Gross mismanagement of the Ebola crisis by CDC and health officials around the country has left many Americans wondering what steps they need to take to prevent getting infected.

Some of the key questions facing concerned citizens revolve around the concepts of self quarantine and social distancing.

When do you make the call to bug in or bug out? When do you stop going to work out of concern of being exposed to a virulent disease? When should I put my self and family into full pandemic lockdown mode?

[amazon asin=B008MCV43K&template=*lrc ad (left)]Before you dismiss this article as just another over-sensationalized attempt at fear mongering, understand this: Ebola has a 70% mortality rate and there is no cure.

Let’s be absolutely clear – this is not a common cold or flu. If you get Ebola, odds are you will die.

Despite the CDCs efforts it has missed vital opportunities to contain the virus and we are now facing the potential for a widespread pandemic on U.S. soil. There are no protocols in place for medical professionals to follow, no systematic approaches in place to deal with this type of large scale disaster, and no significant attempts at controlling the spread of this contagion. The American public can and should expect that each week will bring more infections and death.[amazon asin=B002UFLQ60&template=*lrc ad (right)]

The time to make preparations for a worst-case scenario is now. The following are six key warning signs you should be looking for. When these events come to pass or you see these signals, you should strongly consider implementing a self quarantine lockdown:

1. Emergency officials say they have the situation under control, but more cases continue to pop up.
2. Local and state governments officially declare an emergency.
3. Cases have been identified at your local hospital or at schools in your general vicinity.
4. [amazon asin=B000URGFQG&template=*lrc ad (left)]The general public begins to panic and store shelves start running out of key supplies like food and bottled water.
5. Looting and lawlessness occurs within the local community.
6. The virus breaches a 50-mile radius surrounding your home or town.

If any of these signs begin to appear around you, it’s time to seriously consider distancing yourself from society, and especially highly dense venues like retail stores, sporting events or schools.

Here’s an important factor to consider: You want to have all supplies and a plan in place before the virus spreads out of [amazon asin=B007UZNS5W&template=*lrc ad (right)]control and before government officials force mandatory quarantines. Once the signs start to appear, it may already be too late to start stockpiling supplies because panic-buying will be the order of the day. We’ve already seen this with major internet suppliers of medical gear, who report that their inventories have been nearly cleaned out. The same will happen on a local level.

In this type of disaster, you need to prepare for the likelihood of living in an off grid setting with the supplies in your home for a at least a month. That’s the bare minimum. If you have the means to do it, consider a longer-term preparedness plan like the one we’ve outlined in The Prepper’s Blueprint, which is designed to provide for your family for an emergency lasting in excess of six months or [amazon asin=B0094DJ3XO&template=*lrc ad (left)]longer.

If you do not have necessary supplies, you will be ill-equipped to survive this disaster. You’ll want to concentrate your efforts on the essentials first. This means emergency foods that can include pre-packaged Meals-Ready-To-Eat (MRE), freeze dried foods, and dry goods, all of which can be incorporated into your meal planning in order to prevent food fatigue over extended periods. It also means access to water, and because utility workers may stop showing up for work you’re going to need a water source or reserve water stores. Other critical yet often overlooked preparedness considerations for a self-quarantine scenario includes alternative lighting, sanitation, alternative cooking and energy needs. Time is of the essence, and preparation is key.

If the Government Won’t Close Their Borders, You Should Close Yours[amazon asin=B00FZYTUY8&template=*lrc ad (right)]

Because each of our circumstances are different and we live in varying population densities, each of us will have to make choices based on our specific needs. Some people commute to work, some work from home, and some live in the country where the threat of contagious viruses spreading in high volume isn’t as much of a concern as urban areas.

The government has made no attempts at closing its borders or to ban travelers living in Ebola zones even though the majority of Americans have said they want the borders temporarily closed from people originating in these countries. If they won’t close their [amazon asin=B002U3VSRO&template=*lrc ad (left)]borders, you can close yours. If Ebola makes its way to your community, shows up in your local hospital or within 50 miles of your home, consider activating a total lockdown procedure for your home and plan to bug in place until the threat has passed.

• Activating social distancing protocols is the best way to avoid Ebola altogether. If you are prepared to live in your home for a month or longer without venturing into public areas, then you stand a better chance of surviving this pandemic. If you are able to work from home and live full-time at your bug out retreat, take any remaining supplies you have and go now before the pandemic escalates. When there is a concern for dangerous communicable diseases spreading, the CDC activates mandatory [amazon asin=B00DH4J0SE&template=*lrc ad (right)]quarantines which are backed up by laws and executive orders. No one goes in, and no one goes out.
• James Rawles recently suggested that if you have 6 months worth of savings, perhaps it is worthwhile to take a leave of absence from your employment and live at your bug out retreat full time until the crisis passes.
• If you do not have the flexibility of working from home and have to work in an office or warehouse setting, discuss contingency plans with your employer. In addition to educating employees, companies should review their emergency preparedness plans on how to respond if an employee falls sick on the job. The plan should include communicating with other employees, setting up an isolation room, transporting ill employees to the appropriate medical authorities, protecting employees who come into contact with those who are ill, setting up a disinfecting program, and monitoring contact tracing. Organizations could also consider screening employees at the worksite.

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