[temsmedic]

I'd like to post the following for discussion:

I have considered the following actions, if a very dangerous pandemic presented [not the current one, but more like H5N1, with a very high mortality rate]. The underlying premise is that it will be just about impossible to avoid being infected during the entire course of the pandemic, with it's multiple waves, as we provide health care with increasingly limited resources. We have all seen the graphs of the 1918-19 pandemic's death rate, and read about the lack of medical resources for those that are infected at the peak of the pandemic.

So, I have considered:

a) start Lipitor when I know the virus is heading our way.
b) when the first patient presents, start double dose antivirals [already stockpiled]
c) [I'd now consider adding vitamin D after reading some of the articles posted in the "Pandemic" thread]
d) Go into an influenza patient's room, and get infected.

This plan would optimize my chance of survival, and if I was gravely ill, there would likely still be nurses, ICU beds, ventilators, etc to take care of me.

The added benefit would be that IF I recovered, I'd be able to see patients without any mask/respirator, and would be more efficient for the mountains of work that will flooding the ER.

The wildcard would be the timeline on vaccine availability, although if the country is paralyzed, I wouldn't put it past them to send us placebo vaccine, to get the health professionals to show up to work.

I'd appreciate your thoughts.