As news of additional cases of Ebola begin to play on the media (D.C. hospital admits patient with Ebola-like symptoms) and the CDC continues to make overconfident promises, I worry that quarantines won’t stop Ebola from spreading in the U.S., and the question crosses my mind, would we be prepared if we need to lock down due to Ebola?

Would you be prepared if your family gets Quarantined?

As the cases continue to mount: the NBC CAMERAMAN, Dallas, Emory University Hospital in Atlanta, New Jersey, Boston and the fears continue to grow, the possibilities of Ebola spreading become more and more plausible.

How do we know who to trust?

The government swears they have it under control. The CDC swears it’s not a problem. So what is the media missing? Everyone promises the right precautions are happening. Everyone promises the right research is being done by the right people. But the rumor mill continues to churn. A false cure even started to spread online and even stories of Ebola Zombies rising from the Dead. All this makes it really difficult to tell, who we can trust.

My rule is to always check what multiple sources are saying and checking Snopes.com is generally a good idea too. Also, talking to friends and family can also help clear up any doubts or concerns that may be clouding your mind.

Are you prepared for a Quarantine?

The average family only has enough food on had to cover a week’s worth of meals. It makes sense. Storage space is at a premium, the store is only a few minutes away, you want to have the freshest food possible … I lived it! I was a slave to the city’s Just-In-Time Commercial Delivery systems. I was one of the many, largely unaware that even a small disruption in an emergency or ban on truck traffic, can cause significant shortages in perishable items in as little as three days leaving people to go hungry.

If an average family was locked down along with hundreds or thousands of other families, would you have the resources to feed your family and keep them comfortable for an extended period? Most families don’t.

What items are on your checklist?

We use the general check lists provided by the Red Crossa and FEMA as a starting point.

Then I calculate the length of the particular emergency I am considering. One of the most important luxuries you can give yourself during an emergency is time. Time before you run out of what you have, time before you need to venture off and get supplies, time before you need to leave the safety and comfort of what you know. Then double it. You need to consider Murphy’s Law and prepare for it. You can’t expect the government will ride in to save the day in a timely mater. Not to defend them but there are so many families they need to help, it’s not even fair to assume they will be knocking on your door the day the emergency ends. You need to prepare for the after.

Thankfully, we have the luxury of space, so our preparedness only needs to get us through long enough to get some seeds in the ground. Living in Florida, we also have the luxury of decent growing weather most of the year and the luxury I gave myself of a great seed collection. We also have a State Government that actually encourages Rain Barrel Water Collection

so although it won’t help in the drinking department, it will definitely help in the cleaning and providing for the garden areas of water needs.

I would add some Pandemic Specific items:

Dupont Large Yellow Tychem Qc Chemical Protection Coveralls

3M 8511 Particulate N95 Respirator with Valve, 10-Pack

Black Contractor Bags, 42 Gallon, 33×48, 3.0 Mil, 50/case ( Woman saves three relatives from Ebola read how Contractor bags helped)

Dynarex Black Nitrile Exam Gloves, Heavy-Duty, Powder Free, Large, Box/100

What now?

There is no reason to panic at the moment. It’s still to early to break out the MREs and forgo any contact with society, although some days I know I want to. But it may not be a bad idea to start reading up on what’s going on and staying informed.

One thought does occur to me though, that one of the reasons it has spread so quickly in Africa is that many West African countries have practices around religion and death which involve close physical contact. This is Ebola’s main mode of transportation. And as a country, America is moving away from practices of physical contact, resorting to text messages and email in lieu of talking face to face.

Is it sad that this could this be our saving grace?

The Media and CDC are quick to report that they have everything under control. But weren’t they just reporting recently that they had the borders under lock down and no one was going to get through infected?

Recommended Readings:

Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family, 3rd Edition