By Grattan Woodson, MD, FACP
Author of The Bird Flu Preparedness Planner and the Bird Flu Manual
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 mild 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 does 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 happens, people like you with no prior formal medical training may find yourself caring for terribly 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.