Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://cbs5.com/localwire/22.0.html?type=bcn&item=FLU-DRILL
Tue, 20 May 2008 09:30:02 GMT
SONOMA CO.: FLU PANDEMIC DISASTER DRILL TODAY
The staff at two Sonoma County hospitals will be dressed a little differently this morning.
They will be wearing space-walk type protective suits with ventilators as part of a countywide pandemic flu disaster drill.
The drill at hospitals, clinics and skilled nursing facilities, referred to as "Code Pandora", entails a hypothetical scenario in which the dangerous H5N1 avian flu has begun to spread rapidly from human to human in countries outside the United States and is considered imminent here.
In the scenario, the Governor has issued an alert to county preparedness agencies to gear up and prepare for the first likely bird flu cases in California.
"Each time we conduct an exercise, we learn about parts of our overall county plan that need to be improved," said Sonoma County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Leigh Hall.
"These exercises are invaluable in helping emergency providers work together to coordinate services and care in a disaster," Hall said.
Hospitals have purchased equipment to help isolate ill and potentially infectious patients from others and protect the health care staff itself from becoming ill.
The county's public health division will also test its communication system by sending a health alert to emergency partners, infectious disease nurses at local hospitals and more that 1,000 health care providers in the county about infection control policies.
Staff wearing the protective equipment will be checking for the proper function and fit of ventilators and respirator masks. A temporary triage tent will be set up at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital at 8 a.m. and staff will attend to mock patient volunteers from Santa Rosa Junior College and Windsor High School.
The Sonoma County Office of Education will also participate. County school districts have been planning how to implement school closures, provide distance learning and identifying details associated with a potential school closure and the need to practice "social distancing" to avoid the spread of the disease.
The largest preparedness drill of the year also includes the Creekside Convalescent Hospital, Sonoma County Indian Health Project, Southwest Area Health Center, Alliance Medical Center and the Sonoma County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
(? 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. In the interest of timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain occasional typographical errors. )
Tue, 20 May 2008 09:30:02 GMT
SONOMA CO.: FLU PANDEMIC DISASTER DRILL TODAY
The staff at two Sonoma County hospitals will be dressed a little differently this morning.
They will be wearing space-walk type protective suits with ventilators as part of a countywide pandemic flu disaster drill.
The drill at hospitals, clinics and skilled nursing facilities, referred to as "Code Pandora", entails a hypothetical scenario in which the dangerous H5N1 avian flu has begun to spread rapidly from human to human in countries outside the United States and is considered imminent here.
In the scenario, the Governor has issued an alert to county preparedness agencies to gear up and prepare for the first likely bird flu cases in California.
"Each time we conduct an exercise, we learn about parts of our overall county plan that need to be improved," said Sonoma County Deputy Health Officer Dr. Leigh Hall.
"These exercises are invaluable in helping emergency providers work together to coordinate services and care in a disaster," Hall said.
Hospitals have purchased equipment to help isolate ill and potentially infectious patients from others and protect the health care staff itself from becoming ill.
The county's public health division will also test its communication system by sending a health alert to emergency partners, infectious disease nurses at local hospitals and more that 1,000 health care providers in the county about infection control policies.
Staff wearing the protective equipment will be checking for the proper function and fit of ventilators and respirator masks. A temporary triage tent will be set up at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital at 8 a.m. and staff will attend to mock patient volunteers from Santa Rosa Junior College and Windsor High School.
The Sonoma County Office of Education will also participate. County school districts have been planning how to implement school closures, provide distance learning and identifying details associated with a potential school closure and the need to practice "social distancing" to avoid the spread of the disease.
The largest preparedness drill of the year also includes the Creekside Convalescent Hospital, Sonoma County Indian Health Project, Southwest Area Health Center, Alliance Medical Center and the Sonoma County Chapter of the American Red Cross.
(? 2007 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. In the interest of timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain occasional typographical errors. )