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To: CalculatedRisk who wrote (43136)	10/9/2005 8:40:43 PM
From: Elroy Jetson	Respond to of 110194

Obviously the best alternative is to avoid contracting the illness in the first place. It brings to mind Prince Prospero in Poe's "Masque of the Red Death". "And now was acknowledged the presence of the Red Death. He had come like a thief in the night." One by one the revelers died; and when the last one had died, "the life of the ebony clock went out. And the flames of the tripods expired. And Darkness and Decay and the Red Death held illimitable dominion over all." Although in bad taste, the primary benefit of using face masks during an epidemic is that it prevents people from sticking their viral laden fingers up their nose. The treatments options I've outlined are obviously the "nuclear option" once you've become infected with Bird Flu and want to save your life. One of the problems with plague historically, has been the secondary waves of infection. After the initial wave of death and illness, some of the population is now immune and some are not. The secondary wave which can occur months later, or as much as 50 or 60 years later, infects the previously uninfected and their children. .

To: CalculatedRisk who wrote (43136)	10/9/2005 10:36:07 PM
From: benwood	Respond to of 110194

Actually, an N95 will not be overkill. I read on the WHO site last year that influenza can penetrate an N95 mask, and I recall that Henri made a similar statement here two weeks ago. Still, I would have to think it would help. They had a big spread in a Seattle Times magazine about six months ago about the 1918 flu and how the infection rate and death rate in Seattle was far lower than in Portlan, and the primary reason was the mayor of Seattle closed all public places when the outbreak arrived. Thing is, the mailman will deliver mail that could be contaminated, you will eventually run out of food unless you have a several months' supply, etc. But you can do things to at least minimize your risk of exposure. For me, keeping my three germ vacuums out of secondary school will be a must.