by Sara Hacking,
Staff Writer
While the threat of pandemic influenza has largely fallen off the public radar, Minnesota health officials say they are planning for "if and when" the crisis occurs.
"We are overdue for a pandemic and experts tell us we should expect one," said Wadena County Public Health Director Karen Nelson.
Isolation, quarantine, and social distancing are part of Minnesota's preparation strategy. These non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are the strongest early defenses we have, said Commissioner of Health Dianne Mandernach during a video conference televised at the Wadena County Courthouse June 11. Vaccines take several months to develop and there may not be enough to go around.
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It will be a challenge, though, to get a new generation of people used to quarantine and isolation, Nelson said.
"We've got to continue to work to educate the public on being code ready so they're ready to stay at home," she said.
A pandemic is one of the emergencies addressed by a statewide codeReady publicity campaign. A codeReady billboard was recently constructed on the east side of Wadena on U.S. Highway 10. Being "codeReady" involves having a family plan and keeping supplies of food, water and medicine on hand, Nelson said.
That publicity campaign is one way of addressing issues Mandernach raised regarding the good and bad news of the possibility of a pandemic.
The good news is there have only been a handful of new cases of high-death rate influenza world-wide, she said. The bad news is the public and media have lost interest in the issue due to the sporadic nature of the cases.
However, the recent media coverage of a young man infected with a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis indicates the danger of what can happen, she said.
"We are a plane ride away," Mandernach said about the threat of a pandemic.
Pandemic influenza differs from the seasonal flu and avian flu. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines pandemic flu as: "a virulent human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness. Because there is little natural immunity, the disease can spread easily from person to person."
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MDH Pandemic Influenza Coordinator Emily Litt illustrated the importance of NPIs such as isolation, quarantine and social distancing in order to delay or reduce the impact of a pandemic.
Community-based NPIs can help to significantly delay the upswing in cases, lower the peak of the outbreak and create a better match between the number of ill people and the amount of health care resources, she said.
Litt defined the NPIs and their goals. Isolation is the separation of people with a contagious disease. Quarantine is the separation of well persons presumed exposed to a contagious disease. And social distancing involves reducing the interactions among people to reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Quarantine would likely be the most difficult NPI to implement, Litt said. Non-symptomatic people may have difficulty understanding why they need to stay home.
During the 1918 influenza pandemic Minnesota imposed a variety of NPIs including limited access to crowded places, the cancellation of sporting events, restricted elevator use and using gauze masks, Litt said.
A lesson that can be learned from the 1918 epidemic is that the public must be educated about the reasoning behind health measures, she said. Litt described an instance when the police had to break up a large crowd of people who gathered for a football game that should have been cancelled.
A new tool to inform the public was released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February. The Pandemic Severity Index uses a five-category scale to rate epidemics. The scale is similar to what meteorologists use to rank hurricanes, Litt said.
An influenza pandemic would have a variety of impacts on society involving disruption of workplaces and schools, the maintenance of essential services, the distribution of scarce resources and ethical issues, she said. In the event of a pandemic it is estimated that more than 1.5 million Minnesotans will become ill with 3,600 to 32,900 deaths during a six-to-eight-week outbreak period.
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In addition to the major pandemic in 1918 there were two less severe pandemics during the 20th century, one in 1957 and one in 1968.
For more information about pandemic influenza and emergency preparedness visit these Web sites:
- www.mdhflu.com
- www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm
- www.codeready.org
by Sara Hacking,
Staff Writer
While the threat of pandemic influenza has largely fallen off the public radar, Minnesota health officials say they are planning for "if and when" the crisis occurs.
"We are overdue for a pandemic and experts tell us we should expect one," said Wadena County Public Health Director Karen Nelson.
Isolation, quarantine, and social distancing are part of Minnesota's preparation strategy. These non-pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) are the strongest early defenses we have, said Commissioner of Health Dianne Mandernach during a video conference televised at the Wadena County Courthouse June 11. Vaccines take several months to develop and there may not be enough to go around.
ADVERTISEMENT
It will be a challenge, though, to get a new generation of people used to quarantine and isolation, Nelson said.
