Pandemic Plan

The pandemic and the economy

From an article in the Dallas (TX) Morning News regarding the impact of the recession on pandemic planning:

The question of whether North Texas is prepared for a possible onslaught of H1N1 flu is inextricably linked to the state of the American economy.

In an era of continuous cost cutting, is your bank going to spring for bottles of hand sanitizer at every teller station, "high-touch" counters and ATM machines? Is your employer going to redouble its efforts to make sure its restrooms are clean and well-stocked with paper towels and hand soap?

U.S. tells businesses, let workers with flu STAY HOME

U.S. officials Wednesday repeated for the jillionth time some key guidelines for how businesses should respond to the H1N1 swine flu pandemic. Highlights:

• ENCOURAGE employees with the flu to STAY HOME at the first sign of illness. It's best for the worker; it's best for co-workers.


• Don't request written doctor's excuses. That just further burdens a healthcare system that will be overloaded.


• Educate employees about respiratory etiquette and hygiene: wash your hands frequently and well ... use hand sanitizer ... cough into a tissue/sleeve/arm, not your hand.


• Disinfect work surfaces regularly, especially those frequently touched by many people (e.g., table tops, counters, telephones, door knobs).


• Encourage vaccination against both seasonal flu and H1N1 swine flu.


• Plan for continuity of business operations: cross-train to fill key positions ... use teleworking, work-from-home arrangements (e.g., GoToMyPC) ... reduce travel ... limit face-to-face meetings, spread workstations farther apart. (Several of these are so-called "social distancing" tactics.)

What is a flu pandemic? What's the risk? What to do?

UPDATE (6-3-10): WHO says H1N1 swine flu pandemic continues; maintain vigilance. They'll reassess when more is known about the Southern Hemisphere's winter flu activity. Predicts H1N1 will be primary flu virus for some time. Reuters article WHO statement NOTE: This summary post now always appears first on my home page.

 

RESOURCE SITE:
 Ideas: How to prepare your household
or business for the swine flu pandemic 

["Why waiting till the last minute to prepare is dangerous"]

 

Quick Summary

Currently, there is a worldwide outbreak - a pandemic - of a new strain of flu. Since it's new, people have little/no immunity and many will get sick (an estimated 2,000,000,000). Direct Impacts: (1) Caring for so many sick, (2) Unusual number of cases in younger age groups, (3) Large absolute number of deaths (though small overall percentage). Indirect Impacts due to so many people either being sick, caring for the sick, caring for children during school closures, or reluctant to go out in public. Overwhelming surge in demand for healthcare. Employee absenteeism may disrupt business. Goals: Avoid the flu. Why? [a] Who wants the flu? [b] You may have trouble getting healthcare because of clinic/hospital crowding. Slow the spread of illness. This reduces strain on healthcare systems; buys time for responses. If sick, stay home. Be prepared with supplies to treat the sick. Be prepared to cope with changes in daily life. Governments can't meet all needs. Be as self-sufficient as practical. Pharmaceutical interventions: There's no cure for flu. A pandemic flu vaccine will take time to manufacture. Even then, there won't be enough. Antiviral drugs like Tamiflu shorten & ease the flu and are effective on H1N1 swine flu for now; but the virus may mutate and make antivirals ineffective. Emphasize NON-pharmaceutical interventions: Space - "Social distancing" to avoid crowds. Stock up on essential goods to reduce need for shopping. Wash hands or use hand sanitizers. Clean frequently-touched surfaces with disinfectants. Businesses: Stock up on operating supplies/materials. Protect your human assets. Plan how to staff essential functions. Scale back non-critical functions. Consult suppliers, transportation companies, utilities, others re: continuity.   Things you may need (a starter list of ideas): Hand sanitizer [Example ] Why? Kills virus. N95 respirator masks [Example ] Why? Blocks inhaling virus. "Surgical" face masks [Example ] Why? If sick, traps coughs. Latex gloves [Example ] Why? Protection if caring for sick. Businesses: Use GoToMyPC for telecommuting. Why? Easy work-from-home. Businesses: Use GoToMeeting for teleconferencing. Why? Easy company/customer meetings.

Sources say WHO will declare a pandemic within 10 days

Sources tell Bloomberg News that the World Health Organization (WHO) will declare a pandemic (Phase 6) within the next 10 days. The WHO is worried the move could cause unnecessary panic. Technically, a flu pandemic isn't defined by its severity, but by its geographic spread. The challenge is how to explain that the new H1N1 swine flu is now global, but not severe. Solution: WHO is considering adding a 3-point severity scale to the Phase 6 geographic definition.

CDC recommendations for N95 respirators and facemasks

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has revised its recommendations for the use of respirators and facemasks to reduce the community spread of the H1N1 Swine flu.

Although N95 respirators and surgical facemasks are not guaranteed to prevent you from catching the flu, both can provide protection.

Planning for uncertainties ... while ignoring a certainty.

As a business continuity issue...

Business continuity plans routinely address threats like fires, floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, terrorism, chemical spills, explosions ... and even product recalls and labor unrest. Yet none of these threats may come to pass.

Meanwhile, a flu pandemic is a risk with a 100% certainty. It's not just a possibility. It's a "gonna happen." More than once.

So why don't more business continuity plans address the unique threat posed by an infectious disease outbreak?