Pandemic Flu Exercise

Ten counties in Ohio are conducting an eight day pandemic flu simulation and exercise, the key to preparedness begins at the local level. The federal gov't is not going to be able to help:

The Athens NEWS: Twice weekly alternative

The Athens NEWS: Twice weekly alternative[/url]

Another condition of the exercise, also realistic, is that care providers in the region won't be able to reach out for help to other agencies across the state, who in a real pandemic flu would have their hands full. "We aren't counting on outside help," Phillips confirmed. "We have to plan to function independently."

Registered Nurse Kathy Jacobson... works these days to try to spread the gospel of preparedness among the public and local businesses, a task in which she thinks the Red Cross has an important role to play. "It's very clear, the role of the Red Cross is to provide pre-pandemic education," Jacobson suggested.

However, she added, when the flu or some other disease breaks out in the region, it may raise questions that haven't been much thought about up till now. For example, one traditional role of the Red Cross is delivering food to disaster victims. In the case of an infectious disease epidemic, however, bringing food to the infected may be a risky business, and "you can't put Red Cross volunteers into harm's way."