THE THIN WHITE LINE: the history of a future avian influenza pandemic

Chapter 3: Pandemic

Survival mode

    The first natural course for those awakening to the Pandemic’s realities was to go into survival mode. Do I have a roof over my head? Do I have food, and can I get more when this runs out? Do I have water and heat, and are these reliable?
    After that, people thought of their health. Am I strong enough to resist the flu? Do I have flu remedies and aspirin? Should I wear a mask? What if my child gets sick? Who do I call? How do I get antivirals from the government? Do I have disinfectant to keep the house germ-free?
    They thought about money. Do I have money to pay for our supplies and keep us going? Will my company pay me while I’m not working? Can I get money from the bank? Can we continue to take care of our pets?
    They thought about their ethical responsibilities if the above needs could be met. Do I have a responsibility to help my extended family? My neighbors? My community? The government? Some people took their responsibility to their communities to the point of neighborhood vigilantism.
    And they thought about death. Will I be able to be properly buried? Will my life insurance cover my death from flu?
    Many people realized that answering some of these questions satisfactorily required them to acquire things they didn’t have, and fast.
    In doing so, many people lost their capacity for rational thought.(57) In their minds, to be left without was to be left behind to die.