Mellie
Well-known member
http://www.douglasdispatch.com/articles/2006/07/19/news/news6.txt
Governors produce guide to prepare for possible bird flu
If the nation hopes to avoid the worst of a severe bird flu outbreak, states need to act now to build a network of workers, create public-private relationships and make the time to train, the nation's governors say in a new report.
The report released Tuesday by the National Governors Association aims to guide governors and other state leaders as they prepare for what could be-in the gloomiest scenario - a catastrophe that takes thousands upon thousands of lives, devastates government operations and shuts down businesses.
``Our rule of thumb here is plan for the worst and hope for the best. And the planning has to happen now,'' said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat. She and Minnesota GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty are leading the NGA's effort to get states up to speed on the potential threat.
The government and the medical community have been getting ready for bird flu, the name for the deadly H5N1 strain of the avian flu that has killed more than 100 people, mostly in Asia, to make its way to the United States.
The virus is typically spread by direct contact with contaminated birds, but scientists fear the virus will mutate and be passed person-to-person, which could lead to a pandemic.
State leaders need to revisit their laws, the report says, to make sure they have the power to quarantine populations, limit travel or restrict certain activities. They need to build relationships with private business so that essential services and goods are still available, even if nearly half the work force can't leave their homes. And they must make sure to set up a thorough communication system so that the public knows what's going on.
The 23-page guide ``Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza'' boils down the preparation to four areas. It says:
? States must set priorities so that essential services continue and also encourage citizens to be as self-reliant as possible.
? Since medical services will likely be overwhelmed and drugs may take months before they're available to everyone, state leaders must take firm steps to limit the spread of the disease by restricting travel and activities.
? State leaders must work closely with the private sector to set up pre-existing networks so that critical needs such as food, energy and health care are provided. Businesses must be aware that as much as 40 percent of the work force could be out sick for months.
? Thorough testing of emergency plans and responses must begin now.
States must expect to be the main coordinators of care, because the federal government will be spread too thin, Pawlenty said.
``We can't look to them and them alone to be the first responder or even the main responder,'' he said.
``As huge as (Hurricane) Katrina was, it was a localized event,'' Napolitano said, so the federal government and other states were able to send help. A pandemic would likely be much broader, if not nationwide, making help from outside a state much harder to find, she said.
On the Net:
http://www.nga.org
Governors produce guide to prepare for possible bird flu
If the nation hopes to avoid the worst of a severe bird flu outbreak, states need to act now to build a network of workers, create public-private relationships and make the time to train, the nation's governors say in a new report.
The report released Tuesday by the National Governors Association aims to guide governors and other state leaders as they prepare for what could be-in the gloomiest scenario - a catastrophe that takes thousands upon thousands of lives, devastates government operations and shuts down businesses.
``Our rule of thumb here is plan for the worst and hope for the best. And the planning has to happen now,'' said Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, a Democrat. She and Minnesota GOP Gov. Tim Pawlenty are leading the NGA's effort to get states up to speed on the potential threat.
The government and the medical community have been getting ready for bird flu, the name for the deadly H5N1 strain of the avian flu that has killed more than 100 people, mostly in Asia, to make its way to the United States.
The virus is typically spread by direct contact with contaminated birds, but scientists fear the virus will mutate and be passed person-to-person, which could lead to a pandemic.
State leaders need to revisit their laws, the report says, to make sure they have the power to quarantine populations, limit travel or restrict certain activities. They need to build relationships with private business so that essential services and goods are still available, even if nearly half the work force can't leave their homes. And they must make sure to set up a thorough communication system so that the public knows what's going on.
The 23-page guide ``Preparing for a Pandemic Influenza'' boils down the preparation to four areas. It says:
? States must set priorities so that essential services continue and also encourage citizens to be as self-reliant as possible.
? Since medical services will likely be overwhelmed and drugs may take months before they're available to everyone, state leaders must take firm steps to limit the spread of the disease by restricting travel and activities.
? State leaders must work closely with the private sector to set up pre-existing networks so that critical needs such as food, energy and health care are provided. Businesses must be aware that as much as 40 percent of the work force could be out sick for months.
? Thorough testing of emergency plans and responses must begin now.
States must expect to be the main coordinators of care, because the federal government will be spread too thin, Pawlenty said.
``We can't look to them and them alone to be the first responder or even the main responder,'' he said.
``As huge as (Hurricane) Katrina was, it was a localized event,'' Napolitano said, so the federal government and other states were able to send help. A pandemic would likely be much broader, if not nationwide, making help from outside a state much harder to find, she said.
On the Net:
http://www.nga.org