(UPDATED)
# 2585
Since a pandemic could could last for months, or come in waves over a year or longer, it is imperative that we find ways for people to function and work in a pandemic environment.
One of the ways being touted is to observe social distancing rules, keeping at least 1 meter (3 feet) away from other people when out in public. This assumes that people who are obviously sick, stay home.
Three feet of separation is thought in Japan to be a safe margin. Some US agencies have indicated that 6 feet of separation may be prudent. But of course, no one really knows.
On OSHA's Influenza Pandemic page, they state:
- Employees should avoid close contact with their coworkers and customers (maintain a separation of at least 6 feet). They should avoid shaking hands and always wash their hands after contact with others.
Six feet is probably safer than 3 feet, but may not be possible in some situations.
Since many people use commuter trains, subways, and busses to get to work, officials naturally want to know how many people they can safely carry and still observe the `three foot rule' of separation.
Today in Japan, they ran a test to find out. The answer?
20% of normal capacity.
This would obviously put one heck of a crimp in the ability of people to commute to work. It has been suggested that employers stagger their employee's work hours in order to take some of the load off commuter transport systems.
A Hat tip to Shiloh on Flutrackers for this story from the Yomiuri Shimbun
Train tests held over outbreak of flu strain
The Yomiuri Shimbun(Dec. 23, 2008)
The Construction and Transport Ministry's Policy Research Institute conducted tests Monday to verify the number of passengers a railway car can safely carry following the outbreak of a new influenza strain in the country.
According to a ministry official, the tests conducted at Tokyo Metro Co.'s Takenotsuka railway depot in Adachi Ward, Tokyo, were to establish a limit on the number of passengers that could commute during rush hour periods without exacerbating the spread of the disease. It was established that a minimum distance of one meter between passengers would be necessary to prevent airborne infection due to coughing or sneezing.
Based on these findings, the research institute calculated that rush hour carriages should be reduced to 20 percent capacity to maintain the requisite distance between commuters.
In order to verify the test results, about 20 institute staff donned masks and took part in tests that involved boarding, sitting down and alighting from the train while maintaining a distance of more than one meter from each other. Officials from the institute were thus able to confirm the maximum number of passengers per railway car and the time needed to get on and off the train.
The ministry is considering using residential surveys, among other methods, to determine the necessary number of trains that would be required in the event of an influenza outbreak, and whether or not to limit the number of passengers per train.
UPDATE
Not content with just posting one story about today's test in Japan, Shiloh has a second story, this time from the Japan Times. Thanks, Shiloh.
Flu epidemic measures tested on train riders
Kyodo News
A research institute for the transport ministry conducted a test Monday on how far apart passengers should be while riding on commuter trains in the event of a new type of influenza outbreak.
Safe distance: In a test of passenger control steps to be taken during a possible flu epidemic, officials from a labor ministry research institute measure the distance between mask-wearing subjects in Adachi Ward, Tokyo, on Monday. KYODO PHOTO
According to the Policy Research Institute for the Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism Ministry, passengers would be required to keep a distance of 1 to 2 meters to prevent the infection spreading by coughs or sneezes.
Thirty people from the institute participated in the test on a Tokyo Metro train in Adachi Ward and examined whether train officials with megaphones can smoothly instruct passengers to get on and off the train and to maintain the required distance while sitting.
The government estimates as many as 640,000 people in Japan could die if a new type of influenza breaks out, as it takes about six months to develop a vaccine.
If there is a danger of an epidemic, the government plans to ask public transportation companies to take measures to ease congestion or cancel their services altogether.
