A company prepares for pandemic
By LEONARD ZEHR
April 30, 2006
http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/home/article/0,1874,ABIL_7941_4664514,00.html
Two years ago, William Gastle was shocked at how little public information there was about preparing for a possible bird flu pandemic that could kill millions of people, and cripple global economies.
So the chief executive officer of Microbix Biosystems Inc. began putting together his own plan to protect not only his biotechnology company and its customers, but also the health and well-being of nearly 50 employees if an outbreak forces them to work at home or care for their families.
"Being at home is probably a greater risk than being at work," he said in an interview yesterday. "Our scientists and researchers work with flu virus every day, and we know how to protect against exposure."
As a first step, the Toronto-based company put together a package of materials in a pandemic response kit that it gave to each employee. The kit contains a hand sanitizer, reusable and disposable gloves, disinfecting wipes, masks, training techniques for effective hand washing and a manual of dos and don'ts about a possible outbreak.
The $65 kits were assembled by VWR International, a distributor of scientific supplies in West Chester, Pa. Microbix has purchased 100 of them already, and is sharing its pandemic plan on its Web site.
"The world will be safer if we make this available to other people," Gastle said, citing awareness and preparedness as the best weapons to minimize the impact of an outbreak.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, however, said it does not recommend using the respirator mask in the kit to control the spread of influenza in a community setting. It does agree that staying home if sick is a good idea and that people can reduce the risk of contracting and spreading influenza by practicing basic hygiene, like regular hand washing and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
According to the most recent figures from the World Health Organization, the H5N1 avian flu virus has killed at least 110 of 196 people infected since 2003. The tally includes 52 cases and 34 deaths reported since the start of the year.
The worry is that the virus, which usually strikes people in close contact with diseased fowl or their droppings, will undergo a genetic mutation, morphing into a deadly strain that could jump between people like the common cold.
There is no treatment or cure, and anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu are in short supply. A vaccine could take at least a year to manufacture and distribute.
Meanwhile, Microbix recommends that families store at least a two- to three-month supply of canned and dry food, water, medicines, cash and other essentials at home because municipal disruptions in water supply, gas, electricity and garbage collection are likely.
"Anything you can do to minimize the need to venture outside the home during an outbreak will reduce the risk of exposure," the company warns.
That means, for example, eliminating group activities like daycare, school, church, public transit, and sporting and entertainment events. And doing as much as possible from home, like Internet banking, and having books and game videos ready to entertain children.
During a pandemic, the Microbix plan recommends when to wear gloves, wash or sanitize hands and how to decontaminate after returning home.
While many companies are preparing to have employees work from home, Gastle said the Microbix plan "aims to minimize exposure to the virus so that what companies hope to achieve by sending people home will be achieved." He said Microbix has had a huge response from companies around the world, seeking advice about how to develop a preparedness plan. "We're not in the consulting business, and we're not making money from this, but we want to get the word out."
On the Net: www.microbix.com
By LEONARD ZEHR
April 30, 2006
http://www.reporter-news.com/abil/home/article/0,1874,ABIL_7941_4664514,00.html
Two years ago, William Gastle was shocked at how little public information there was about preparing for a possible bird flu pandemic that could kill millions of people, and cripple global economies.
So the chief executive officer of Microbix Biosystems Inc. began putting together his own plan to protect not only his biotechnology company and its customers, but also the health and well-being of nearly 50 employees if an outbreak forces them to work at home or care for their families.
"Being at home is probably a greater risk than being at work," he said in an interview yesterday. "Our scientists and researchers work with flu virus every day, and we know how to protect against exposure."
As a first step, the Toronto-based company put together a package of materials in a pandemic response kit that it gave to each employee. The kit contains a hand sanitizer, reusable and disposable gloves, disinfecting wipes, masks, training techniques for effective hand washing and a manual of dos and don'ts about a possible outbreak.
The $65 kits were assembled by VWR International, a distributor of scientific supplies in West Chester, Pa. Microbix has purchased 100 of them already, and is sharing its pandemic plan on its Web site.
"The world will be safer if we make this available to other people," Gastle said, citing awareness and preparedness as the best weapons to minimize the impact of an outbreak.
The Public Health Agency of Canada, however, said it does not recommend using the respirator mask in the kit to control the spread of influenza in a community setting. It does agree that staying home if sick is a good idea and that people can reduce the risk of contracting and spreading influenza by practicing basic hygiene, like regular hand washing and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.
According to the most recent figures from the World Health Organization, the H5N1 avian flu virus has killed at least 110 of 196 people infected since 2003. The tally includes 52 cases and 34 deaths reported since the start of the year.
The worry is that the virus, which usually strikes people in close contact with diseased fowl or their droppings, will undergo a genetic mutation, morphing into a deadly strain that could jump between people like the common cold.
There is no treatment or cure, and anti-viral drugs such as Tamiflu are in short supply. A vaccine could take at least a year to manufacture and distribute.
Meanwhile, Microbix recommends that families store at least a two- to three-month supply of canned and dry food, water, medicines, cash and other essentials at home because municipal disruptions in water supply, gas, electricity and garbage collection are likely.
"Anything you can do to minimize the need to venture outside the home during an outbreak will reduce the risk of exposure," the company warns.
That means, for example, eliminating group activities like daycare, school, church, public transit, and sporting and entertainment events. And doing as much as possible from home, like Internet banking, and having books and game videos ready to entertain children.
During a pandemic, the Microbix plan recommends when to wear gloves, wash or sanitize hands and how to decontaminate after returning home.
While many companies are preparing to have employees work from home, Gastle said the Microbix plan "aims to minimize exposure to the virus so that what companies hope to achieve by sending people home will be achieved." He said Microbix has had a huge response from companies around the world, seeking advice about how to develop a preparedness plan. "We're not in the consulting business, and we're not making money from this, but we want to get the word out."
On the Net: www.microbix.com