Lyro
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BIRD FLU PANDEMIC COULD RESULT IN ONE THOUSAND SEPTEMBER 11 - DOCTOR
25th June 2006 (Daily Mail)
A flu pandemic across the UK could result in "1,000 September 11th" and preparations are "woefully inadequate", a doctor warned today.
Dr Steve Hajioff will tell doctors at the British Medical Association's annual conference on Tuesday that a flu pandemic would have "enormous" implications. He believes stockpiling anti-virals is less important than getting transport, fuel and water companies to make adequate plans.
He said: "We are expecting a real flu pandemic of the kind we have not seen for years and this is one of the biggest catastrophes. What's more, it's a totally predictable one but if we act now we can mitigate its effects."
Dr Hajioff, a GP from central London, said the 1918 pandemic saw 40% of the population taken ill and 2.5% of the population die.
"In the present day, you are talking about five million people across Europe and hundreds of thousands in the UK," he said. "It's like 1,000 September the 11ths all at once. That's if it's as bad as 1918, but we hope and pray that it won't be.
"Still, there's enormous potential for damage and we need to prepare now."
Dr Hajioff said the Government had taken action but stocking anti-viral drugs was the "icing not the cake".
He added: "It's not anti-virals that are important, it's how we keep going, keep functioning as a country and keep the flu from spreading. I'm a GP and I can prepare my surgery, but if the electricity company that supplies my power has not prepared, then I am not going to be able to treat patients.
"If the telephone company has not done its work then my patients cannot phone in. Things like this are even more important in a hospital setting. If the emergency fuel for the generators doesn't arrive or people can't get to work, the implications are enormous.
"It's the power, the transport, the water companies who need to prepare, but there needs to be contingency plans in every organisation."
On Friday, the World Health Organisation released a report confirming evidence of human-to-human H5N1 bird flu virus transmission in Indonesia. There are fears that H5N1 will spark a worldwide flu pandemic if it mutates to a level where it passes easily between humans.
Dr Hajioff said current predictions for the UK were that 25% of the population would be affected by a flu pandemic and be off work. But, he added, carers would stay at home, people with colds would stay off and then there were many more who might "take sickies".
"This means that 40% could be away from work at any one time," he said.
Dr Hajioff will debate the issue in a motion at the BMA conference saying preparations are "woefully inadequate".
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=392396&in_page_id=1770
25th June 2006 (Daily Mail)
A flu pandemic across the UK could result in "1,000 September 11th" and preparations are "woefully inadequate", a doctor warned today.
Dr Steve Hajioff will tell doctors at the British Medical Association's annual conference on Tuesday that a flu pandemic would have "enormous" implications. He believes stockpiling anti-virals is less important than getting transport, fuel and water companies to make adequate plans.
He said: "We are expecting a real flu pandemic of the kind we have not seen for years and this is one of the biggest catastrophes. What's more, it's a totally predictable one but if we act now we can mitigate its effects."
Dr Hajioff, a GP from central London, said the 1918 pandemic saw 40% of the population taken ill and 2.5% of the population die.
"In the present day, you are talking about five million people across Europe and hundreds of thousands in the UK," he said. "It's like 1,000 September the 11ths all at once. That's if it's as bad as 1918, but we hope and pray that it won't be.
"Still, there's enormous potential for damage and we need to prepare now."
Dr Hajioff said the Government had taken action but stocking anti-viral drugs was the "icing not the cake".
He added: "It's not anti-virals that are important, it's how we keep going, keep functioning as a country and keep the flu from spreading. I'm a GP and I can prepare my surgery, but if the electricity company that supplies my power has not prepared, then I am not going to be able to treat patients.
"If the telephone company has not done its work then my patients cannot phone in. Things like this are even more important in a hospital setting. If the emergency fuel for the generators doesn't arrive or people can't get to work, the implications are enormous.
"It's the power, the transport, the water companies who need to prepare, but there needs to be contingency plans in every organisation."
On Friday, the World Health Organisation released a report confirming evidence of human-to-human H5N1 bird flu virus transmission in Indonesia. There are fears that H5N1 will spark a worldwide flu pandemic if it mutates to a level where it passes easily between humans.
Dr Hajioff said current predictions for the UK were that 25% of the population would be affected by a flu pandemic and be off work. But, he added, carers would stay at home, people with colds would stay off and then there were many more who might "take sickies".
"This means that 40% could be away from work at any one time," he said.
Dr Hajioff will debate the issue in a motion at the BMA conference saying preparations are "woefully inadequate".
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=392396&in_page_id=1770