was a previous ER patient who wanted me to loan him money for rent. I expressed my concern, but told him I couldn’t loan him money and suggested some alternatives. I don’t know how he made my address, but nowadays your address is all over the Web. This rattled me, and I told one of my few Prepper ER doc friends about it. He reminded me to drive home by different routes when I get off shift.
FWIW, I am not an epidemiologist. I’m just an ER Doc. – Doc C.J.