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Know What to ExpectWorkplace and community planning and response activitiesAccording to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), if a pandemic were to occur, infection may come and go in waves, each of which could last for six to eight weeks. The overall pandemic may last for 18–24 months. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts could range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery, and health care facilities could become overwhelmed. Recently, Julie Gerberding, MD, director of the CDC stated, “We have to gear up and do what is necessary to prepare, and local planning, including the role businesses play is critical to these efforts.” Companies and communities must prepare to be “self-contained,” Gerberding asserted, because unlike a hurricane, a pandemic would strike everywhere, hindering the ability of one region to help another. “In this planning scenario, we are operating under the assumption that local planning has to be where the action is,” said the CDC director. Business and IndustryIn the event of pandemic influenza, businesses will play a key role in protecting employees’ health and safety, as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy and society. Planning for pandemic influenza is critical. Companies that provide critical infrastructure services, such as power and telecommunications, also have a special responsibility to plan for continued operation in a crisis and should plan accordingly. As with any catastrophe, having a contingency plan is essential. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), and the CDC have developed guidelines, including a checklist, to assist businesses in planning for a pandemic outbreak, as well as for other comparable catastrophes. Get more information on how a flu pandemic might affect business and industry and what they can do to plan and prepare.* Additional information for business can also be obtained from the Trust for America’s Health (TFAH). This non-profit organization offers a free brochure It’s Not Flu as Usual — What Businesses Need to Know about Pandemic Flu Planning, which offers guidance on how businesses can:
Community Organizations, Schools, and Health Care ProvidersHHS has prepared a series of checklists to assist local organizations in developing and/or improving plans to prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic.Community Organizations — Churches, community, and social organizations. Schools — Childcare facilities, grade schools, colleges, and universities. Health Care Providers — Home health care, medical offices and clinics, EMS and medical transport, and hospitals. Public Health Agencies, Government, and Health PlansIn February 2007, the federal government released Interim Pre-pandemic Planning Guidance: Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation in the United States.
In May of 2006, the federal government released the National Strategy on Pandemic Influenza, Implementation Plan and, in November of 2005, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Pandemic Influenza Plan, providing direction to federal, state, and local governments, as well as public health agencies, and health care providers.
Government Planning and Response ActivitiesHHS compiled information about how all levels of government are planning and preparing for a flu pandemic.Federal Government — The President’s National Strategy, the HHS National Plan, and other federal agency activities. State and Local Government — Information on the integration of federal, state, and local planning, and state-by-state pandemic plans. * Source: CDC, www.pandemicflu.gov/plan |