It’s infectious disease season—and hospitals shouldn’t be surprised—it happens every year.
But a frightening 28 states are NOT prepared to handle disease outbreaks.
And we’re not just talking big, scary news-making diseases like Ebola or MERS. These states can’t even handle the regular outbreaks like the flu, food poisoning, and other common bugs.
The scoring system looked at basic practices in ten different areas, including:
- food safety compliance,
- vaccination rates,
- cases of antibiotic-resistant superbugs,
- hospital-acquired infections.
This combination of factors shows us just how well—or, in most states, how poorly—a system could handle an infectious disease threat.
ZERO state are 100% prepared for an outbreak
NO states got a perfect score, either. The five highest-ranking states – Virginia, Kentucky, Maine, New York, and Delaware – scored only 80% on the preparedness scale… and it just goes downhill from there. The worst states, scoring just 30%, include Idaho, Michigan, Kansas, Oregon, Utah, Ohio, and Oklahoma.
But it seems like a problem no matter where you live. Consider these sobering statistics:
- The U.S. spends more than $120 billion on infectious diseases every year
- One in every 25 hospital patients develops a healthcare-based infection
- 75,000 people die every year from hospital-acquired diseases
- 48 million Americans are struck by foodborne illness annually
- More than 2 million Americans are felled by superbugs each year, and 23,000 die
- The U.S. spends $20 billion in direct medical costs dealing with those antibiotic-resistant infections
- Most U.S. states can’t effectively contain an infectious disease outbreak of any kind
Protect yourself from minor to deadly disease threats
And now with deadly disease threats pouring in from all over the world, it seems more important than ever for our healthcare system to stay ten steps ahead… instead of lagging woefully behind.
The outbreak preparedness report was put together by the Trust for America’s Health, along with the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. And their recommendations to improve the problems come as no surprise: vaccinate more people, minimize antibiotic use, and pour more money into the health care system (I suppose one out of three is the best we can expect).
By the time any of those questionable strategies work—if they even work at all—you, or someone you love, could get caught in a deadly disease cycle.
It’s critical to stay as healthy as possible, by taking three simple but powerful steps…
- strengthen your immune system (start with vitamin D, vitamin C and zinc)
- avoid obviously sick people whenever possible,
- wash your hands frequently.
Taking these three basic—and inexpensive—steps can keep you much safer… especially if you live in a “fail” state. And if you do happen get sick with some minor sniffles and sneezes check out this feel better fast plan.
Sources:
http://healthyamericans.org/reports/outbreaks2015/
https://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/
Michele Cagan is the Editor of the Health Sciences Institute Members Alert, a monthly health newsletter with approximately 200,000 paid subscribers, dedicated to presenting natural and alternative cures. The Members Alert covers a wide range of diseases and conditions including depression, weight loss, insomnia, cancer, diabetes, arthritis, fibromyalgia, aging, Alzheimer’s disease, adrenal fatigue, and dozens more.
Ms. Cagan tracks down the sources of these natural cures in the Amazon rainforest, along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, in the Siberian tundra, and atop the Himalayas. From medicinal mushrooms to Traditional Chinese herbs to Ayurvedic treasures, Ms. Cagan seeks the most trusted natural cures, backed by centuries of effectiveness and modern science.
Ms. Cagan also authored the alternative health book, Act 50 Think 40 Feel 30 - The Doctor's Secrets to Living Younger Everyday with Allan Spreen, M.D.
In addition, Ms. Cagan created the Health e-Living Letter (an online health column on the benefits of natural remedies), HSI On the Spot (an alternative health blog), and Code Red (an urgent e-letter informing subscribers about newly discovered adverse events), along with special in-depth reports on critical alternative cures. Ms. Cagan is also a featured contributor on HealthierTalk.com.
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