Pandemic fluThe next time you are in a grocery take a good look around. The shelves only hold so much. Imagine if everyone suddenly realized they needed to stock up on a few weeks' worth of food, flashlight batteries, toilet paper, baby formula...there would not be enough to go around.
Missing the experience of being among the people trying (and failing) to buy what they need at the last moment is just one of the reasons to get ready now for a potential pandemic flu.
Scientists are worried that the bird virus (avian flu) might develop into the next human pandemic. Of the first 18 cases in humans of H5N1 virus in 1997 in Hong Kong, 6 were fatal. In 2003 China reported its 20th human case. The Republic of Korea found it in poultry in 2004 and Thailand had cases at a zoo in two tigers and two leopards fed chicken. Viet Nam reported it in poultry in early 2004. Summer of 2005 Siberia had a infection in poultry and wild birds. Some of those wild birds wintered in Nigeria, which had outbreaks in February 2006. 2006, Azerbaijan teenagers who removed feathers from wild birds became infected. May 2007 found four people in the United Kingdom infected with A/H7N2 virus. July 2007 found wild swans, geese, grebe and coots and a domestic goose dying in Germany.
According to the CDC & WHO, as of July, 2007, mortality in human cases has been 60%, (319 laboratory-confirmed cases, 192 deaths) highest in cases aged 10-19 years old.
In January 2009 the World Health Organization reported a total of 403 known human cases of the H5N1 avain influenza, resulting in 254 deaths.
Since wild birds/ducks migrate worldwide H5N1 or a variant could turn up almost anywhere next.
In the book Protecting Your Business in a Pandemic, it is estimated that up to one third of the U.S. population will become ill in a pandemic, costing the U.S. economy up to $675 billion.
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/outbreaks/current.htm
The state of Nebraska was a winner of the prestigious National Public Health Information Coalition’s excellence in public health communication award for its info on pandemic flu.
They point out:
· Health officials believe a flu pandemic is likely.
· There are steps you can take to protect yourself and your family.
· Pandemic flu is not like seasonal flu.
· Pandemic flu could potentially kill millions of people and make millions more sick worldwide.
· We’re worried about bird flu in Southeast Asia, Europe and now Africa; it’s spreading fast, making people very sick and many have died.
The threat of pandemic flu is real. This is something that would affect your family, your community and your business...this isn’t only a government effort; it’s a community effort and a personal effort. Everyone needs to take part in preparedness planning. If pandemic flu comes to the U.S., if there’s vaccine, there won’t be enough for everyone."
Idaho's http://www.getpandemicready.org/
has the answer to the question: Why Three Months?
and guides for water, food, hygiene, emergency basics, comfort, staying healthy, safety, treating the flu, infants & toddlers and special concerns.
http://www.pandemicpractices.org/practices/article.do?page=home
has resources
http://www.bigmedicine.ca/ has news from around the world
Seattle's http://www.metrokc.gov/health/pandemicflu/ has a comic book - No Ordinary Flu - for all ages of readers in 12 languages telling the tale of a family in the 1918 influenza pandemic, explaining what to expect and how to prepare if another comes around and making the point that most people will survive even a bad pandemic.
http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/panflu/
http://www.avianflu.gov/ has a communication toolkit for businesses and employers from the CDC for the 2009-2010 flu season
http://www.health.vic.gov.au/pandemicinfluenza/prof_res.htm#general
At http://www.avianflu.gov/plan/pandplan.html
1.1.3. The clinical disease attack rate will likely be 30% or higher in the overall population during the pandemic. Illness rates will be highest among school-aged children (about 40%) and decline with age. Among working adults, an average of 20% will become ill during a community outbreak.
1.1.10. In an affected community, a pandemic outbreak will last about 6 to 8 weeks.
1.1.11. Multiple waves (periods during which community outbreaks occur across the country) of illness could occur with each wave lasting 2-3 months. Historically, the largest waves have occurred in the fall and winter, but the seasonality of a pandemic cannot be predicted with certainty.
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DAVID NEWMAN REFLECTS ON PANDEMICS, PLAGUES & OTHER SITUATIONS SURE TO TEST OUR SURGE-CAPACITY CAPABILITIES
http://www.bigmedicine.ca/NotesfromDAHNewman.htm
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FLU advice from the Centers for Disease Control:
When you prepare for a pandemic flu you are also starting to prepare for the next big earthquake.
Take the:
earthquake home hazards survey
A family (and babysitters, caregivers, overnight guests) disaster plan is at:
Disaster planning
 
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