Officials urge businesses, local officials, households to prepare for pandemic
Keeping 30-day supply of food, 90 days worth of medicines, cash on hand suggested.
By Mary Ann Roser
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/28pandemic.html
Businesses, local officials and even individuals who don't think they need to prepare for a predicted global outbreak of dangerous flu could be in for a bad surprise, state and federal officials said at a summit on pandemic flu Monday.
Although local governments and health departments are expected to play lead roles in planning for a pandemic, businesses will need to figure out how to function with 30 percent to 50 percent fewer workers, and households should consider how to get food, medication and emergency supplies in case of major disruptions in deliveries to stores, pharmacies and utilities, speakers said at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake.
"Sometimes you have to think about the unthinkable, because it happens," said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, who was among those speaking at the summit sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
It was designed to encourage planning among businesses, schools, universities, health departments, community groups and faith-based organizations.
No country, state or city is fully prepared for a crisis like the 1918 pandemic, which swept around the globe in eight to 12 weeks and killed about 40 million people, Leavitt said.
"Any community that fails to prepare with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue will be sadly and tragically wrong," he said. "Local preparedness is what will ultimately make us better prepared."
Businesses have an array of issues to sort through, from how to get supplies to how to handle sick time, speakers said.
"We learned from (Hurricanes) Katrina and Rita that business was not involved in enough planning as they should have been," said Lufkin Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Huffman, who attended the conference.
Business representatives said they know they will have to get support from the presidents of their companies in order to plan.
"The problem with talking about a pandemic is, anything you say before the pandemic occurs seems alarmist," Leavitt said. "Anything you've done before it starts seems inade- quate."
State Health Commissioner Eduardo Sanchez said his message is, "Don't panic, but stay informed."
Leavitt said the federal government will disburse $350 million to states for planning. In the first $100 million distribution, Texas will get $5.8 million, to be shared with communities.
Scientists are especially concerned about the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is spreading around the world and killing about half of the people it infects because it is similar genetically to the 1918 flu strain.
However, the current bird flu has not mutated into a virus that is easily passed from human to human, a key condition for sparking a pandemic.
The bird flu is spread by migratory birds, which are expected to arrive in North America and South America this year.
If there were excellent cooperation and if a tremendous rapid response was made to contain an initial human-to-human outbreak, a pandemic might be averted, said Nancy Cox, the top flu expert at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But that would be very difficult, she said.
Getting ready
State Health Commissioner Eduardo Sanchez offered these steps to prepare for a possible flu pandemic:
?Keep a 30-day supply of food and 90 days of medications on hand.
?Maintain a home-emergency kit that has clothes, medical records and maps.
?Keep cash on hand for emergencies.
?Pay attention to the media.
?Wash hands often.
?Cough and sneeze into sleeves if necessary.
?Stay home when sick.
Keeping 30-day supply of food, 90 days worth of medicines, cash on hand suggested.
By Mary Ann Roser
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Tuesday, March 28, 2006
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/03/28pandemic.html
Businesses, local officials and even individuals who don't think they need to prepare for a predicted global outbreak of dangerous flu could be in for a bad surprise, state and federal officials said at a summit on pandemic flu Monday.
Although local governments and health departments are expected to play lead roles in planning for a pandemic, businesses will need to figure out how to function with 30 percent to 50 percent fewer workers, and households should consider how to get food, medication and emergency supplies in case of major disruptions in deliveries to stores, pharmacies and utilities, speakers said at the Hyatt Regency Austin on Town Lake.
"Sometimes you have to think about the unthinkable, because it happens," said U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, who was among those speaking at the summit sponsored by the Texas Department of State Health Services.
It was designed to encourage planning among businesses, schools, universities, health departments, community groups and faith-based organizations.
No country, state or city is fully prepared for a crisis like the 1918 pandemic, which swept around the globe in eight to 12 weeks and killed about 40 million people, Leavitt said.
"Any community that fails to prepare with the expectation that the federal government will come to the rescue will be sadly and tragically wrong," he said. "Local preparedness is what will ultimately make us better prepared."
Businesses have an array of issues to sort through, from how to get supplies to how to handle sick time, speakers said.
"We learned from (Hurricanes) Katrina and Rita that business was not involved in enough planning as they should have been," said Lufkin Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Huffman, who attended the conference.
Business representatives said they know they will have to get support from the presidents of their companies in order to plan.
"The problem with talking about a pandemic is, anything you say before the pandemic occurs seems alarmist," Leavitt said. "Anything you've done before it starts seems inade- quate."
State Health Commissioner Eduardo Sanchez said his message is, "Don't panic, but stay informed."
Leavitt said the federal government will disburse $350 million to states for planning. In the first $100 million distribution, Texas will get $5.8 million, to be shared with communities.
Scientists are especially concerned about the H5N1 strain of bird flu that is spreading around the world and killing about half of the people it infects because it is similar genetically to the 1918 flu strain.
However, the current bird flu has not mutated into a virus that is easily passed from human to human, a key condition for sparking a pandemic.
The bird flu is spread by migratory birds, which are expected to arrive in North America and South America this year.
If there were excellent cooperation and if a tremendous rapid response was made to contain an initial human-to-human outbreak, a pandemic might be averted, said Nancy Cox, the top flu expert at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But that would be very difficult, she said.
Getting ready
State Health Commissioner Eduardo Sanchez offered these steps to prepare for a possible flu pandemic:
?Keep a 30-day supply of food and 90 days of medications on hand.
?Maintain a home-emergency kit that has clothes, medical records and maps.
?Keep cash on hand for emergencies.
?Pay attention to the media.
?Wash hands often.
?Cough and sneeze into sleeves if necessary.
?Stay home when sick.