Zika Plans

khcraig · June 2016

For those who are in a Zika-likely area (Florida for example), does anyone have a backup plan for what to do when the virus hits land? It seems to me the only 100% sure fire way of avoiding Zika is to move north. What are your “just in case” plans?

FYI, experts say Zika mosquitos could be in the US within days or weeks.

rn1stbae · June 2016

I'd recommend, that if you are that worried, you simply stay indoors as long as you have access to air conditioning. Wear long pants and shirts with deet spray when you do have to go outdoors. I personally live in the south and won't be relocating anywhere. You're chances of getting in a car accident and hurting the baby are much much greater than contracting Zika in the US.

KimmySchmidt · June 2016

I'm traveling to Florida at the end of the month. My plan includes bug spray. End of plan.

rn1stbae · June 2016

We went to south Florida for our baby moon during my first trimester too....I spent it in a swimsuit with bugspray and didn't see one mosquito...I think you'll be fine!

PSUBecky23 · June 2016

khcraig said:

For those who are in a Zika-likely area (Florida for example), does anyone have a backup plan for what to do when the virus hits land? It seems to me the only 100% sure fire way of avoiding Zika is to move north. What are your “just in case” plans?

FYI, experts say Zika mosquitos could be in the US within days or weeks.

Where have you read/heard this?

kosmo86 · June 2016

I live in the Tampa area, there is no way in hell I would ever leave because of Zika. 1 I am not sure of where I would go and 2 DH and I own and house and have really good jobs so it just is not an option. My plan is bug spray, making sure there isn't any standing water in my yard, keeping the doors closed, not going outside much at night and calling the city to make sure they bring the mosquito trucks by more often.

I do keep tabs on the virus but from everything I have read this will not be like Brazil, this will not be an epidemic in the US. Zika is not a new virus it has been around for quite sometime. The US has very different standards on living. In the south where it is going to be the worst we all have AC and don't have windows open. Our county sprays for mosquitoes. My doctor is not really concerned yet and either am I. Just wear bug spray and stay inside at dusk and at night.

lovelylauren86 · June 2016

KimmySchmidt said:

I'm traveling to Florida at the end of the month. My plan includes bug spray. End of plan.

Me too!!! Destin here we come!!

NashBelle · June 2016

I'm one of the crazies who is super worried about this! I just can't imagine a tiny mosquito having the power to cause such a horrendous disease for my baby. I will be staying indoors as much as I can at dusk/night, using deet, and also making sure my windows stay closed and all the screens are intact and without holes. September can't get here fast enough!

steminist · June 2016

@NashBelle @kosmo86 and anyone else, just a reminder that the Zika mosquitos are a day species, not a dusk species. They are out all day long. Make sure you use bug spray throughout the whole day, and reapply if you've been sweating. This summer, you need to treat it like sunscreen!

khcraig · June 2016

Everyone seems to be thinking Zika will not be that big of a deal. I hope you are all right. I get bit by mosquitos all the time here in FL despite using bug spray. The only 100% effective method of avoiding Zika will be to move to an area where the zika carrying mosquitos do not exist. Hopefully it won't come to that.

https://blogs.wsj.com/washwire/2016/05/22/mosquitoes-with-zika-virus-could-hit-us-in-next-month/

kosmo86 · June 2016

it's not that I don't think it is a big deal. I just don't think everyone can uproot their lives because of it. West Nile, Dengue, chikungunya these are just a few of the mosquito born viruses that are out there right now (and in Florida). I have never contracted any of these, I am not saying I will not take steps to prevent being bitten BUT it is not like every mosquito in Florida is going to be carrying the disease, it's a portion of a specific breed of mosquitoes that will be infected.

hey_clever_girl · June 2016

Southeast Tennessee here. I am being cautious and applying bug spray when I'm going to be outside for prolonged periods of time. That's it. If more domestic cases of Zika start popping up (ie, non sexually transmitted and/or in people who have traveled to affected countries) I may reassess and avoid the outdoors as much as I can, but for now, bug spray. The end.

jas1982 · June 2016

The alarmist articles about the "Zika mosquitoes" sort of annoy me, also. Aedes mosquitoes also carry a lot of other viruses that aren't prevalent in the US (like Zika is not prevalent in the US). I live in Georgia where those mosquitoes are also everywhere and am a mosquito magnet in the best of circumstances, but I am not going to assume I am going to contract the virus. I also am not going to be relocating or wearing long sleeves and pants in 100 degree weather when I am the size of a barn. I think I'll go with bug spray if I have to spend a long time outdoors, and also shutting the windows. I hope everyone can get through to September without going nuts worrying about this!

miam4 · June 2016

I am in Miami, and I do not get out of the house without bug spray (I am so tired of it and the smell)... That's what they say to do at the obgyn's office. They recommend the deep woods spray. I put those on my legs over the pants and shoes, and the no smell on my arms... it is like i am going to fish every day lol I would like to apologize to the people that seats by me inside the train and the bus!

mrsvoorhees-2 · June 2016

Not that you shouldn't take precautions and do what you can to prevent mosquito bites, but I just saw on the news that if you got Zika while pregnant, it's like a 1% chance your baby will have microcephaly. I didn't look it up, so I may have heard wrong.

