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  • AFD - Various Pandemic Exercises - USA

    Idaho: Pandemic BlogEx Begins






    # 2142







































    An intriguing pandemic exercise, with an emphasis on public awareness, has begun in Idaho this week. Darin Letzring, the All Hazards Planner with the Southeastern District Health Department in Pocatello, was kind enough to email me with a heads up.



    Starting today, and running for the next two weeks, a pandemic scenario will build on their website and the public is invited to comment on their reactions as it progresses.



    Today, the simulated pandemic outbreak begins - and participants are introduced to the scenario by a well-produced 5 minute `newscast' outlining the outbreak, and the efforts to contain it.




    July 15: Reports of Pandemic Flu widespread in Asia, intermittent in Europe.

    <small>July 14, 2008</small> THIS IS AN EXERCISE. IT IS NOT REAL.
    News reports state that the strain of influenza in Asia is behaving much like what is expected to cause pandemic flu. This strain of flu is easily transmitted from person to person, and humans have no natural immunity to it. The dense populations in Asia and India have created a firestorm spread of the diseas
    e, and hospitals are being overwhelmed by patients sick with influenza-like symptoms. European countries have several locations that have been hit by this flu strain.





















    This newscast is archived on YOUTUBE here.









    Instructions on the blogsite on how to participate are as follows:




    How To Participate In The Exercise

    The blog exercise is meant to inform the public about the impacts of pandemic flu and create community discussion via the comments. You can participate by taking 20 minutes each day to read the scenario update and provide a comment about how the situation affects you.


    How to leave a comment: At the bottom of each post there, you?ll see the word ?comment? that might also include ?No Comments? or ?3 Comments.? Click on that and then enter your comment in the ?Reply? box. It?s a little hard to find, but please take the effort.



    You can also review the links for other preparedness information.



    Finally, take everything you?ve learned and prepare your family or workplace for pandemic flu!






    Like last year's Pandemic Blog Summit, this is a fascinating and innovative use of the Internet to try to raise public pandemic awareness.




    Over the next two weeks I hope my readers will take time each day to visit their site, to follow along, and perhaps even participate.



    I'll be following along as well on this blog.





    posted by FLA_MEDIC @ 7:51 AM

  • #2
    Re: AFD - Various Pandemic Exercises - USA

    BlogEx: Coroners, Morticians, and Cemeteries Are Overwhelmed


    # 2151




















    The BlogEx Pandemic exercise continues today, hosted by the Southeastern District Health Department of Idaho.




    Today's focus is on the logistics of dealing with a high mortality rate event.





    Follow the link to read the entire scenario, and the comments. And plan to return each day to see how this Internet Tabletop exercise progresses.









    July 17: Coroners, Morticians, and Cemeteries are overwhelmed.


    <small>July 16, 2008</small> THIS IS AN EXERCISE. IT IS NOT REAL.





    This entry shows what high death rates from pandemic flu could cause. We?re posting it today because it is part of the scenario that we?ll be using when we talk to the coroners, funeral directors, and cemetery managers tonight.



    The funerary industry would not be overwhelmed until approximately the second week of the pandemic flu coming to Southeast Idaho, so this post is a bit out of chronological order but still an imporant planning point.



    The high death rates caused by pandemic influenza in Southeast Idaho have overwhelmed county coroners, morticians, and cemetery managers. Many middle-age people haven?t yet purchased cemetery lots but are dying from the flu. The nationwide nature of the pandemic has created a shortage of mortuary supplies everywhere.



    The backlog of bodies to be prepared for burial is beyond normal morgue space, and non-traditional methods of body storage are being used. Funeral directors are facing a dilemma: hold funeral services that have large groups of people or follow health district recommendations of cancelling group gatherings? Meanwhile, cemeteries are having trouble digging graves fast enough because of a lack of staff and broken equipment that hasn?t been repaired.




    posted by FLA_MEDIC @ 2:15 PM

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    • #3
      Re: AFD - Various Pandemic Exercises - USA

      Florida's Pandemic Simulation




      # 2212


      While the newspaper headline calls this scenario `scary', the truth is, the numbers being used in today's pandemic drill in Florida are in line with Federal Estimates for a severe pandemic.

      Roughly a 25% attack rate and a 2% fatality rate.

      Other states have elected to prepare for a lesser event, with some states only preparing for a 1957-style event.

      The dark orange states shown below are expressly planning for a severe 1918-style scenario. States shown in white are planning for a mild or moderate pandemic.

      The pandemic plans for the rest of the states (gold) are ambiguous.
      While Florida is planning for a severe pandemic, the failure of the legislature to approve funding for the purchase of antiviral medications last year will likely prove a major impediment to the State's ability to mitigate an outbreak.

      According to the latest HHS Antiviral Allocation chart (hat tip to my buddy Scott McPherson), the state has only purchased 3.7% of the amount the Feds had hoped for, or about 66,000 courses.














      This graphic appears in the powerpoint presentation by Dorothy Vawter, PhD. entitled Age-Based Rationing in a severe Pandemic. This chart is current as of Sept.2007.


      This report from the Miami Herald.





      Florida holds 'scary' flu prep test

      Posted on Wed, Aug. 06, 2008


      BY MARC CAPUTO

      mcaputo@MiamiHerald.com

      TALLAHASSEE --

      More than 100,000 Floridians are dead from avian flu. Up to 16,000 children are now orphans. Mandatory quarantines are in effect for the sick and schools and sporting events are canceled.

      What should you do?

      State emergency managers asked themselves that very question Wednesday as they conducted a simulated exercise to prepare for such a possibility.

      Their conclusions: The state will have to rely on its own stockpiles of flu remedies and drugs, the training of its emergency workers and the help of its 20 million citizens, five million of whom would become infected.

      ''Ultimately we need to be responsible to ourselves and our fellow man. There's not enough [help] to go around,'' said state Surgeon General Ana Viamonte Ros. Here's what officials recommend to save your family and others, if not yourself:

      ? Limit travel. Don't go immediately to the hospital or doctor's office, as you might spread infection there or pick it up.

      ? Stay in bed and drink fluids if you're definitely sick.

      ? Wash your hands.

      ? Don't shake hands.

      ? Cover your mouth when you cough.

      ? Wear a protective mask, such as the ones recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Simple painters' masks won't cut it.

      (Continue)









      posted by FLA_MEDIC @ 4:28 PM

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