The global concern of H1N1 means that people need to seriously make pandemic flu preparations. The word pandemic, meaning widespread and universal, tends to often be associated with panic and death from a deadly outbreak. Instead it just means that a specific type of virus has reached a stage where it is being spread quickly and easily from one person to the next. With the current swine flu activity, preparations are not extreme in nature; however, they are designed to prevent you from becoming ill.
The first step of any pandemic flu preparations is to make a plan. This involves sitting down with family and friends and discussing what steps you will take in the event that things get worse, or what everyone will agree to do should they get sick. Centers for disease control and prevention can of course be contacted for advice and assistance, but mainly the idea is that everyone in your inner circle knows that they will need to quarantine themselves if they get infected, and that a strategy is put into place to keep your lives running more or less normally.
After you have a plan in place, the next step is to stock up on items that will be essential should you get sick, or should the situation in cities worsen to the point where stores are closed. The types of items you should stock up on are usual things like water and other fluids, food supplies to last you for at least two weeks, medical supplies and vitamins, and of course any prescription medicine you may require. While some of these measures might seem a bit extreme, at the very least you want to have a type of flu toolkit ready, with all the items you could possibly need.
The spread of a flu pandemic tends to occur because of people interacting closely with each other and then not following healthy habits. This should be a big part of your preparation; training yourself and your family on the proper habits that will reduce the spread of viruses. Centers for disease control can answer your questions about swine flu, but some common habits to get familiar with are coughing into your arm, not your hand; washing your hands regularly with soap and water, or sanitizer, especially after touching common things that others have touched as well, such as grocery store carts, door knobs and handles, money etc.; and avoiding the tendency to touch your own face, mouth and nose.
If you take these steps, then you will have a greater chance of avoiding any contact with the H1N1 virus that has developed into a pandemic flu. Significant medical advances have occurred over the past one hundred years, as well as education about sanitary habits, which means the devastation that occurred during the 1918 Spanish flu is unlikely, but you never know. Practice good healthy habits, and keep important medical information and phone numbers close by. After all, what could be more important than the health and safety of you and your loved ones?