"We've got to continue to work to educate the public on being code ready so they're ready to stay at home," she said.
A pandemic is one of the emergencies addressed by a statewide codeReady publicity campaign. A codeReady billboard was recently constructed on the east side of Wadena on U.S. Highway 10. Being "codeReady" involves having a family plan and keeping supplies of food, water and medicine on hand, Nelson said.
That publicity campaign is one way of addressing issues Mandernach raised regarding the good and bad news of the possibility of a pandemic.
The good news is there have only been a handful of new cases of high-death rate influenza world-wide, she said. The bad news is the public and media have lost interest in the issue due to the sporadic nature of the cases.
However, the recent media coverage of a young man infected with a drug-resistant strain of tuberculosis indicates the danger of what can happen, she said.
"We are a plane ride away," Mandernach said about the threat of a pandemic.
Pandemic influenza differs from the seasonal flu and avian flu. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services defines pandemic flu as: "a virulent human flu that causes a global outbreak, or pandemic, of serious illness. Because there is little natural immunity, the disease can spread easily from person to person."
ADVERTISEMENT
MDH Pandemic Influenza Coordinator Emily Litt illustrated the importance of NPIs such as isolation, quarantine and social distancing in order to delay or reduce the impact of a pandemic.
Community-based NPIs can help to significantly delay the upswing in cases, lower the peak of the outbreak and create a better match between the number of ill people and the amount of health care resources, she said.
Litt defined the NPIs and their goals. Isolation is the separation of people with a contagious disease. Quarantine is the separation of well persons presumed exposed to a contagious disease. And social distancing involves reducing the interactions among people to reduce the risk of disease transmission.
Quarantine would likely be the most difficult NPI to implement, Litt said. Non-symptomatic people may have difficulty understanding why they need to stay home.
During the 1918 influenza pandemic Minnesota imposed a variety of NPIs including limited access to crowded places, the cancellation of sporting events, restricted elevator use and using gauze masks, Litt said.
A lesson that can be learned from the 1918 epidemic is that the public must be educated about the reasoning behind health measures, she said. Litt described an instance when the police had to break up a large crowd of people who gathered for a football game that should have been cancelled.
A new tool to inform the public was released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in February. The Pandemic Severity Index uses a five-category scale to rate epidemics. The scale is similar to what meteorologists use to rank hurricanes, Litt said.
An influenza pandemic would have a variety of impacts on society involving disruption of workplaces and schools, the maintenance of essential services, the distribution of scarce resources and ethical issues, she said. In the event of a pandemic it is estimated that more than 1.5 million Minnesotans will become ill with 3,600 to 32,900 deaths during a six-to-eight-week outbreak period.
ADVERTISEMENT
In addition to the major pandemic in 1918 there were two less severe pandemics during the 20th century, one in 1957 and one in 1968.
For more information about pandemic influenza and emergency preparedness visit these Web sites:
- www.mdhflu.com
- www.cdc.gov/flu/avian/index.htm
- www.codeready.org
A checklist for individuals and families
To plan for a pandemic:
- Store a two-week supply of water and food. During a pandemic, if you cannot get to a store, or if stores are out of supplies, it will be important for you to have extra supplies on hand. This can be useful in other types of emergencies, such as power outages and disasters.
- Periodically check your regular prescription drugs to ensure a continuous supply in your home.
Have any nonprescription drugs and other health supplies on hand, including pain relievers, stomach remedies, cough and cold medicines, fluids with electrolytes and vitamins.
- Talk with family members and loved ones about how they would be cared for if they got sick, or what will be needed to care for them in your home.
- Volunteer with local groups to prepare and assist with emergency response.
- Get involved in your community as it works to prepare for an influenza pandemic.
To limit the spread of germs and prevent infection:
- Teach your children to wash hands frequently with soap and water, and model the correct behavior.
- Teach your children to cover coughs and sneezes with tissues, and be sure to model that behavior.
- Teach your children to stay away from others as much as possible if they are sick. Stay home from work and school if sick.
This information was gathered from www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/individual/checklist.html .
