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Columbus Telegram
Thursday, April 6, 2006 Columbus, Nebraska WEB EDITION
Official: Be ready if bird flu takes flight
By JEAN WILSON/Telegram Assistant Editor
COLUMBUS - Preparations continue in Columbus for a possible global outbreak of a new, deadly influenza virus.
An important part of the preparations is educating the public on what could happen if avian (bird) flu mutates into a disease that is easily spread from person to person.
“The one thing I would stress is that, while the community is working hard to help prepare for potential public health threats, we can only be as prepared as each of our citizens are,” said East Central District Health Department Executive Director Rebecca Rayman.
She recommends that each household plan ahead for the possibility of supplies to local stores being interrupted for an extended period of time.
“We should all have some supplies set back not only in case of a pandemic, but in case of a tornado or other event that might place us at risk. Now is the time to pick up a few supplies every week and set them back,” Rayman said.
Rayman was the featured speaker at Wednesday's meeting of the Sertoma Club. She gave members a quick overview of the virus and how deadly it could become.
She also said the health department and Columbus Community Hospital are planning a four-part series on how pandemic flu would affect local businesses. The sessions begin on April 24 at the hospital.
Seating is limited to the first 100 business representatives who sign up. About a third of the space is already reserved. The first session will feature Dr. Gary L. Gorby of Omaha, co-director of the Center of Biopreparedness Education.
Each session will cover a different issue of pandemic planning by the state's leading experts - legal, healthcare, infrastructure, human resource, government support and transportation.
Break-out sessions will discuss specific industry needs, and a complimentary lunch will be served. The event is free of charge.
To make a reservation, call Columbus Community Hospital Occupational Health Services at 564-4480 or e-mail aeblaser@columbushosp.org.
At her presentation at the Sertoma Club meeting, Rayman said during the past 100 years there have been three flu pandemics in the United States - the Spanish flu in 1918, the Asian flu in 1957, and the Hong Kong flu in 1968. The deadliest of these was the Spanish Flu which began in Kansas and spread to both coasts within a month and around the world - three times - relatively soon after that.
There were 675,000 deaths in the U.S. from the Spanish flu. With the increased mobility of today's society, a new pandemic would most likely spread even faster. Rayman said no one knows for sure if a pandemic will happen, but medical authorities do know that the public needs to be prepared.
“We need to be ready if it occurs,” she said. “We have a responsibility as a community to protect this community.”
Thursday, April 6, 2006 Columbus, Nebraska WEB EDITION
Official: Be ready if bird flu takes flight
By JEAN WILSON/Telegram Assistant Editor
COLUMBUS - Preparations continue in Columbus for a possible global outbreak of a new, deadly influenza virus.
An important part of the preparations is educating the public on what could happen if avian (bird) flu mutates into a disease that is easily spread from person to person.
“The one thing I would stress is that, while the community is working hard to help prepare for potential public health threats, we can only be as prepared as each of our citizens are,” said East Central District Health Department Executive Director Rebecca Rayman.
She recommends that each household plan ahead for the possibility of supplies to local stores being interrupted for an extended period of time.
“We should all have some supplies set back not only in case of a pandemic, but in case of a tornado or other event that might place us at risk. Now is the time to pick up a few supplies every week and set them back,” Rayman said.
Rayman was the featured speaker at Wednesday's meeting of the Sertoma Club. She gave members a quick overview of the virus and how deadly it could become.
She also said the health department and Columbus Community Hospital are planning a four-part series on how pandemic flu would affect local businesses. The sessions begin on April 24 at the hospital.
Seating is limited to the first 100 business representatives who sign up. About a third of the space is already reserved. The first session will feature Dr. Gary L. Gorby of Omaha, co-director of the Center of Biopreparedness Education.
Each session will cover a different issue of pandemic planning by the state's leading experts - legal, healthcare, infrastructure, human resource, government support and transportation.
Break-out sessions will discuss specific industry needs, and a complimentary lunch will be served. The event is free of charge.
To make a reservation, call Columbus Community Hospital Occupational Health Services at 564-4480 or e-mail aeblaser@columbushosp.org.
At her presentation at the Sertoma Club meeting, Rayman said during the past 100 years there have been three flu pandemics in the United States - the Spanish flu in 1918, the Asian flu in 1957, and the Hong Kong flu in 1968. The deadliest of these was the Spanish Flu which began in Kansas and spread to both coasts within a month and around the world - three times - relatively soon after that.
There were 675,000 deaths in the U.S. from the Spanish flu. With the increased mobility of today's society, a new pandemic would most likely spread even faster. Rayman said no one knows for sure if a pandemic will happen, but medical authorities do know that the public needs to be prepared.
“We need to be ready if it occurs,” she said. “We have a responsibility as a community to protect this community.”
