# 490
An interesting article this morning on how one county in upstate New York is preparing for a pandemic. I urge you to read the entire article, and to keep in mind, the $300,000 is simply for the health department.
A not-so-gentle reminder that people in public health are taking the potential of a pandemic, and the consequences, very seriously.
As the article points out, the 800,000 masks they want to order would not begin to cover their needs. That's less than one mask per person. A pandemic would last for months, perhaps longer. A mask might last one person for a day, probably less.
Individual citizens are going to have to step up, and take it upon themselves to prepare. And that means obtaining adequate supplies of food, water, medicine, and even things like masks. The government can't do it for everyone, and they won't even come close to having enough.
Personally, I've laid in 400+ masks (sugical and N95), and 900 latex gloves. That's in addition to food, water, and medicine. I did so because I knew my local government would never be able to do so for me. The choice is either do it myself, or go without.
Perhaps the residents of Erie County will take note of how serious their health department regards this threat, and take individual steps to prepare. If so, the money spent by this county, and their leading by example, will pay great dividends in a crisis.
County tries to prepare for potential flu pandemic
By MATTHEW SPINA
News Staff Reporter
2/22/2007
A thousand body bags. Computer chips to plant on corpses to better track the dead. More saws for autopsies.
The Erie County Health Department wants to prepare for a swift-moving flu pandemic in which hundreds of people die. Health officials say they need $300,000 for basic items.
The amount includes nearly $100,000 for laboratory supplies to identify the influenza strain, $23,000 for protective gowns and eyewear for workers, and $73,000 for 800,000 masks to be given to residents - still too few for the county's 930,000 people.
The Health Department also wants $27,000 for autopsy saws, bone-dust collectors and other protective equipment. It wants $5,000 for three laptop computers that will keep health personnel connected, no matter where they are, and $25,000 for 1,000 body bags to add to the hundreds the county already holds.
"Some of these supplies are already on hand," said Gregory Skibitsky, deputy health commissioner for emergency medical services. "But if you have a pandemic event, you never know how many people are going to be affected. You would have to share material and resources. The idea behind this proposal is to be able to stockpile a lot of these supplies."
Not every county is bracing to this degree. The Monroe County Health Department, for example, has stockpiled masks, gowns and gloves for public health workers, said spokesman John Ricci. But Monroe County has not warehoused masks for even a percentage of its 730,000 residents, he said.
