It may be small comfort, but residents of Fort Bend and other Texas Gulf counties probably are better prepared to deal with a pandemic flu outbreak than most people.
That’s because emergency planning for a pandemic flu outbreak – into which officials fear current cases of swine flu could evolve – is a lot like emergency planning for a hurricane.
And most Gulf Coast residents have had plenty of experience dealing with hurricanes.
Normal flu season runs from October through April, and normally would be ending now.
According to Pandemic Influenza Family Emergency Preparedness, on the Fort Bend County Health and Human Services web site, a pandemic flu can occur when a new flu virus evolves, “appears in humans and spreads easily from person to person, causing serious illness and death as it moves across the world.”
Pandemic flu episodes occurred in 1918 (Spanish Flu); 1957 (Asian Flu); and 1968 (Hong Kong Flu).
While it’s impossible to predict whether the current worldwide swine flu outbreak will become as deadly as previous pandemics, top health officials say it is time to create emergency plans to deal with that possibility.
On Wednesday, World health Organization Director General Dr. Margaret Chan rasied the level of flu pandemic alert from “phase 4″ to “phase 5.”
“All countries should immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans. Countries should remain on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia,” Chan said in a statement.
“…This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharmaceutical industry and the business community that certain actions should now be undertaken with increased urgency, and at an accelerated pace,” she said.
For families, preparing for a flu pandemic is similar to emergency preparation at the beginning of hurricane season – which is itself approaching.
According to a pandemic flu checklist prepared by the federal Department of Health and Human Services, individuals and families should:
→ Obtain a two-week supply of food and water, including a gallon of water per person per day. The raionale is that stores may close or run out of supplies.
→ Check your supply of any regularly used prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
→ Have non-prescription drugs and other health and medical supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, vitamins and fluids containing electrolytes.
By way of illustration, Mexico President Felipe Calderon said in a nationally televised speech Wednesday night that public services, government offices and private businesses would be ordered closed on Friday, at least through Tuesday, in an attempt to slow the spread of swine flu in the country in which the current outbreak is believed to have begun. Closures are expected to include restaurants, schools and museums.
The Centers for Disease Control recommends that parents teach children to wash their hands frequently with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing.
Children also should be taught to cover their mouths, preferably with a tissue, when coughing or sneezing.
Health officials say the surest method of preventing rapid spread of a disease such as swine flu is isolation. That’s why several Texas schools have closed after the discovery of infected students.
But the periods of necessary isolation illustrate the difference between a pandemic emergency and preparation for a hurricane.
“A pandemic will last much longer than most flu outbreaks, and may include ‘waves’ of influenza activity that last six to eight weeks, separated by months,” according to a DHHS pandemic planning guide.
“The number of health care workers and first-responders able to work may be reduced,” the guide states.
Federal health officials believe essential services such as public transportation and phone service could be disrupted in the event of a serious flu pandemic.
Banks, stores, restaurants, government offices and even hospitals could close.
Thus preparing for a pandemic should include keeping some cash on hand for emergencies.
Health officials also say families should plan and discuss where members should go in case of emergency, if they are unable to communicate with other family members.
Also, according to the pandemic planning guide, “being able to work may be difficult or impossible.”
Federal health officials have released the following recommendations:
→ Ask your employer how business will continue during a pandemic;
→ Discuss staggered shifts or working at home, including the possibility of telecommunting, accessing remote networks and using laptop computers;
→ Discuss possible flexibility in leave policies. Discuss with your employer how much leave you can take to care for yourself or a family member.
And finally, the federal planning guide recommends planning for the unpleasant but possible loss of income, “if you are unable to work or the company you work for temporarily closes.”
To keep abreast of developments in the CDC’s swine flu investigation, and for more advice on preparing for the eventuality of flu pandemic episodes, readers can consider visiting the following web sites:
→ The U.S. government’s one-stop swine flu information site;
→ A pandemic flu checklist for businesses;
→ Childcare and school planning in the event of a pandemic outbreak;
→ State information on swine flu outbreaks from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
