First I want to clarify that a pandemic applies to the number of those affected not the severity of the disease. So far the H1N1 virus has been considered mild to moderate for those with healthy immune systems.  The virus has been more problematic to youth and young adults under the age of 24, especially those with underlying health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and neuromuscular diseases and pregnant women. 

 

We can promote handwashing, respiratory etiquette, ways to strengthen our immune systems, creating a plan for caring for ill family members and ourselves, provide education to downplay myths and if your company does not offer sick time or sufficent sick time look into supplemental insurance that covers missed time from work.

Hand washing is the single most effective way to reduce the spread of illness.  Wash hands often with soap and warm water or use santizer.  Four out of five (83%) people wash their hands after using the restroom according to the Harris Interactive Observational Survey. Resources such as posters and brochures can be purchased at Journeyworks or free posters can be downloaded from the Maine Center for Disease Control at

www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/Flu%20Posters.htm or the US CDC at

www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/stopgerms.htm#GoodHealthHabits or Henry the Hand at
www.henrythehand.com/

Serious respiratory illnesses like influenza and colds are spread by coughing or sneezing and unclean hands.   To help stop the spread of germs, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze.  If you don't have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve, not your hands. Put your used tissue in the waste basket.  For free posters to promote proper etiquette for coughing and sneezing visit the US CDC at  

www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/pdf/covercough_hcp8-5x11.pdf,  or Maine CDC at

www.maine.gov/dhhs/boh/Flu%20Posters.htm 

 

The virus can live on surfaces for up to four hours after leaving the body through a sneeze, cough, or touching face (nose or mouth). 

 

Stay Home
Employees should be encouraged to stay home if they are sick for at least 24 hours after fever is gone (fever should be gone without the use of fever-reducing medicine). 

Avoid Close Contact

In general, you should avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness, especially people at increased risk of severe illness from influenza. With seasonal flu, people may be contagious from one day before they develop symptoms to up to 7 days after they get sick. Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods. A sneeze can travel 100 miles an hour for 6 feet.  Some sites are practicing social distancing by spreading out during meetings, reducing the number of opportunities for people to be in close quarters together, using technology to reduce face to face meetings, and discouraging handshakes. 

 

As of today's guidance from the CDC and Maine CDC: The seasonal flu shot is currently available.  The H1N1 shots are currently in test trials and are expected to be available in Mid-October, the same time the flu is expected to peak.  At this time it is expected to be administered in two shots, the inital shot followed three weeks later by the second. The priority groups for H1N1 vaccination include parents and caregivers of infants under 6 months, youth 6 months to 24 years old, pregnant women, healthcare and emergency medical service employees, and persons aged 25 to 64 years who have health conditions associated with higher risk of medical complications from infuenza.

 

I encourage worksites to include pandemics in their "all hazards plans" since it can be as distruptive to productivity as fire, major storm or data loss.  Some things to consider include: