Disaster/Pandemic preparedness

Nurses COVID

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I was looking the the other Disaster/Pandemic thread that Florida1 started. She mentioned that after the hurricanes, that they had problems getting basic supplies and food stores were often closed for weeks after the storm.

That concerns me. I wonder in case of disasters like hurricanes, earthquakes and pandemics if the nurses who work in the area have problems like that. I'd be worried about leaving my family if there was no heat or electric. After loosing electric in the ice storms in the Carolinas a few years back, my husband bought us a generator. I try to keep enough gas stored so that I could run that and maybe have an extra tank of gas for getting back and forth to work, if things were shut down. I never want to wait in the cold on those gas lines again; or have to risk driving around to find necessities!

What disasters have you been through? What lessons did you learn about what things would make life easier if it happens again to you? What can we learn from your experience, and how can we prepare for so we dont have to go through th esame problems you did?

Where there any sepcial tricks or issues that came up that helped you at work? Any special problems that nurses in disasters face?

I have a confession- my home first aid kit is pretty anemic right now :) DH burned his hand prety badly at work last week. I hadnt checked my kit in awhile, and was shocked to see how low I was on some stuff. I only had one roll banfage and had to make a run to WallyWorld the next day! If the stores were shut or the roads iced in or otherwise impassible that would have been an issue. Maybe not life threatening- but its a small example of how not being well prepared can be a problem.

I'd have been so embarrased to admit to hubby I couldnt take care of it, or come thru when he needed me to.

What do you do to prepare? I'm going to restock my kit, and get some more OTC stuff to keep on hand too. What else should I be thinking about?

Laura

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PPE's and HCWs, an essay from Avian Flu Diary on protecting ourselves.

How well is your facility going to protect you? The time to consider this is

sooner rather than later. May I suggest that you buy your own now while they

are still readily available? Use them at home or at work, your choice.

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2007/04/ppe-and-hcw.html

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National Governor's Association Launces Pandemic Outbreak Workshop:

(hat tip PFIF/pixie)

http://www.govtech.net/news/story.print.php?id=104870

A pandemic will affect virtually all sectors of society, mandating that officials not only contain the outbreak itself, but also ensure the availability of essential services. HHS estimates even a moderately severe pandemic could cause more than 200,000 deaths in the U.S., with nearly 130,000 Americans requiring intensive medical care and 65,000 needing mechanical ventilators. Worker absenteeism could affect operation of power plants and water treatment, law enforcement and medical facilities. Reductions in delivery services could cause food shortages and schools could close, increasing the numbers of absent workers as parents stay home to care for their children.

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A simple Red Cross video about preparing for pandemic. It recommends storing 2 weeks worth of food and supplies. The Red Cross has prepared itself based on the 1918 Spanish flu scenario of waves of infection lasting 12 weeks, and occurring as 2 to 3 waves in a year.

Do what you can. Start with 2 weeks worth of supplies.

http://a1881.g.akamai.net/7/1881/26640/v0001/redcross.download.akamai.com/26640/psa/movie/PandemicFlu/PF_Video1.html

(hat tip fluwiki)

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Pennsylvania school districts are preparing for the possibility of pandemic

influenza:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07102/777097-56.stm

The action plan is part of a statewide call for schools to work with their communities and create an effective response in the event of a flu crisis, namely avian flu.

Ms. Yeloushan is trying to cover all bases of preparedness, from delegating tasks within the staff to contacting grief counselors who would help the students cope in the event of a crisis. She even wrote a sample letter to be sent out to the parents of 950 students so she would have them "all in line and ready to go," she said.

"Students aren't just going to get sick, it's going to be everybody," she said.

Schools would play a key role in flu pandemic response, because the buildings might be used by the state to house patients and as sites to administer mass medication if hospitals were full.

School buildings also would provide a large space if the state called for a quarantine to prevent avian flu from spreading. Even school buses might be used in the event of emergency.

Tom Mangan, Emergency Preparedness and Response manager for Allegheny County, urges schools to take an "all hazards approach" when designing their preparedness plan, so it can be used if other types of crises hit.

"Everything is within the realm of possibility," he said, alluding to natural disasters, terrorist attacks, bomb threats and other situations that would disrupt the school community. "You have to think about everything and anything that could happen."

If a pandemic occurred, symptoms might be seen in children sooner than adults; another reason to implement a plan for school districts, Mr. Mangan said.

So far, the avian flu, called H5N1, is in phase three on a World Health Organization scale of six. That means there is no or very limited human to human transmission. So far, the only human cases have been reported in Asia and Africa.

But health officials warn that the virus could spread to the United States. They also warn that if the virus mutated by mixing with a common, or garden variety, flu, the resulting new virus could be transferred by human to human contact. This would elevate the flu pandemic stage above phase three and call for emergency response.

"When and if this hits, we'll have plans in place for what we do," he said. "These kinds of things -- you don't like to talk about them, but you have to be aware of them," Mr. Foster said.

Amen.

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Some thinking about protective masks and why PSAs downplay the need

for them. I do think that it boils down to the fact that there are not

enough available. Of course, they can not say that.

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2007/04/who-was-that-masked-man.html

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How do they plan for the number of ventilators and critical care beds that might be needed? They use models such as the CDC's Flu Surge. But, the numbers can vary based on which scenario is applied. If applying a mild scenario such as the 1968 flu pandemic, it will be quite different from a 1918 type of event. And, of course, if using the current CFR of H5N1 in Indonesia than their numbers are totally off base.

