Transcript Ready or Not: Preparing for Pandemic Flu

Ready or Not:
Preparing for
Pandemic Flu
A flu pandemic
will happen –
we can’t predict
when or where
Objectives
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Understand what avian flu and pandemic flu
are
Describe three things you can do at home to
prepare and/or protect yourself and your
family
Describe three things you can do at work to
protect yourself and others
Identify where to get accurate information
about pandemic flu
Definitions
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Seasonal Influenza
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Avian Influenza
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Pandemic Influenza
Seasonal Influenza
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Caused by a virus
• Infects humans
• Usually occurs during the winter
• Easily spreads from person to person
• Vaccine is available
Seasonal Influenza
•Incubation period is usually 1-3 days
•Symptoms
-Fever (often sudden), chills,
headache, muscle aches, dry cough,
sore throat, weakness, runny nose,
may last three to five days or more
-People can shed the virus without
showing symptoms of infection
Seasonal Influenza
• The virus can be
spread:
-Cough/Sneeze
• Most important
(within 3 feet)
-Contact
• Contaminated
articles
Droplet
Contact
The Burden of Seasonal Influenza
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250,000 to 500,000 deaths globally/yr
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36,000 deaths and > 200,000
hospitalizations/yr in U.S.
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$37.5 billion in economic costs/yr in
U.S. related to influenza and
pneumonia
Influenza and Other Species
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Influenza viruses can infect a number of
different species, including humans
Other species include:
– Birds (Avian)
– Pigs
– Horses
– Seals
– Whales
Avian Influenza (“Bird Flu”)
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Readily infectious between birds
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Only rarely infects humans
How do humans get the bird “bird
flu”?
Through close direct
contact with poultry
Not easily passed from
bird to human
How a new human influenza virus is
created
Situation Report:
H5N1 Avian Flu in Humans
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Human infections associated with close
direct contact with infected poultry
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High mortality (above 50%)
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Does not transmit from human to
human efficiently so far
What is a pandemic?
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Outbreak is higher than usual number
of cases occurring locally
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Pandemic is a worldwide outbreak
Flu Pandemics in the 20th Century
H3
H2
H1
1915
1918
Spanish
Flu H1N1
1925
1935
1945
1955
1957
1965
1968
Asian
Hong Kong
Flu H2N2 Flu H3N2
1975
1985
1995
2005
Requirements for a pandemic
•A new virus must emerge (people
have not been exposed to it before)
•Infection usually causes serious
disease
•The virus must spread as easily as
seasonal influenza—by coughing
and sneezing
Current Pandemic Status
Interpandemic
Pandemic Alert
Phase 1
No new
virus in
humans
Phase 2
No new
virus in
humans
Phase 3
New
virus in
humans
Phase 4 Phase 5
Small
Larger
clusters, clusters,
localized localized
Animal
viruses
low risk
to
humans
Animal
viruses
high risk
to
humans
Little/no
spread
among
humans
Limited
spread
among
humans
Current Level
Limited
spread
among
humans
Pandemic
Phase 6
Increased
and
sustained
spread in
general
human
population
Planning Assumptions
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Time from infection to symptoms:
– 1-4 days (average 2 days)
Infectiousness:
– Greatest during the first 2 days of illness
may be infectious 1 day BEFORE
symptoms
– Infectious for about 5 or more days,
children will shed the most virus
– On average, each person will transmit
influenza to two others
Planning Assumptions
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In an affected community an outbreak
may last 6-8 weeks
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Absenteeism may be as high as 40% in
a severe pandemic
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High rates of illness may occur among
school aged children
Things to think about during a
pandemic:
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Need to create as safe a work place as
possible
Need healthy workers on the job to keep
community functioning
Need workers to remain home when ill
Healthcare may look different during a
pandemic
Health Protection Preparedness
System
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
Healthcare
Delivery
System
Local /State /
Federal Public
Health
System
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Federal
Partners
Business
& Workers
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Education
System
It Takes a NETWORK!

Local-state-federal
Domestic-international
Multisector integration
Public-private
Non-partisan
Animal-human
Health protectionhomeland securityeconomic protection
National Response
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Development of a national response plan and
checklists to help local communities plan
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Investment of resources into vaccine
development and medication reserves
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Control of disease coming from outside the
U.S. through isolation/quarantine
Local Response
Quarantine:
Isolation:
Well persons
exposed to an
Illness are kept
separate from
others to reduce
disease spread
Ill persons are
kept separate from
others to reduce
disease spread
with the illness
Community Control of Pandemic
Influenza
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less
Isolation of the ill
Management of patient contacts
Quarantine of small groups
Cancellation of specific events
Closure of specific facilities
Snow days and self-shielding
Closure of facilities and transportation
more
Widespread community quarantine
As an individual what can you do to
protect yourself and your family?
Individual Activities
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Social Distancing
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Annual flu vaccine
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Hand hygiene
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Respiratory etiquette
“Cover your cough”
Social Distancing
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Three feet from other
people
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Limit face-to-face
contact
Prepare for an extended stay at
home:
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Ready-to-eat canned meats, fruits, vegetables, and
soups
Protein or fruit bars
Dry cereal or granola
Peanut butter or nuts
Dried fruit
Crackers
Canned juices
Bottled water
Canned or jarred baby food and formula
Pet food
Examples of medical, health, and
emergency supplies
Soap and water
Garbage
bags
Medicines for fever
Thermometer
Fluids with
electrolytes
Batteries
Portable
radio
Prescribed medical supplies
alcoholbased hand
wash
Tissues, toilet paper,
disposable diapers
Hygiene: Wash Your Hands
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Before, during, and after you prepare food
Before you eat, and after you use the
bathroom
After handling animals or animal waste
When your hands are dirty, and
More frequently when someone in your
home is sick
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth
Wash Your Hands
Use soap and warm
running water for
At least 20 seconds
OR
Use an alcohol based
hand sanitizer for at
least 15 seconds.
If you become ill…
Sneezes and Coughs are
powerful germ explosions
Cover Your Coughs and Sneezes

Use a tissue or
inside of your elbow
when sneezing or
coughing.
Stay home when you are sick
Stay home if you have…
A fever of 101 degrees
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If needed seek
medical care
More information is available
Resources
• National Planning:
www.pandemicflu.gov
• Bird and Animal Issues:
www.usda.gov
• State Planning:
http://www.oregon.gov/DHS/ph/acd/flu/influenza.shtml
• Marion County Communicable Disease Info
(503) 588-5621
“Pandemics are global in nature, but their
impact is local. When the next pandemic
strikes, as it surely will, it is likely to touch
the lives of every individual, family, and
community. Our task is to make sure
that when this happens, we will be a
Nation prepared.”
-Mike Leavitt,
Secretary
US Department of
Health and
Human Services