Wildlife abundantly graces the campus of FPC Morgantown. I’ve written much in the past about the little family units of the ducks and geese, which is always a joy to see. Well, Nature wasn’t being so kind this past week to these little critters. First, one momma duck hatched 9 eggs in a contained courtyard outside the electric shop. 9 is a record that I’ve seen since I’ve been here. The little ducklings were a hoot to watch waddle around and explore the courtyard. Then, cold winter storm blew through for a day, which brought very cold temperatures and 3 inches of snow. Sadly, none of the 9 ducklings survived. But there’s more…
The media coverage of the bird flu has been rampant. If you caught any of these segments about how the bird flu is jumping from chickens to water fowl to cows and humans, then you are aware of the public health risks that the bird flu is capable of. Well, two popular geese suddenly died. At first, some guys suspected they were poisoned, until other geese began to act neurotic by wobbling when they walked, the inability to fly straight, and then just freeze up and extend their necks into the ground. It was a weird occurrence to see. Within days 20+ geese had passed away. Their bodies were collected, and who knows where they ended up. I had reported the first deaths to the warden, who promptly acted and notified the wildlife authorities with a possible bird flu outbreak.
Before thinking about bird flu, a few inmates thought they were doing a service by throwing out the dead geese, without taking precautions of covering themselves up or wearing protective equipment. One inmate became severely ill with symptoms that sound much like how the bird flu affects humans. Fortunately, it does not appear that there has been any human-to-human transmission. BUT, there has been a case of other flu/covid-like illnesses spreading. In fact, I ended up really sick for the first time in Morgantown. I’ve had a slight cough before, but this was full-blown flu or covid. The symptoms were intense but only lasted for a few days, which I am grateful. We do not have decent medicines here…basic cough syrup, generic Tylenol, and cough drops…that is assuming you were able to be well enough to buy some. I luckily had the ability to purchase these items, which tremendously helped ease my recovery.
Prison is not a place to be sick. It lacks routine medical care, good hygienic practices, and proper medications to treat simple colds/flu/covid. While many other guys have been quite sick, none have been hospitalized. Typically, the fever and cough subside after a week. I had my flu/covid vaccination booster, and I do believe that it helped me, since my symptoms were short lived compared to how many other guys responded to the illness. Thank you for taking the time to check-in. I wish you and your loved ones much health and warmth during these frigid days. Spring will be here soon! Continue to look for any little miracle in your life this week 🙂