Actionable Intelligence

Watching the news is a lesson in frustration.  The media has cried wolf for so long that if this pandemic truly is "the end of the world as we know it", we're not going to believe it until it's too late. There is no truly "actionable intelligence" coming from news reports or social media.  One side says that the sky is falling and the other side says "move along, there's nothing to see here".  Wisdom is in short supply.

We have seen (at least according to media outlets) lots of "stocking up" on key quarantine and hygiene essentials.  Many people have been caught unawares, and are worried, even to the point of hysteria, that they don't have enough to get they and their families through this crisis.  I have a few thoughts on the concept of preparedness and Christianity.....

I absolutely believe that God is the author of life and sustains us from even before our very first breath.  It is His providence that sees us through each day and provides hope for the future.  However, He did give us biblical principles to live by and preparedness is one of many.

When God spoke to Noah, He told him to prepare for judgement.  He gave him very specific instructions about building an ark, loading it with life sustaining food and preparing his family for the trials of the days ahead.  Now, if anybody had a reason to doubt, it was Noah.  For over 100 years, Noah works on the ark.  I have no doubt there were many naysayers and hecklers, but Noah persevered.  Noah built a boat in a world that had never seen rain, never seen a flood, never had even seen an "act of God".  What faith!  God could have saved Noah and his family by "Divine Intervention", but instead, He chose to have Noah prepared.

The story of Joseph may be an overused example of preparedness, but it is without a doubt a perfect picture of God's faithfulness through preparedness.  Once more, God could have chosen not to allow the famine, but instead He readied His servant Joseph to care for His people.  What would have happened to the people Egypt and the surrounding areas had Joseph not heeded God's voice?

The example of the ten virgins in Matthew, although directly relating to the returning of the bridegroom, is instructive in discerning the wise from the foolish.  The wise virgins brought with them their lamps and their oil, conversely, the foolish virgins brought their lamps, but lacked the foresight to bring oil.  My desire is to be known as wise rather than foolish!!

Another thought is that God always starts with something.  When He made man, He started with dirt. When He made woman, He started with man.  God instructed Elijah to have the widow feed him.  She explained that she had only enough flour and oil for one loaf for she and her son, and then they would die.  Elijah instructed her to feed him first and that her supplies would last.  THEY DID!!  She had something and God multiplied it.  Even Jesus, with His very first miracle, started with something. He didn't just conjure up wine for the wedding, He started with water.  Later, at the Sermon on the Mount, He started with a few loaves and fishes, and fed 5000 men; not counting women and children.  He used what was available and multiplied it.  Those examples, at the very least, should spur to have SOMETHING.  God, in His sovereignty, will use what we have - but we need to start with something.  We don't have to panic about not having everything we think we need, but we do need to make an effort to acquire SOMETHING.

And then we get into the Proverbs.  They are a goldmine of preparedness advice:

Proverbs 6:6-8
Go to the any, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise. It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores it provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest.

Proverbs 21:20
In the house of the wise are stores of choice food and oil, but a foolish man devours all he has.

Proverbs 22:3
A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

Proverbs 27:12 (this one is even mentioned twice)
The prudent see danger and take refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it.

Proverbs 30:25
Ants are creatures of little strength, yet they store up their food in the summer.

Proverbs 31 is one of my favorite chapters.  It is like a job description for a Godly wife.  A couple of verses really speak to me when it comes to preparedness.  31:15 "She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls".  31:21 "When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in Scarlett".  31:25 "She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come".  The Proverbs 31 woman provided food for her household.  She did not wait for someone else to provide for her.  She was not afraid of the cold, because she had already made sure that her household was well clothed.  She laughed at the days to come.  I think this is my favorite verse.  For a woman, the only way that you can laugh at the days to come is if you feel that you have taken care of what needs to be taken care of.  When you have laid in supplies, a part of you says "bring it on!".  Then you truly can laugh at the days to come.

As Christians, it is our responsibility to be wise stewards.  How can we be a beacon of hope in a dark world, if we, ourselves are dependent upon the charity of others?  How can we bring glory to God if we are stealing or cheating to survive?  We must be like the prudent man who sees danger and takes refuge rather than the simple man who keeps going and suffers for it.

Good Home Treatment of Influenza

All the way back in 2011 I wrote The Prepared Family Guide to Uncommon Diseases.  Actually, more than writing, I merely compiled easily obtained information and attempted to put it in a coherent format to help my family and others in the event of a medical catastrophe.  Over the years I have referenced it from time-to-time, but thankfully, have never really had to put it into use.  Although I don't want to add to an already heightened concern, I do believe it may be time to pull this book from the mothballs.

The recently emerged Coronavirus has the entire world on edge.  And it does appear to have the potential to be a global game-changer.  Although my book covers everything from the Bubonic Plague to Starvation, the real gold is in a section that I had nothing to do with.  It is a special section in the back of the book called "Good Home Treatment of Influenza".  It was written by Grattan Woodson, M.D., FACP - author of the Bird Flu Preparedness Planner and the Bird Flu Manual.

