The way the modern global infrastructure works, we see contact with humans from all over the globe within a single day, which makes virus transmission extremely likely in normal circumstances. Combine this with the fact that antibiotics of incredible power being overused are forcing viruses and bacteria to evolve constantly to survive and we have a situation where the possibility of a super-bug appearing is not just a possibility but a very dangerous inevitability.
A lot of scientists and epidemiologists nowadays believe that a global scale pandemic is entirely possible. The best we can do in the mean time is to be as ready as we can be in case something like this happens. There are far worse things than the fictional zombie apocalypse out there in terms of bacterial and viral infections, so let’s talk about ways we can protect ourselves in such cases:
Much like any situation where we have a threat, the first step is assessing what we’re dealing with. Right this second someone, somewhere out there is dying due to infectious diseases. These unwanted microscopic guests aren’t going away anytime soon, so we need to be the ones taking measures to keep ourselves safe no matter what. Often media will let the story go if the outbreak is small and may not even be reported, but you should still stay ahead of the media and pay attention to such minor outbreaks as they can always be the sign of an upcoming pandemic. Despite the pretty poor way the 2015 Ebola outbreak was handled, the CDC monitors a lot so you would do well to pay attention to any news they and the federal government have to share anyway.
You need to make sure you have your own water, food and other aid supplies no matter what, as this will make you have more than what about 90% of the population have at any given time. People are generally skeptical and believe that they will have what it takes to survive a disaster, so they rarely prepare for one. Unfortunately as any disaster survivor can tell you that is a very unrealistic scenario. You need to make sure you have what you need to make sure you will survive not just a few days, but long term if need be. Epidemics are a situation with a lot more insidious dangers than any other sudden disaster. You should always have what you need so you can avoid going to public areas where contagion levels will be higher, regardless of transmission vectors.
Identifying High Risk Areas
When an outbreak does happen, you will want to make sure you watch to see whether the infection spreads closer to where you live. Depending on the way the virus or bacteria are transmitted, it may take days or months for it to reach a pandemic state. Make sure you watch where the infection pops up and do your best to avoid such areas at all costs.
Keeping up Proper Hygiene
You need to make sure you are careful with your hygiene during an outbreak. Depending on the way the virus or bacteria is transmitted, this can easily be the thin line between staying healthy and getting sick. Always wear gloves and a medical mask at the least and if you know the contagion to be airborne, you should do your best to avoid concentrations of people. Evacuate the city if you must to stay safe. You can have a self-storage facility house most of the supplies you need, coming over and picking them up when you need them or you can construct some type of storage in your home if you live away from the cities. Either way works, just remember to keep an eye on expiration dates and to have enough water to last you for at least two weeks. A storage room is necessary if you want to keep your supplies safe. Make sure you pack everything airtight and move your supplies out of storage and into a saferlocation outside the city during the early stages of an epidemic.
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