sharon sanders
Editor-in-Chief & President
City stockpiles to be ready for bird flu pandemic
<!-- Audio Links, Added 1/3/2007 Neil Smith -->
<!-- End Audio Links -->
By Sion Donovan
The News
A HUGE store of face masks, gloves and plastic aprons have been stockpiled in Portsmouth as health bosses arm themselves against any potential bird flu pandemic.
As many as 5,000 masks are being stored in a warehouse off Eastern Road as emergency planners prepare for a worst case scenario.
The masks, along with a similar amount of plastic gloves and aprons, will be used by Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust (PCT) staff if the deadly HN51 strain mutates and spreads among city residents.
Another 50 specialist masks ? which offer greater protection ? have also been bought for staff who would treat infected people.
The move is part of a revised city emergency plan, drawn up after a meeting of top level health bosses revealed weaknesses.
The action plan, due out in June, also includes:
n Improving the staff database which will include staff who have left in the past two years but who could be called back to help out;
Stepping up links with voluntary organisations such as St John Ambulance;
Making the plan available to the public on the PCT website and informing staff through briefings and inductions;
Making health and council bosses available to talk to the media to reassure the public in the event of an outbreak.
The masks should be enough to last through the first wave of an outbreak ? roughly 15 to 16 weeks.
Experts predict the flu virus would affect up to 30 per cent of the local population over the first two years ? that's 57,600 people in Portsmouth and 124,985 in Fareham, Gosport and East Hampshire.
So far bird flu has killed a few hundred people worldwide. However, it is feared that should it mutate it could become much more deadly.
But Edward Borodzicz, professor of crisis and risk management at the University of Portsmouth, said nothing can prepare the city.
He said: 'We can't possibly imagine the impact of 30 per cent of the population having a flu that could kill 60 per cent of those who get it.
'Organisations are trying to make plans. It's better than having nothing, but often plans are nothing like what happens on the ground.
Flu jabs that are around are not adequate. When the virus mutates it will still take a few months to get an antidote together. All we have in existence is antibiotics and antiviral drugs.'
But Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, director of public health for Portsmouth City PCT, said: 'The health department says prepare for the worst case so we have to change our plans accordingly.
'The table-top exercise was very worthwhile as we got a lot out of it. We don't know what's going to happen but we're much better prepared than we were 12 months ago.
'The masks will be used in general medical practice if there is no outbreak so they won't be wasted.
'The experts say that it will happen and we'd be daft not to prepare for it.'
Last Updated: 07 April 2007
http://www.portsmouthtoday.co.uk/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=2363391§ionid=455
<!-- Audio Links, Added 1/3/2007 Neil Smith -->
<!-- End Audio Links -->
By Sion Donovan
The News
A HUGE store of face masks, gloves and plastic aprons have been stockpiled in Portsmouth as health bosses arm themselves against any potential bird flu pandemic.
As many as 5,000 masks are being stored in a warehouse off Eastern Road as emergency planners prepare for a worst case scenario.
The masks, along with a similar amount of plastic gloves and aprons, will be used by Portsmouth City Primary Care Trust (PCT) staff if the deadly HN51 strain mutates and spreads among city residents.
Another 50 specialist masks ? which offer greater protection ? have also been bought for staff who would treat infected people.
The move is part of a revised city emergency plan, drawn up after a meeting of top level health bosses revealed weaknesses.
The action plan, due out in June, also includes:
n Improving the staff database which will include staff who have left in the past two years but who could be called back to help out;
Stepping up links with voluntary organisations such as St John Ambulance;
Making the plan available to the public on the PCT website and informing staff through briefings and inductions;
Making health and council bosses available to talk to the media to reassure the public in the event of an outbreak.
The masks should be enough to last through the first wave of an outbreak ? roughly 15 to 16 weeks.
Experts predict the flu virus would affect up to 30 per cent of the local population over the first two years ? that's 57,600 people in Portsmouth and 124,985 in Fareham, Gosport and East Hampshire.
So far bird flu has killed a few hundred people worldwide. However, it is feared that should it mutate it could become much more deadly.
But Edward Borodzicz, professor of crisis and risk management at the University of Portsmouth, said nothing can prepare the city.
He said: 'We can't possibly imagine the impact of 30 per cent of the population having a flu that could kill 60 per cent of those who get it.
'Organisations are trying to make plans. It's better than having nothing, but often plans are nothing like what happens on the ground.
Flu jabs that are around are not adequate. When the virus mutates it will still take a few months to get an antidote together. All we have in existence is antibiotics and antiviral drugs.'
But Dr Paul Edmondson-Jones, director of public health for Portsmouth City PCT, said: 'The health department says prepare for the worst case so we have to change our plans accordingly.
'The table-top exercise was very worthwhile as we got a lot out of it. We don't know what's going to happen but we're much better prepared than we were 12 months ago.
'The masks will be used in general medical practice if there is no outbreak so they won't be wasted.
'The experts say that it will happen and we'd be daft not to prepare for it.'
Last Updated: 07 April 2007
http://www.portsmouthtoday.co.uk/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=2363391§ionid=455