Sealing Up Your Home Question

Yeah...  I was telling a lady today about all of this and she asked the same question.  She said that the sites she's been on people haven't really thought about that this far. 

I know there's has been a lot of confusion about how the flu is transmitted.  H5N1, right now, is very difficult to acquire.  If it mutates, it will likely become easily transmissble, as is any human flu virus. There is no reason right now to suspect it will become any more contagious than a normal flu, just more lethal.

I've been exposed to hundreds of flu victims, and never acquired the Flu. During the A Victoria outbreak in 1978, we were inundated with flu patients, as it was the first reappearance of H1N1 since the Spanish flu.  Was I lucky? Charmed? Well, if I was, so were the majority of my co-workers. Most did not contract the flu, despite being in close quarters with these patients.


You can acquire the flu from droplet infection, or from fomites.  Droplets are expelled when someone sneezes or coughs, and travel only a short distance before  gravity gets the best of them, and they settle on objects.  So, if you remain a safe distance from an infected person, you will be unlikely to acquire the flu from `airborne' transmission. Areosolization of the virus, due to the use of nebulizers, could increase the distance and ease of transmission. This is primarily a worry in a hospital environment.

How close is too close?

Estimates vary, but most people feel the red zone is within 6 feet. Yellow is within 10 feet. Beyond 10 feet, you are probably pretty safe.  Personally, I'd expand that a bit, given the seriousness of this virus, and make it a 20 foot distance.

By wearing masks, goggles, and gloves, you can be much closer to an infected person and be reasonably safe.

THERE IS NO EVIDENCE OF LONG DISTANCE AIRBORNE TRANSMISSION OF THE FLU.

Fomites are inanimate objects that are infected by the Flu virus. Door knobs, shopping cart handles, public telephones . . .  the list is endless.  The virus can remain viable on surfaces for hours or even days.  This is why handwashing is so important. We touch infected surfaces, then touch our faces, and we become infected.  The liberal use of hand sanitizers after touching potentially infected objects is probably a good idea.  The wearing of gloves provides an effective barrier, and it reminds us not to touch our faces.

There is some evidence that this flu virus may extend into the gastrointestinal tract, and may be shed via human feces as it is now with birds. This is a worry when dealing with infected patients, and the use of masks and gloves is probably prudent.

There is no such thing as a zero-risk.  But if you are careful to wash your hands, avoid crowds during a pandemic, and use masks and gloves, particularly when you are near an infected person, you are likely to avoid the flu.

Infection from birds, or bird feces, is always a concern, and it is prudent to keep your distance from these things.  It may be advisable to remove your shoes and disinfect them before entering your home. 

The flu virus is not likely to drift in thru your windows, of waft in the breeze down your street. This is not ebola or TB.  Personal protective measure should be effective, as long as you follow them.










Edited by Fla_Medic

Thank you, this is REALLY good information, part of the safe planning is knowing limits.  I wasn't sure either...

 

Pola, be very careful about sealing up your house like that.  There is always the posibility of a myriad of toxic fumes that exist in "acceptable levels" and don't seem to bother us when there is sufficient air flow in and out of the house but you are just asking for trouble if you seal up all windows and doors. I would not rec it.

interesting information.

I was wondering that,if and when the bird flu virus come to the UK,just in its present form,then what about walking in ones garden? As little birds that come into gardens do poops?

when/if it goes human to human and you wanted to do some sunbathing in your back garden perhaps,or just get some air,where there are no people,is THAT safe? i suppose i'd have to make sure my toddler had protective footwear on incase of bird poop? would he be ok to run around in the buff? as kids normally do in summer?

Cosmicpixie, you raise interesting questions.

If bird flu becomes endemic in your region, then you will probably want to take some precautions.  Little kids tend to touch everything, and then touch their mouths. This is bad news when it comes to the avian flu virus. Indoors or out. 

What follows is my personal opinion, which is subject to change as new facts present themselves. 

Frankly, I'd be a little concerned about letting kids play outdoors barefoot. And if they are not old enough to really understand about not touching their face, then they will need constant close supervision.  The avian flu virus has been shown to remain viable in bird feces for between 1 and 4 weeks. 

I'd seriously consider buying a roll of visqueen, 4mill thick clear plastic that comes in a roll, usually 20' by 50'.  On a nice day, roll it out on the lawn, and let the kids romp on it.  Roll it up at the end of the day. If birds have made any deposits, an immediate washdown with diluted bleach would be a good idea.

Having a pump style garden sprayer with a water/bleach solution could come in very handy. Could be used for a decontamination `washdown' of the troops before they come inside.  A 50:1 solution, or even a 99:1 solution would probably be effective, and as long as you avoid the eyes, probably not harmful.

An antibacterial soap solution might also be used. Not sure how sudsy it would be in a spray rig, tho.  And we have `good' bacteria on our skin that would be killed, so I wouldn't make it a daily thing.

