PREPAREDNESS FOR BUSINESSES AND HOMES
STOCKPILING PROVISIONS
15.1 There is no doubt that when the Bird Flu pandemic strikes mass panic will lead to frenzy shopping of provisions and chronic shortages of critical preparedness supplies. This is human nature and is evident in any emergency.
15.2 Generally shops do not stock provisions for more than a few days, rents do not allow for such a luxury, so even when people stock up for only a day or two, late comers are already faced with empty shop shelves and no promise for replenishment for some time to come.
15.3 The same is true for any supplies, particularly preparedness provisions which are sought after in times of emergency and disruption.
15.4 The threat of the Bird Flu pandemic, the media coverage and Government prompting has led to a number of businesses and individuals already stockpiling provisions and equipment.
15.5 If your business has not done so already, consider stockpiling your own adequate preparedness supplies of:
15.5.1 Disposable face masks - these will become common place during the Bird Flu pandemic. You will need to offer all office visitors a fresh face-mask, as well as staff who feel sick, and if there is a need to go to crowded places. Face masks will need to be changed frequently to be effective so consider stockpiling enough to cater for each person to wear several per day.
15.5.2 People with respiratory infection symptoms should use a disposable face mask at all times to help prevent exposing others to their respiratory secretions.
15.5.3 Any face mask must be disposed of as soon as it becomes moist or after any cough or sneeze, in an appropriate waste receptacle, and hands must be thoroughly washed and dried after the used mask has been discarded.
15.5.4 Alcohol gels - very effective against combating the spread of Bird Flu, so have plenty of alcohol gel dispensers around, not just in bathrooms but also waiting rooms and office desks.
15.5.5 Alcohol wipes - similar to gels, wipes should be in abundance around the office and made freely available for wiping surfaces frequently.
15.5.6 Rubber gloves - for cleaning and disinfecting suspect surfaces. Dispose of rubber gloves after use.
15.5.7 Disinfecting soaps - made available in all washrooms to be used in place of regular hand soaps.
15.5.8 Disinfecting sprays - useful for cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and the surrounding air.
15.5.9 Cleaning materials as per those recommended in our section on Managing Ill Employess.
15.5.10 Thermometers for measuring temperature of those at work.
15.5.11 Tissues - place boxes of tissues around in all waiting areas and desks.
15.5.12 Surgical (thin rubber) gloves - at the height of the pandemic some may opt to maintain a barrier between their hands and any surfaces that may need to be touched (such as lift buttons, door knobs etc.).
15.5.13 Protective plastic/Perspex/glass barriers - some businesses with an open-plan office set up are planning to segregate workers using plastic stand-up barriers, similar to those used in banks to separate teller from customers.
15.5.14 They may also provide useful protection for people such as front-counter staff or public transport drivers, whose duties require them to have frequent face-to-face contact with members of the public where social distancing is either not possible or not practical.
15.5.15 Retail outlets should also consider this type of fixture to separate retail staff from customers.
15.6 Plan for not having access to critical supplies for at least six weeks.
15.7 Should you feel the need to stock any medical provisions, please consult a medical practitioner for advice on what to stock and correct usage.
Email this page to someone?Enter recipient email address below:
| 05/15/2008 04:00 PM |
| Detection Of Mortality Clusters Associated With Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza In Poultry: A Theoretical Analysis |
|
Rapid detection of infectious disease outbreaks is often crucial for their effective control. One example is highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) such as H5N1 in commercial poultry flocks. There is no quantitative data, however, on how quickly the effects of HPAI infection in poultry flocks can be detected. Here, we study, using an individual-based mathematical model, time to detection in chicken flocks.
|
| 05/05/2008 07:00 PM |
| Learning From The Influenza Virus' Tricks |
|
Influenza is currently a grave concern for governments and health organisations around the world. The worry is the potential for highly virulent bird flu strains, such as H5N1, to develop the ability to infect humans easily. New drugs and vaccines to halt the spread of the virus are badly needed.
|
| 04/26/2008 01:00 AM |
| Indonesia Runs Large Scale Bird Flu Drill |
|
Indonesia is running a large scale drill simulating an outbreak of human to human bird flu that involves thousands of villagers, health workers and government officials, rehearsing for a potential pandemic. The drill started today, Friday 25th April, and is scheduled to run for three days.
|
| 04/25/2008 04:00 PM |
| Heading Off A Bird-Flu Pandemic: We Need Broadly Protective Vaccines That Can Be Rapidly Produced And Administered |
|
Widespread vaccination likely will be the cornerstone of public-health measures for controlling an H5N1 bird-flu pandemic, say Andrea Gambotto, M.D., assistant professor of surgery at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and his colleagues, in this week's edition of The Lancet. However, any vaccines must be broadly protective and rapidly producible to be effective against H5N1, which is devastating in humans, the authors write in a journal Seminar.
|
| 04/18/2008 08:00 PM |
| Identification Of The Common Mechanism Underlying Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome May Lead To New Strategies Against Bird Flu |
|
The Spanish flu outbreak of 1918 killed between 30 and 50 million people. In the infected patients, the ultimate cause of death was acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). This fatal condition is a massive reaction of the body during which the lung becomes severely damaged. ARDS can be induced by various bacterial and viral infections, but also by chemical agents. These could be toxic gases that are inhaled or gastric acid when aspirated.
|
| 04/18/2008 06:00 PM |
| New Vaccine May Give Long-term Defense Against Deadly Bird Flu And Its Variant Forms |
|
A new vaccine under development may provide protection against highly pathogenic bird flu and its evolving forms, according to researchers at Purdue University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who discovered the new preventative drug and have tested it in mice.
|
