With news on the Enterovirus D-68 and Ebola virus still spreading throughout the United States, families may need a home emergency kit to prepare for an epidemic of a virus. Bloomberg shows an increase in purchases of emergency supplies. From water bottles to special survival items, people are considering what they need to do to keep their families safe from Ebola and Enterovirus D-68.
FEMA offers a variety of ideas, mostly for natural disasters, like hurricanes and earthquakes, or military emergencies, such as a bombing. Bomb shelters and fallout shelters are not a new thing in this country, but with viruses like Ebola and E-68, the practicality of staying home to avoid infection or being quarantined at home due to an outbreak is now a real threat. Families don’t have to go as far as creating a panic room or safe room in their properties, but making a home emergency or survival kit for a few days or weeks is a practical reality that could come in handy.
After the death of Thomas Eric Duncan from Ebola, people have to wonder about the possibility of an outbreak in this country. In his case, a string of human errors and lack of information led to his death, and his family being quarantined for weeks. Habitat for Humanity offers a comprehensive emergency shelter kit geared more for people who lose their actual shelter. These home emergency kits are equipped with such items as five-gallon buckets, tarps, and hammers. The government’s Ready website offers a more basic disaster supplies kit, including water, three days of food, batteries, flashlights, first aid kit, whistles, masks, tape, wet wipes, pliers, can openers, maps, and cell phone devices. Most survival kits are designed for natural disasters, not viral outbreaks.
FEMA goes further to offer simple solutions to emergency planning — remembering medications and pet food, for example. Making copies of family documents and bringing basic entertainment (books, paper, and pencil) are great ways to ensure that a longer stay at home is comfortable for the whole family. Stocking up on basic foods and water is essential. Even equipping the house with an updated fire extinguisher or emergency medication (for relatives with allergies or breathing issues) is a great way to prepare a home emergency kit.
Ebola is scaring people, especially since it has started to spread to other areas of the world, like Spain. After a nurse there contracted the virus, her dog was put to sleep in an effort to keep the Ebola virus under control. People are still debating the best courses of action to handle the disease in the Western world.
When it comes to the Enterovirus D-68, parents are concerned for their school-aged children. The Enterovirus D-68 virus seems to attack young children the most, since it spreads through regular contact, like a typical cold. This poses a threat to children with respiratory issues and has already led to deaths from the virus. It’s not surprising that some families are opting to stay home for a while, or to pull their children from school until the virus goes away, according to CNN. It seems that once the weather gets colder, parents can see a decrease in the D-68 and go back to worrying about the yearly flu instead.
For families who share concerns but do not have the time to prepare full blown home emergency kits, there are some quick solutions. Augason Farms offers a 30-Day Food Storage Emergency Pail at a reasonable price. Online retailers offer the bucket on sale, and the item takes up little room. It only contains food, but for those who want to add some emergency preparations to their home, it could be just the fix. With a 20-year shelf life, this may be more practical than creating a bomb shelter to avoid a virus. If the idea of spending money on less-than-delicious food seems extreme, people may opt to stock up on protein drinks and meal shakes to sustain all family members with a supply of water in a worst-case scenario.
[Image courtesy of Alan Bailey/Shutterstock/Mother Jones]