Letter Re: Suggestions for the Acute Management of a H5N1 Pandemic, by Spencer Feldman

Hi, I read with concern the post yesterday (Friday 7th April) about Avian influenza. The post while appearing to be well referenced, in fact misrepresents what many of the trials and studies referred to actually state. The general implication is that there is a vast body of scientific research supporting the authors position. This is not the case at all, the articles do not say this and the authors spin on what some say misrepresents them. The majority are very early in-vitro or animal model studies which do not translate at all in terms of efficacy in humans. Most biomedical …


Odds ‘n Sods:

SurvivalBlog reader S.H. mentioned a Big Listing of Shelter Manufacturers–All different types, in ground (steel and fiberglass), above ground, and inside safe room retrofit types:    o o o Ireland’s Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas (ASPO) has their Newsletter #64 (April, 2006) now available. The newsletter is not yet transcribed for best online viewing, but you can download the PDF file directly: http://www.peakoil.ie/downloads/…200604.pdf    o o o An interesting article on Asian Avian Flu and Your Cat    o o o Wow! Take a look at the 30 Day and Six Month Gold and Silver spot …



Note from JWR:

Thanks for all of the recent 10 Cent Challenge contributions. At this juncture I should mention that starting Saturday I will be foregoing my corporate salary and benefits to take up writing SurvivalBlog, full time. (Read: Big leap of faith.) I don’t want to drone on and on and on like some dreaded PBS telethon about this. The bottom line: If you find some value in what you read here, then please consider subscribing for 10 cents a day. Thanks!


Suggestions for the Acute Management of a H5N1 Pandemic, by Spencer Feldman

The H5N1 (Asian Avian Flu or “Bird Flu”) virus owes its lethality to its ability to instigate pathological immune responses in the host via cytokine storm. This leads to disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and massive infiltration of inflammatory cells into the lungs. Thus, any H5N1 protocol must take into consideration, not only the inhibition of the virus, but also the effects of DIC and alveolar flooding. Given that there are reports of some patients dying within three hours of initial symptoms, any medical response must be swift and aggressive. Traditional models for treatment outside of a hospital setting rely upon …


Odds ‘n Sods:

An object lesson in inflation: Take a look at the 5 billion (millard) Mark note from the Weimar Republic, and ponder it. Hyperinflation has happened before, and it will happen again.  It is a risk in any country where the currency is not freely redeemable from the national treasury in specie.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader J.N. sent a link to a site with free PDFs of many military medical manuals. Also, a PDF for anyone wanting to know more about wound healing and suturing:    o o o On the lighter side: Our friend Chuck says, “Regarding Gold… …


Jim’s Quote of the Day:

"…a further pandemic can be expected. When that will be is not known, but the consequences, when it does, will be serious." "A future pandemic is likely to spread rapidly to all parts of the globe and cause sudden and sharp increases in illness over a matter of weeks. A pandemic could therefore rapidly overwhelm health and other services. The overall impact is likely to be even more far reaching, affecting daily life, business and consequently national and global economies." "The impact of a flu pandemic on health and social services is likely to be intense, sustained and nation-wide; they …


Note from JWR:

  Tomorrow will be my last day as a salaried technical writer. Henceforth, I will be blogging and freelance writing full time. I’d appreciate your prayers for God’s guidance and providence. I am hopeful that SurvivalBlog will continue to gain readership and advertisers. This will require greater public awareness that this blog exists. Please help spread the word about SurvivalBlog by adding one of our banners to your e-mail footer. Thanks!


From Buckshot Bruce: Take Advantage of Every Food Source

I was recently talking with a farmer friend and said “You are surrounded by food!” He said “Sure wheat and corn fields.” I smiled. “No I mean wild foods. Oh you mean ducks and deer. It is a societal mind set. Farmers, like hunters, think in the only ways they have been taught. He wanted to get rid of a problem beaver that was taking out his shelter belts trees. Being new to North Dakota and seeing very few trees I thought there isn’t much food for a beaver. “Must be a little one that wandered up here.” He takes …


Letter Re: Thermal Scopes Versus Light Amplification Scopes

Dear Jim: I know your site talks about night vision [“Starlight” light amplification technology], but thermal night vision if you can afford it is far superior for hunting/perimeter defense/tracking. It doesn’t matter about movement or camouflage [since these can literally see body heat.] See: http://www.imaging1.com/thermal/Thermal_weapon_sight.html and http://www.imaging1.com/thermal/MX_1000.html – S.F.


Letter Re: Too Good to Be True? Nationally Advertised Radiation Detector for $60?

Hi James, Just wondering if you have a recommendation for or warning against this surplus (but “brand new condition”) CDV-720 portable radiation detector from the Sportsman’s Guide Catalog: http://www.sportsmansguide.com/cb/cb.asp?a=256259 It looks snazzy, but I thought (with the exception of the Kearny Fallout Meter) that viable radiation detectors ran in the hundreds of dollars…? – David in Pleasanton, California (One of your $100 contributors) JWR Replies:  A CDV 720 is a Civil Defense surplus survey meter. If it is truly working, then at $60 it is a bargain. I recommend that you go ahead and order one. When it arrives, immediately …


Letter from Mr. Kilo Re: Medical Training – A Course Review by J.N.

Jim: OK, just my $.02 on the wilderness EMT article… The thing I see that’s missing from this article, and many like it is the focus on practice. I’ve been doing EMS long enough; and run enough calls to know that any EMS certification is a LICENSE TO PRACTICE medicine. People who get the training and don’t use it might be kidding themselves. “The body does well what it does often” — I can’t remember who said that, but it’s true. Most newly-minted EMTs that I work with aren’t worth squat in the field. Not until they have survived their …


Odds ‘n Sods:

One disparate view on Asian Avian flu worth considering as FFTAGFFR: The Threat of an Avian Flu Pandemic is Over-Hyped, by Michael Fumento, JD. See: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/16106.html    o o o Richard Benson comments on the coming Housing Bubble Implosion    o o o A new mumps outbreak in the U.S. Midwest.    o o o A report from Scotland on America’s Cyber War.    o o o SurvivalBlog reader S.F. recommended this great resource: http://www.buildanark.net



Medical Training – A Course Review by J.N.

This past month, I attended a Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician W-EMT class put on by Wilderness Medical Associates at a local university. I can say that this is by far the best survival-oriented medical training I have received to date. This particular class was geared towards those who are already certified at the EMT level. The class was intense, and I learned a lot of things that were never brought up in my regular EMT classes. To start, here is a bit of background on what levels of medical training are out there. Most of these are accessible to the …