Bird Flu: Store tuna and milk

Have you got plenty of space available under your bed at home? Im not prying, Im just asking because you might want to make some room under there for tuna and powdered milk.

Store tuna and milk in case of a bird flu outbreak, says the US
If your local grocery store is fresh out of canned tuna fish, dont be surprised. The other week Mike Leavitt, US Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), offered a strategy for coping with severe food shortages that would surely go hand in hand with a bird flu pandemic. As reported by the Associated Press, Secretary Leavitt said: When you go to the store and buy three cans of tuna fish, buy a fourth and put it under the bed.

He also suggested that we should buy powdered milk. And store it where? Put it under the bed. When you do that for a period of four to six months, you are going to have a couple of weeks of food.

I understand the concept of having some food in reserve, but I dont get the obsession with under-bed storage. Especially since thats where I store all of my other things. 

The US is even planning a bird flu tour to support their plan
It seems that officials have imagined every conceivable plan that might protect people from bird flu.

But I wonder if the US government has fully pondered the potential health consequences of consuming an extended diet of tuna and powdered milk. I find it less than appetizing to imagine loading up on mercury laced canned tuna, topped off with antibiotics, pesticides, herbicides and bovine growth hormones contained in powdered milk.

Nevertheless, thats the official emergency diet and HHS is sticking to it. Secretary Leavitt has even set off on a 50-state bird flu tour of the US to discuss emergency preparedness with officials in local governments. And hell probably be warmly welcomed everywhere he goes after word gets out that he gave Wyoming (his first stop) more than 340,000 to fund a bird flu pandemic preparedness campaign that will instruct citizens to store cans of tuna under their beds.

Britains bird flu plans
The good news is that the government hasnt quite gone to this extreme here in the UK. So what is the governments plan if there is a bird flu outbreak?

*A stockpile of 14.6 million courses of anti-viral drugs is being built up. It is not a cure, but would be used to protect those most at risk of serious illness. So far the UK has 2.5 million doses, with 800,000-a-month arriving.
*If there is a pandemic, radio, TV and newspaper announcements would be made. These would include simple advice on hygiene and treatment.
*Public meetings, such as concerts and football matches, could be banned in an attempt to contain the disease. Travel restrictions could also be enforced.
*Thousands of information packs outlining what steps to take are being sent to GPs. Guidance for patients is included. Regular updates will be issued as needed.
*Health workers are being asked to draw up plans detailing how they would respond to a pandemic.
*NHS staff are to be trained in managing services during a pandemic and how to cope with the demands likely to be placed on them.

In the meantime, here are some recommendations from the NHS on how you can help prevent the bird flu:

*good hygiene (like regular hand washing) *turn away from other people and cover your mouth with tissues when coughing or sneezing *put the tissues in the bin straight away after use and wash your hands *keep away from public places if you are ill and avoid contact with children or people with underlying illnesses *when attending a medical practice, alert the receptionist to your symptoms so you can be seated away from others and possibly be given a surgical mask *maintain good general health

So, dont go overboard on stocking up on tuna and powdered milk. Just follow the good common sense recommendations from the NHS to help prevent not only bird flu but other viruses and bacteria from making you sick.