What Is Pandemic Flu, and Is Your Worksite Ready for It?
The possibility of a dangerous and widespread flu outbreak has gotten a lot of news coverage, sparked by cases involving the H5N-1 virus that have crossed from bird to humans.
For health care workers around the globe, this raises serious issues:
- Does your worksite have a flu response plan?
- What is the best way to manage a flu outbreak?
- How do avian, pandemic, and seasonal flu compare to one another?
In the event of a widespread flu outbreak, health care workers would be doubly exposed to the virus, both through their normal everyday activities and in the health care environment where sick patients come for care.
To assist SEIU health care members in preparing to deal with a serious flu outbreak, the Training and Upgrade Fund of Local 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East, has prepared two educational fact sheets:
» Seasonal, Avian, and Pandemic Flu: What’s the Same, What’s Different?
» Using Infection Control to Prevent the Spread of Flu in Health Care Settings
[Also check out OSHA's Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic]
These fact sheets cover a wide range of issues, such as how flu spreads, the differences between a pandemic and an epidemic, and why infection control is the best tool for controlling the spread of the flu virus.
As the fact sheets note, the news media has been focused on the issue of whether there is a “magic bullet” vaccine that could be developed to treat pandemic flu. But the reality is that infection control will likely be the cornerstone of any early prevention efforts.
Also included is an “employer check list” which will give you and your co-workers a quick way to assess your worksite’s readiness. It covers questions such as, “Is your employer providing respirator training?” and “Does your employer have a written plan for you to review that covers who they will retain and increase staffing to deal with a surge in patients?”
 | Recommended Site: PandemicFluAndYou.org |
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