My poos SIL's little sister is getting married next month, and they both just lost their jobs (oilfield). They had already booked and paid for their honeymoon to Mexico before the layoff so they were set. Then she found out she was pregnant. She called the travel
agent to see what she needed to do to cancel and the lady said, "I was just in Mexico and didn't see a single mosquito. There were pregnant people everywhere.:| she said she could cancel with a Dr note though.

rn1stbae · June 2016

Remember it can be sexually transmitted too, so for all the momma's going into apocalypse mode have your husbands spray and stay inside too

nativetexan512 · June 2016

I live in Houston, here's what we are doing: spraying our yard 2x a month or so with mosquito killer (the kind that attaches to the hose and you spray), wearing bug spray if we'll be outside for longer than a dog walk like doing yard work or sitting on the deck, getting rid of standing water, and putting "mosquito dunks" in our rain barrels.

Houston has had a ton of rain so there is lots of standing water around, but I actually feel like I see less mosquitos than normal (maybe all the above is working!).

I read that the main Zika carrying mosquito only travels a few hundred yards during it's lifetime. This made me feel a lot better - it's not like they can fly for miles spreading Zika. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/zika-virus-your-questions-answered

cassloumy · June 2016

The really important thing that a lot of posters haven't mentioned as far as prevention is making sure there isn't standing water (I.e. Inside of a tire or bucket) in the area. Talk to your neighbors and community leaders about it too, because that is where these mosquitos breed, and they don't care about fences.

That being said, you cannot let fear rule your life. Do the best you can to protect yourself and go
live! That's all you can do

khcraig · June 2016

nativetexan512 said:

I live in Houston, here's what we are doing: spraying our yard 2x a month or so with mosquito killer (the kind that attaches to the hose and you spray), wearing bug spray if we'll be outside for longer than a dog walk like doing yard work or sitting on the deck, getting rid of standing water, and putting "mosquito dunks" in our rain barrels.
Houston has had a ton of rain so there is lots of standing water around, but I actually feel like I see less mosquitos than normal (maybe all the above is working!).
I read that the main Zika carrying mosquito only travels a few hundred yards during it's lifetime. This made me feel a lot better - it's not like they can fly for miles spreading Zika. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/zika-virus-your-questions-answered

Zika is not expected to get here by mosquitos flyuing the whole way from Brazil. A zika carrying mosquito will survive a plane flight from Brazil, land in the US, then breed once the plane lands. Once that happens, Zika will be spread quickly throughout the US wherever the Aedes mosquito breeds.

steminist · June 2016

@khcraig I took nativetexans's post more as being reassured that keeping her yard free of breeding zones will help, since a mosquito won't cross town to get to her than that she assumed it would fly all the way from Brazil. It is likely Zika will arrive in the States this summer, but I am also feeling like normal mosquito protection will keep me safe.

camichael84 · June 2016

khcraig said:

nativetexan512 said:

I live in Houston, here's what we are doing: spraying our yard 2x a month or so with mosquito killer (the kind that attaches to the hose and you spray), wearing bug spray if we'll be outside for longer than a dog walk like doing yard work or sitting on the deck, getting rid of standing water, and putting "mosquito dunks" in our rain barrels.
Houston has had a ton of rain so there is lots of standing water around, but I actually feel like I see less mosquitos than normal (maybe all the above is working!).
I read that the main Zika carrying mosquito only travels a few hundred yards during it's lifetime. This made me feel a lot better - it's not like they can fly for miles spreading Zika. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2016/01/zika-virus-your-questions-answered

Zika is not expected to get here by mosquitos flyuing the whole way from Brazil. A zika carrying mosquito will survive a plane flight from Brazil, land in the US, then breed once the plane lands. Once that happens, Zika will be spread quickly throughout the US wherever the Aedes mosquito breeds.

I think you're expecting worse case scenario here. Take the precautions you can-- wear bug spray, long sleeves and pants (if that floats your boat), avoid allowing standing water in your yard, stay inside as much as possible. The idea of moving because of Zika is extreme to me. Particularly when how it will spread throughout the US is all speculation at this point. Panicking at this point just adds fear and stress that isn't really needed.

lovelylauren86 · June 2016

@nativetexan512 I hope you are staying dry! We are right near lake Houston in Kingwood. This rain is Bananas

nativetexan512 · June 2016

lovelylauren86 same to you! It is bananas - apparently next week it's supposed to be hot and sunny, so just a few more days.

