# 1009
Fairfax County, just outside of Washington D.C., is heavily tied to the Federal government. It is a largely upscale bedroom community for the Nation's capitol. Many of the residents either work for the Federal government, or for government contractors.
This week, county officials are doing a mass mailing to 440,000 households in the county of a 17 page pandemic home care booklet. As you can see from this article, they aren't mincing words.
- Home care will be essential
- Hospitals won't be able to cope
- There is a `high possibility' a pandemic could occur
- People need to prepare.
Public asked to help with flu care
By: Layla Wilder
07/24/2007
Every household in Fairfax County should receive a pamphlet from the county's health department by the end of the month about protecting against a flu pandemic.
Health department staff began mailing the guide to 440,000 households in the county on July 16, and will also be available from the health department in different languages. It is part of the county's endeavor to prepare residents to cope with pandemic influenza, according to Gloria Addo-Ayensu, the county's health director.
"Management and care of sickness at home is key for pandemic preparedness," Addo-Ayensu said.
Area hospitals and physicians are currently not equipped with the personnel needed to care for the number of people expected to get sick during a pandemic influenza, according to Addo-Ayensu.
There is a high possibility a pandemic could occur through the mutation of avian flu - a disease that affects birds, sometimes pigs and rarely humans, according to the World Health Organization.
Health officials believe that if the virus mutates it will be highly contagious among humans and could be fatal for many.
The virus is becoming more infectious to humans as more breakouts occur. The human form of the flu has been recently reported in several countries, including Cambodia, Thailand and Indonesia, according to the World Health Organization.
Dan Hanfling, emergency preparedness coordinator for Inova Health Systems, said a shortage of staffing to care for the sick is the biggest threat to area hospitals' emergency preparedness plan.
Local health professionals expect a staff decrease of about 40 percent during a pandemic, Hanfling said.
The problem is exacerbated by a worldwide shortage of health care professionals, Addo-Ayensu said.
The answer is teaching people to care for themselves at home as much as possible, especially during less severe phases of a flu, Hanfling said.
The 17-page pamphlet, called "Caring for Yourself and Others: Seasonal and Pandemic Influenza," (PDF File) was mailed with grant money the health department received from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
It outlines ways for people to protect themselves, both during the annual flu or something bigger, with information on self care, when to seek medical attention and emergency information.
"Caring is preparing," Hanfling said.
Inova began planning for a mass emergency in the mid-1990s, according to Hanfling.
The system joined with 13 other area hospitals to form the Northern Virginia Hospital Alliance in 2002 - a coalition that works with other hospitals in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area to prepare for mass casualty situations.
They've improved working relationships with several volunteer medical groups, but still have no guarantee of enough professional caretakers during an emergency, according to Kevin Harlen, executive director of the Northern Virginia Hospital Alliance.
"You can't borrow from Peter to pay Paul when Peter and Paul are both sick," Harlen said.
The county's heath department is organizing a program to teach physicians how to protect themselves and staff during an influenza, according to Addo-Ayensu.
Coordinating with the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments' region-wide emergency preparedness efforts, Fairfax County completed its influenza preparedness plan in September 2006.
Since then, county staff and elected officials have sponsored seminars and community meetings to educate residents and businesses how to prepare for a pandemic or other mass emergency.
Fairfax County board Chairman Gerry Connolly (D-At-Large) said at a business preparedness summit July 20 that "every company, and every personal household needs to have their own plan."
Contact the reporter at lwilder@timespapers.com.
The pamphlet available here paints a realistic picture of what a pandemic might bring. An excerpt states :
What to Expect
- Influenza pandemics happen every few decades. They occur in multiple waves of disease outbreaks over a period of a year or longer. Each wave can last six to 12 weeks. Every flu pandemic is different and it is impossible to predict its full impact until the virus starts circulating. However, we do know that it is likely to cause significant illness in a large number of people, as well as many deaths.
- A flu pandemic will disrupt the daily lives of many people. Health care and other services will be strained; and businesses and schools might have to close. There may be restrictions on public gatherings and travel. Essential government services (including water, power and sanitation) could be disrupted.
- To limit the spread of disease in the community, public health officials may implement isolation (separating those who are sick from those who are healthy) and quarantine (separating and restricting movement of persons who are not yet ill but
have been exposed and therefore may become infectious). Isolation and quarantine may be voluntary or mandatory through legal authority.
It's nice to see a realistic and honest portrayal of the risks of a pandemic being delivered to the people. After two years of hedging, stalling, and avoidance, we are beginning to see some realistic warnings.
At least in some communities.
While the pamphlet provides only basic flu care guidelines (Dr. Woodson's guide is more complete), and they stick with the 2-week stockup recommendation (which I view as inadequate), this is a giant step forward in communicating the threat of a pandemic to the community.
Kudos to the Fairfax County Health officials who have taken this bold step. Roughly 1 million citizens in Virginia will have received a valuable warning. One that could save lives during a pandemic.
Which leaves only about 299 million Americans left to reach.
But it's a start.
