Ebola is on a lot of people’s mind at the moment. It is a pretty scary thought with a possible 50-90% mortality rate. We don’t know if it will spread and we don’t know if it will reach New Zealand shores. Probably not. But we pretty much do know that there will be a pandemic at some point in the future. All experts agree that it is not a matter of if, but rather when. So get prepared now and if Ebola hits you are better prepared. If Ebola does not become a pandemic, you will be better prepared for the next potential pandemic.

Although Ebola is a gruesome disease and has a high mortality rate, it is not thought to be airborne it is passed through bodily fluids. At this stage the disease is said to be non-contagious until the first symptoms appear (early symptoms such as headaches, nausea, fatigue, fever, chills and vomiting usually starting from between 2-8 days).

Washing your hands often and properly may seem like such a small things to do, but it is in fact the first line of defence in any contagious illness. Social distancing is the next best thing to do – avoid places with large groups of people. Then you need to be prepared for total isolation. This means that you need to be prepared to isolate yourself and your loved ones in a location for as long as it takes. Have you got all that you need to survive this kind of situation? Have you got enough water, food, medical and sanitary supplies? And don’t forget the critical personal protection such as gloves, face masks and eye protection. You will also need to get yourself a couple of bottles of bleach!

Disease spreads very quickly and when you take yourself and your loved ones into isolation can be difficult decision. A commonly discussed buffer zone is 100 miles. If the disease comes within 100 miles of your location it is time to go into total isolation.  Ideally you would stay in isolation for a month after the last known case in your 100 mile buffer zone.

We also believe that for any possible epidemic it is vital to have the strongest immune system possible. One way to assist this is with nature’s help. More about that in another blog…….