Shoes should be removed outside and decontaminated.  And a fresh water rinse off, once inside, should follow the bleach decontamination.

Dry, windy days may be more dangerous than others. Bird feces, as it dries, could release the virus on the `dust'.  How long it would survive is something I don't know. Could be a problem, maybe not. Just a thought.

There will be no zero-risk scenarios. Despite your best efforts, you or your chldren might still contract the flu.  But there are reasonable precautions you can take to reduce that chance.

Hope this helps.






Edited by Fla_Medic

satomick,  right now, there is no High path bird flu in the United States. May not be for months.  Doubt you need to do anything about the ducks right now.

When BF does arrive, I don't know what to tell you.   Ducks on a pond, away from the house, are unlikely to pose a threat.  If any ducks grow sick or die, call the local health department and let them cull them for you.  Otherwise, wait for advice from your local authorities.

We can't expect to kill all of the birds in the world. Wouldn't want to, anyway. The environmental consequences of doing that could be worse than the flu. Birds help control insects. Imagine what happens to our crops and the mosquito population if we killed off large numbers of birds.  Enough will succumb to the virus as it is.


We need to learn to live with this virus. Adjust the way we do things for a while.  As time goes on, we will find out how dangerous it really is. Maybe it won't be as bad as we fear.  Eventually, it will mutate to a less dangerous pathogen, or we will develop immunity.

We are entering uncharted territory here. That place on the map where ancient cartographers used to enscribe, There be Dragons here.

No telling what we'll find.  

Fla_Medic, I'm with you on this...

We have to have adequate ventilation - fresh air is a good thing.  And just as Bruss said, "influenza, avian or otherwise, does not just travel on the wind".

Here is a quote from the EPA on "Sick Building Syndrome" http://www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html

 

Causes of Sick Building Syndrome

The following have been cited causes of or contributing factors to sick building syndrome:

Inadequate ventilation: In the early and mid 1900's, building ventilation standards called for approximately 15 cubic feet per minute (cfm) of outside air for each building occupant, primarily to dilute and remove body odors. As a result of the 1973 oil embargo, however, national energy conservation measures called for a reduction in the amount of outdoor air provided for ventilation to 5 cfm per occupant. In many cases these reduced outdoor air ventilation rates were found to be inadequate to maintain the health and comfort of building occupants. Inadequate ventilation, which may also occur if heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems do not effectively distribute air to people in the building, is thought to be an important factor in SBS. In an effort to achieve acceptable IAQ while minimizing energy consumption, the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) recently revised its ventilation standard to provide a minimum of 15 cfm of outdoor air per person (20 cfm/person in office spaces). Up to 60 cfm/person may be required in some spaces (such as smoking lounges) depending on the activities that normally occur in that space (see ASHRAE Standard 62-1989).

Chemical contaminants from indoor sources: Most indoor air pollution comes from sources inside the building. For example, adhesives, carpeting, upholstery, manufactured wood products, copy machines, pesticides, and cleaning agents may emit volatile organic compounds (VOCs), including formaldehyde. Environmental tobacco smoke contributes high levels of VOCs, other toxic compounds, and respirable particulate matter. Research shows that some VOCs can cause chronic and acute health effects at high concentrations, and some are known carcinogens. Low to moderate levels of multiple VOCs may also produce acute reactions. Combustion products such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, as well as respirable particles, can come from unvented kerosene and gas space heaters, woodstoves, fireplaces and gas stoves.

About sealing doors and windows ,I am Yost going to do it in the front of the house  in case someone comes knocking at the door ! The rest I don't have a problem , I have a lot of sliding doors and windows in the back .

FLA MEDIC: JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS, YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH YOU HAVE HELPED ME WITH YOUR POSTS.

 

I agree with Fla_medic regarding sealing up home. 

But if a worst case scenario were to happen and I felt like people were going to try and take my stuff or harm my family; I would make the windows and doors more difficult to get through.  I have one door in my basement that I would but 3/4 plywood over and chains or drop bars on the back side.  The windows on the back of the house I would probably put card board on the inside with a tracing of my favorite pistol in black.  I would cut two dowels (old broom handles) on each side so it couldn't be raised and not seen because of the card board.  Yep, people could still get in, it wouldn't be as easy, and they probably would make more noise.  In which I might make some noise myself.  People don't like to  come through an opening that they can't see on the other side.  Write on your card board I am home and armed.  

I think/hope my line of thought is over the top - but I don't know.  

The large air horns that people use at sporting events can be a passive deterent against home intrusion.  You have to make a decision which noise you want to make first - obvious if they are inside your home, but if they are trying to get in then decide up front your response while you are calm and rational.  Making decisions now is prepping/planning.  A 14 year old trying to break into a home because they are hungry is something to consider.  My thoughts are probably over the top again - but I like to prepare to the degree I can. 

The unexpected always happens at some point.