Thank you khcraig for clarification that mosquitos cannot fly from Brazil.

RedMar · June 2016

I'm going to invest in a rabid bat farm and release them at all hours of the day to devour any insects that land on our property. Trust nothing.

But on a more serious note, I'm going to spray myself when necessary and wear long sleeves/pants. Luckily around here (Ny) they only come out at dusk. When I start seeing them regularly during the day, then I'll start to wig out.

khcraig · June 2016

The idea of moving because of Zika is extreme to me. Particularly when how it will spread throughout the US is all speculation at this point. Panicking at this point just adds fear and stress that isn't really needed.

Temporarily moving (for 3 months) seems like a small effort to put forth to avoid baby getting a life crippling disease.

And there is a difference between proactive planning and panicking. I think it's best to "wait and see" how this virus progresses but everyone should have a plan for the worst.

camichael84 · June 2016

khcraig said:

The idea of moving because of Zika is extreme to me. Particularly when how it will spread throughout the US is all speculation at this point. Panicking at this point just adds fear and stress that isn't really needed.

Temporarily moving (for 3 months) seems like a small effort to put forth to avoid baby getting a life crippling disease.

And there is a difference between proactive planning and panicking. I think it's best to "wait and see" how this virus progresses but everyone should have a plan for the worst.

You and I have a completely different idea of what a small effort entails. I have a home with a mortgage, my husband has a career here, all of my family is here. Up and moving, even for 3 months, is not possible in any way for me. On top of that, how far north would you have to move to avoid Zika entirely? I've seen maps that speculate the virus could reach all of the US.

I agree having a plan in place for the worst is a good idea, and I think everyone on here has shared what those plans are. If you have the means to relocate and that is what makes you most comfortable, go for it. I believe taking the precautions previously mentioned will keep my baby from any undue harm, and that is the best I can do.

kosmo86 · June 2016

khcraig said:

The idea of moving because of Zika is extreme to me. Particularly when how it will spread throughout the US is all speculation at this point. Panicking at this point just adds fear and stress that isn't really needed.

Temporarily moving (for 3 months) seems like a small effort to put forth to avoid baby getting a life crippling disease.

And there is a difference between proactive planning and panicking. I think it's best to "wait and see" how this virus progresses but everyone should have a plan for the worst.

I think the hard part to grasp is that it seems like what you are pretty much saying is that by staying in Florida that I am guaranteed to get Zika. But the fact is that it is not even in the US yet (except for people who got it else where). Once it is here (which could be days or months) then it will slowly trickle up. This is a normal epidemic much we have seen with chikungunya, which is carried with the same type of mosquitoes. While it was huge in the Caribbean it did not affect the US very much.

https://time.com/3631711/chikungunya-epidemic-2014/

Also I don't think it is a "small effort", I guess maybe for you it would work so I say go for it. For me that would mean losing my job and health insurance, my husband would also have to leave his job. We don't really have family out of state and own a house here so that would be paying 2 house payments with no jobs. Leaving our doctors and family. I'm sorry but to me it is silly to even consider it

khcraig · June 2016

I do not think that you are guaranteed to get it if you stay in the south, but I do think there is only one way you are guaranteed to NOT get it. For those who have friends or family in the north, I think it may be a good option.

tinypikachu · June 2016

I think more consideration should be given to the fact that it is very unlikely that you get Zika, even if local mosquitoes get infected. You should be very well protected if you stay in air conditioned areas as much as possible and wear bug spray when you're out. If you're very, very concerned, just avoid being outdoors as much as possible for three months, even that is a big effort but it's better than moving for that time.

Just because the virus is here does not mean you will get it. I am cautious about Zika even though I live up north so I won't travel to the affected areas while pregnant, that's it. I grew up in the Caribbean and never once got Dengue or Chikungunya (same mosquito) and no one wore bug spray there. Yeah, I knew of people who got it (and know of people that have gotten Zika now) but it is not that common, not even in the thick of it. I know of pregnant women that still live back home and are not running away or contracting Zika.

vampirina · June 2016

Just throwing this out there - I'm in MN and even I'm not in the safe zone, so you'd have to go real north-west to be "safe". I think moving across the country or out of it in fear of Zika is a very alarmist and unnecessary approach. Chikungunya cases (as mentioned before, carried by the same mosquito) aren't even that common in the U.S. So while I think it's wise to take reasonable precautions to avoid getting bit, I wouldn't put "moving north" in the category of "reasonable."

homebird · June 2016

Bug spray. Avoiding areas where there is standing water, deep woods, etc. I mean, I would probably do this stuff anyway, lol.

I love the articles that say to wear long sleeves and pants. Uh ... have you tried being very pregnant in 90+ degree weather? You couldn't pay me enough to wear long sleeves.

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