This article is from June 2006. Perhaps they have updated their model since then, based on the reality of what is happening now.

http://www.upmc-cbn.org/report_archive/2006/06_June_2006/cbnreport_060206.html

(hat tip fluwiki)

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Another article from a Pennsylvania news source about how to prepare:

http://www.cumberlink.com/articles/2007/04/11/news/news521.txt

This is a good basic list.

What you need to wait out flu

A basic survival kit for pandemic flu includes:

• Water — minimum 3 gallons per day per person (don’t forget your pets).

• Baby food, diapers and other baby necessities.

• Baking soda

• Beans (dried and canned).

• Bottled drinks and juices (not refrigerated type).

• Canned broth or bouillon (for use in place of water for cooking).

• Canned meats and fish.

• Canned pastas with meat.

• Canned fruit.

• Canned milk, evaporated milk.

• Canned soups with meat and vegetables.

• Canned vegetables.

• Coffee and coffee filters.

• Corn meal

• Crackers

• Cream of Wheat, oatmeal or other dry cereals

• Dried fruits

• Dried soups

• Dry coffee creamer

• Flour

• Granola bars

• Hard candy

• Honey

• Hot chocolate mix or dried cocoa

• Instant mashed potatoes

• Jellies and jams

• Noodles

• Pancake mix and other mixes that have eggs included

• Peanut butter

• Pet food

• Prepared instant foods ( noodles/macaroni and cheese)

• Rice

• Salt and other spices and herbs

• Sugar

• Syrups

• Tea

• Velveeta cheese

• Vinegar

• Candles

• Matches or disposable lighters

• Manual can opener

• Flashlights and batteries

Medical needs

• Eye protection

• N95 masks

• Gloves

• Over-the-counter medications

• Bleach

• Lysol and Clorox products for cleaning

• Multi-vitamins

• Pedialite or Gatorade for dehydration

• Thermometer (one per person)

• Antacid

She points to sources like the United Nations that suggest a six-week supply.

(hat tip P4P/bannor)

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This was written a year ago by a past president of the AMA:

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/category/16750.html

(hat tip PFIF/kimT)

Back in 1918, the influenza virus followed the railroad lines, which enabled it to travel quickly across the nation. Today, thanks to mass transit, airplanes and cars, people and their diseases can move even more quickly across county, state and national lines. Faster than our forebears could have imagined.

The question we face is this: In this high-speed environment, can we mobilize our defenses quickly enough?

That question is open to debate. Back in February, the director of a county public health department in one major U.S. city said: "At this point, we can get through a 1918-like flu pandemic. But no one will think we did a good job. When it happens, it'll be bad. It'll make Hurricane Katrina look like a picnic."

Hardly words to instill confidence.

Yet, we cannot allow ourselves to be discouraged. We must continue to prepare, and to remember that we already have, or are capable of producing, the tools we need to combat a flu pandemic.

We just need to be able to deploy these tools effectively and efficiently. Under the most challenging circumstances possible.

And we must remember: All health care is local.

I don't know that I agree with all of his conclusions but at least he takes the threat seriously. I am also sorry to say that no one is thinking to speak to nursing. Who do they think is going to be taking care of all these patients anyway?

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Red Cross Instructions - Homecare for Pandemic Flu

http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/panflu/pdfs/pandemic_flu_home_care_brochure.pdf

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Home Alone

Would you be prepared?

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2007/04/home-alone.html

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Pandemic planners urged to tap grass roots

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/panflu/news/apr1707citizen.html

Some flu bloggers and sites are mentioned in this

CIDRAP report as examples of what is available.

Governmental plans for an influenza pandemic are missing an important opportunity to improve US preparedness, according to two new reports: They are not reaching out to communities and grass-roots groups that could refine plan details and increase public support.

Meanwhile, ad hoc communities and preparedness alliances are forming--in the real world and online--with minimal input from government planners. And, confirming the reports' concerns, some members of those communities say they have networks and resources to offer to official efforts, but are frustrated by their inability to make themselves heard.

The first report, "Community Engagement: Leadership Tool for Catastrophic Health Events," was published Apr 4 by the Center for Biosecurity at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). The report, which sums up the findings of a 27-member panel convened by the center during 2006, asserts that official planning incorrectly assumes the public will panic and create a "secondary disaster."

"The civic infrastructure--comprised of the public's collective wisdom and capability to solve problems; voluntary associations (both virtual and face-to-face) that arise from shared interests or a public good; and social service organizations that look out for the well-being of various groups--is essential to managing a mass health emergency," the report says.

"US homeland security and health emergency policies, however, do not adequately reflect the civic infrastructure's proven contributions in catastrophes. Nor have most top officials yet realized the potential value for local and national communities--and for themselves--of preparing knowledgeable, trained networks of constituents who can mobilize in a crisis."

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Sanofi has developed a new bird flu vaccine which has been approved by the FDA for the national stockpile. How effective is it, and who will be eligible to receive it?

http://afludiary.blogspot.com/2007/04/flu-vaccine-approved.html

Some additional questions to consider.

http://www.fda.gov/cber/products/h5n1san041707qa.htm

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