Daily Kos has a sobering article on the likely effects of a new flu pandemic:

The current H5N1 virus going pandemic at its current case fatality rate of over 50% at attack rates of 35% is. A third of the world is ill and half of them die. This is a proposition written in serious peer-reviewed medical journals (see What Hospitals Should Do to Prepare for an Influenza Pandemic and The Prospect of Using Alternative Medical Care Facilities in an Influenza Pandemic, for examples). To utter such a thing is to be accused of 'fearmongering', of being a Chicken Little, but this is the reality... it's a threat that's being discussed all over the medical literature, and if it is upsetting to hear, nonetheless, it is merely a
reflection of how professionals react to the knowledge of what's happening today in SE Asia (Indonesia) and Africa (Egypt).

The article continues by examining the likely effect on the distribution of goods and services of such an epidemic. Simple advice:

• Keep a couple of weeks of non-perishable, easy to prepare food in the house
• Keep a good supply of fresh bottled water at home
• Make sure you are well stocked up with pain relievers, cough/cold medication, stomach remedies and (last but by no means least) hand sanitisers.
• Wash your hands frequently and thoroughly (min. 20 seconds) with soap and warm water, particularly after going to the bathroom and after sneezing.

Let's face it, this general advice is worth following whether there is an outbreak or not. It will at the least ensure that whatever personal or public emergency comes up you will be able to comfortably stay housebound for a while, and the last item will do no harm in helping prevent the spread of any number of medical complaints.