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Originally Posted by The Reaper
Great medical list, but here is also where the N95 masks and surgical gloves go.
TR
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Great thread, I'm trying to keep up!
For a home kit, and with a disease-centric focus: While N95 and surgical gloves are best, there are cheap alternatives. Rubber dish washing gloves, goggles/shooting glasses, and a bandanna are better than nothing. I presented this idea around a table with a bunch of physicians (we were talking about "I waited too long to prepare and now everything is gone" alternatives. They immediately scoffed and attacked the idea -- wraparound glasses and a bandanna won't filer out 0.5 micron viruses (duh). I pointed out that a major infection route -- possibly THE major infection route -- is touching the mouth, nose or eyes with contaminated fingers. The bandanna and glasses prevent these unconscious actions.
Hmmm they said, maybe you have something there. (Score one for the guy with no letters after his name!)
If you have to go out for food/medicine/whatever during a pandemic, place a dishpan with a 6% bleach solution in the garage/back porch before you go. Step into the pan (thin rubber "Wellies" would be a good footwear choice), remove outerwear and then drop gloves, glasses, mask into the disinfectant, then step out of boots. Then wash yourself carefully with soap and water.
Sunlight is a great disinfectant for clothing -- let it sit for "several" days before re-use. (I am investigating if there is research that says how long H5N1 lasts in sunlight -- I have heard less than 2 days on dry surfaces but need confirmation).
Get a couple of extra bags of pool shock to make sure you don't have to skimp on disinfecting.