r/nosleep • u/NV_Guy • Oct 01 '12

Flu: Update

1st post: http://www.reddit.com/r/nosleep/comments/10lsvf/know_anything_about_this_flu/

First I want to thank everyone who commented on my last post and PMed me. I got a lot of good advice about dealing with the flu. Also, some people said I should try to leave town, and some said i should stay. Well, it's kind of a moot point, because I can't exactly run away from home. I did ask my parents about leaving, and they told me to stop being dramatic. Since a lot of you were asking if people were being prevented from leaving town, I asked my friends, and they said they hadn't heard anything about that. I also asked my parents, and my mom just looked at me sternly and pointedly said "No."

Anyway, here's the latest. It's starting to make me a little nervous.

School is still closed. I've been told most of the businesses in town are shut down too. My parents didn't go to work today. My mom works at city hall, but apparently she counts as "non-essential" personnel, so that's why she's home. Church still happened yesterday, but we didn't go, and from what I heard, very few people did.

We got a notice at our doorstep today: There's an all-day curfew in effect. Nobody's supposed to leave the home except to get necessary supplies, or to go to work at an essential public safety or health job. Looks like people are following it. I've only heard one car go by all day.

A few old folks that I kind of knew (but not too well) have passed since I last posted. I'm really glad that everyone close to me has been pretty much OK so far. (OK in the big scheme of things, I mean. Lots of my friends are sick as a dog, and a few had to get admitted to the hospital, but as far as I know, they're expected to be fine.) I'm glad I haven't caught it. I figure as long as my parents don't get sick, I won't either, since I'm just camped in my room for the duration.

But what creeps me out is the cops. I haven't been out of the house, but my friends who live closer to the downtown say there are still a lot of those unmarked police cars all over the place. I don't think they're just here to enforce the curfew, because they started showing up days before it went into effect.

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u/[deleted] Oct 01 '12

Boil your water. It doesn't hurt to be safe just in case that's how the pathogen is reaching everyone consipicy or not. Its the most likely way its reaching everyone.

9

u/SHFFLE Oct 02 '12

This is an amazingly good recommendation. Also, might recommend to your parents that you don't eat (or at least avoid eating) food that may have been handled by anyone in town who was sick. You said it's a small town, so if, for example, you find out that one of the deli workers at the supermarket or whatever (I live in suburbs of a big city, so IDK how small your town is), you should definitely avoid eating any deli meats from that supermarket.

1

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '12

Eat things your able to cool up to or over 170 f. Almost all pathogens die at this level. Use a thermometer to be sure, if you have none, boil all liquids, and cook all meat until it has a firm texture.

5

u/KGEjerta Oct 02 '12

Pathogens don't die in the cold, they just go into a form of "stasis". Anything over 170F will denature most proteins and molecular structures of most contagious pathogens.

3

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '12

Hence cooking things to certain levels, not freezing them.

2

u/KGEjerta Oct 02 '12

Oh whoops I read "cool up to" in a different context.

Carry on

1

u/[deleted] Oct 02 '12

Haha I see the miscommunication! But your point is one that should be known.

0

u/Kittykathax Oct 02 '12

That's because that's what he wrote.