As I researched the Wuhan virus, I discovered that "coronavirus" is an umbrella term for a number of different viruses, Avian Influenza and SARS included.  Armed with that knowledge, I grabbed my book from the shelf and flipped to the special section on Influenza.  I spent the next few days reading the information and making a list of necessary supplies.

What follows are but a few excerpts from the book.....As always knowledge is key to preparedness.

The Great Bird Flu Pandemic
It is in the nature of all influenza pandemics to cause widespread illness and death.  As during seasonal flu, the vast majority of those sick with pandemic flu will be treated at home by their family members and friends.  This guide was written for people taking care of mildly to severely ill influenza patients in their home who have no formal medical training.

A pandemic will last between 12 to 18 months and over that time about half the people on earth will become sick.  Most will be mild to moderately ill, but some will be very sick.  This guide will help you take care of these people at home using simple methods and do not rely on prescription drugs, medical equipment or medical training.

At times during a severe pandemic, hospitals could become full of sick and dying patients, running out of space for new patients.  Access to doctors may become limited.  Medical supplies and drugs could be in short supply.  If these things happen, people like you with no prior formal medical training may find yourself caring for terrible ill loved ones and friends, who under normal circumstances would be treated by the doctor in the hospital.  Home care, while not up to the standards of hospital care, can still be very effective.  The simple methods found in this guide are those that have the power to keep patients from dying from the common, preventable causes of death from influenza such as dehydration.

What is "good home care" for the flu?
Good home care is nine parts common sense and one part simple medical practice.  Taking care of someone with flu will be a familiar task for those who have nursed family members back to health in the past as it relies on simple common treatments and techniques.

The Flu Treatment Kit
Providing good care to family members and friends sick with influenza is a task that will be easier with a good supply of select over-the-counter medications, some medical equipment, and a few items from the grocery or hardware store.  These items form the basis of the Flue Treatment Kit (FTK).

The Flu Treatment Kit (items for one person)
Grocery Store Items

• Table salt: 1 lb. (for making Oral Rehydration Solution, gargle and nasal wash)
• Table sugar: 10 lbs. (for making Oral Rehydration Solution ORS)
• Baking soda: 6 oz. (for making Oral Rehydration Solution and nasal wash)
• Household bleach, unscented: 2 gal. (for purifying water and cleaning contaminated items)
• Caffeine containing tea, bags or dry loose: 1 lb. (for treatment of respiratory symptoms)
• Two 8 oz. Plastic baby bottles with rubber nipples (for administering ORS to severely ill)
• Two 16 oz. plastic squeeze bottles with swivel nozzles (for administering ORS to the ill)
• Two kitchen measuring cups with 500cc (two cups) capacity (for measuring lots of things)
• One set of kitchen measuring spoons 1/2 tsp up to 1 Tbsp. (for making ORS and dosing)
• Fifty soda straws (for administering fluids)
• One composition-style notebook (for keeping a medical record on the patient)
• Teakettle (for steam therapy)

FTK Items found at the drug store

• Petroleum jelly 4 oz. (for lubrication of tubes, suppositories and skin treatment and protection
• Cocoa butter, pure, 2 oz. (for making suppositories and skin treatment and protection)
• An accurate bathroom scale (for weighing)
• Two electronic thermometers (to measure temperature)
• Automatic blood pressure monitor (to measure blood pressure)
• Humidifier (for increasing the relative humidity of the air breathed by the patient)
• Pill cutter (to make it easier to reduce the dose of the medication if desired)
• 1 box of Nitril gloves (100) (to help reduce contamination and spread of the virus and bacteria

Non-Prescription drugs

• Ibuprofen 200mg (Motrin) 100 tablets (for treatment of flu symptoms)
• Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) 25 mg. capsules, 100 capsules (for treatment of flu symptoms)
• Robitussin DM Cough Syrup or its generic equivalent (12 oz.) (for treatment of cough)
• Acetaminophen 500 mg. (Tylenol) 100 tablets (for treatment of flu symptoms
• Loperamide 2 mg, 100 tablets (for diarrhea and abdominal cramps)
• Meclizine 25 mg., 100 tablets (for nausea and vomiting)

FTK Items found at the hardware store

• N-95 masks, 20 (2 boxes) (to reduce diseases spread to and from the patient)
• 50 gallon sturdy plastic garbage container with top (used to store clean water for drinking)

Other topics covered:

• Useful home care medical procedures
• How flue is passed person-to-person
• Coughing and hand washing etiquette
• The virtue of cleanliness
• Principal symptoms of influenza
• Fever
• Cough
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
• Supportive treatment of influenza
• Keeping good records
• Identification of dehydration
• Treatment of dehydration
• ORS formula for dehydration
• Treatment of common flu symptoms
• Treatment of adults with fever
• Treatment of chills and body aches and pains
• Treatment for respiratory conditions and headache
• Reasons and remedies for common flu patient signs and symptoms
• Treatment of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain
• Diet and exercise with Influenza
• The clear liquid diet
• Exercise during and after recovery
• Home care of children with flu
• Signs and symptoms of flu in children

And the list goes on and on.  

These days are precarious.  "A prudent man sees danger and takes refuge, but the simple keep going and suffer for it".  Proverbs 22:3