Upcoming COCA Call: Disaster/Emergency Preparedness For Clinicians

Credit CDC

 

 

# 9827

 

We’ve been fortunate the past few years that we’ve not seen a major natural disaster, terrorist attack, industrial accident, or epidemic outbreak seriously stress our medical delivery system. 

The United States hasn’t seen a major (CAT 3+) landfalling hurricane in almost a decade, we’ve seen reduced tornado activity for the past three years, and we thankfully haven’t seen a really serious earthquake in more than 20 years. 

But like all lucky streaks, this one will end at some point.  And so the CDC is putting together two programs this month (see yesterday’s blog CDC Grand Rounds: Childhood Emergency Preparedness – March 17th) designed to help clinicians prepare for dealing with disasters, triage issues, and patient surge scenarios.

 

On Thursday, March 26, 2015 at 2:00pm EST, the CDC will hold a COCA call on disaster and emergency preparedness for clinicians.

 

While primarily of interest to healthcare providers, COCA (Clinician Outreach Communication Activity) calls are designed to ensure that practitioners have up-to-date information for their practices.  The audio from these calls are posted several days after they are held.  You can access COCA calls going back to 2012 at this link.

 

 

 

Emergency Preparedness for Clinicians - From Guidelines to the Front Line

  = Free Continuing Education

Date:Thursday, March 26, 2015

Time:2:00 – 3:00 PM (Eastern Time)

Participate by Phone:

• 888-323-9813 (U.S. Callers)
• 212-547-0291 (International Callers)

Passcode:3257688

Participate by Webinar:https://www.mymeetings.com/nc/join.php?i=PW1955511&p=3257688&t=c

Presenter(s)

Michael D. Christian, MD, MSc
Chief Safety Officer
Vice Chair, Disaster Network
Niagara Health System

Niranjan (Tex) Kissoon, MD, FRCPC, FAAP, MCCM, FACPE
Vice President, Medical Affairs
BC Children’s Hospital
Professor, Pediatric and Surgery
University of British Columbia
Vancouver, BC

Lewis Rubinson, MD, PhD, FCCP
Associate Professor
University of Maryland School of Medicine
Director of the Critical Care Resuscitation Unit
R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center

Timothy Uyeki, MD, MPH, MPP
Chief Medical Officer
Influenza Division
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
Clinical Team Lead, Ebola Response
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Overview

Natural disasters, industrial accidents, terrorism attacks, and pandemics all have the capacity to result in large numbers of critically ill or injured patients. A barrage of patients with various clinical needs can quickly exhaust the care delivery capacity of a healthcare system. It is important for clinicians to have a disaster response plan that addresses approaches to maintaining quality care during times of patient surge and resource scarcity. During this COCA Call, participants will learn about the series of suggestions that focus on the management of multiple critically ill patients during a disaster or pandemic, and the importance of collaboration among front-line clinicians, hospital administrators, professional societies, and public health or government officials.

Objectives

At the conclusion of the session, the participant will be able to accomplish the following:

• Outline the five main levels of disaster preparedness and response from the American College of Chest Physicians’ Guidelines for Care of the Critically Ill and Injured during Pandemics and Disasters
• Discuss the importance of pediatric emergency preparedness for both pediatric and non-pediatric providers
• Identify key lessons learned from the recent Ebola outbreak for improving emergency preparedness in North American
• Describe ways clinicians and public health practitioners can collaborate to respond to disasters and pandemics

Additional Resources

• October 2014; 146(4_suppl) Care of the Critically Ill and Injured During Pandemics and Disasters: CHEST Consensus Statement

WHO Sets Up Emergency Committee On MERS-CoV

Coronavirus – Credit CDC PHIL

 

 

# 7449

 

Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO Assistant Director-General for Health Security and the Environment at the World Health Organization, held a press conference today where he announced the formation of an emergency committee to prepare for a possible escalation of the MERS-CoV threat.

 

This would seem to be part of a prudent and measured response rather than a reaction to any new or specific event.

 

An audio of the announcement and press conference should be available later today (UPDATED: Audio Link), but for now we have a brief announcement on the WHO web site, and a short report from Reuters.

 

 

WHO sets up emergency committee on MERS virus

GENEVA | Fri Jul 5, 2013 4:30pm IST (Reuters) -

(EXCERPT)

Fukuda said there was currently no emergency or pandemic but the experts would advise on how to tackle the disease if the number of cases suddenly grows.

(Reporting by Tom Miles; Editing by Kevin Liffey)

 

 

If more details emerge later today, I’ll update this post or add a new one.

MERS: Singapore MOH Puts Quarantine Chalets On Standby

 

 

 

# 7379

 

 

Singapore, which already issued warnings to travelers planning to visit the Middle East last month (see MERS-CoV: Singapore Issues Umrah Health Advisory) has set aside eight chalets at a local resort to be used as quarantine housing for anyone suspected of being exposed to the MERS coronavirus.

 

Singapore was one of those areas very hard hit by SARS ten years ago, and they were among the first countries to implement quarantine measures.

 

First a statement by Singapore’s Ministry of Health, then I’ll be back with some background on how quarantine was used (successfully) with SARS a decade ago to contain the virus.

 

STRENGTHENING PREPAREDNESS FOR EMERGING INFECTIOUS DISEASES

Strengthening preparedness for emerging infectious diseases

As at 7 Jun 2013, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has reported a total of 55 confirmed cases of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) worldwide, since the disease was first reported in September 2012.

 

There are currently no cases of MERS-CoV in Singapore. The risk of an outbreak in Singapore remains low.  However, given today’s globalised travel patterns, the Government remains vigilant and is stepping up its operational readiness in the event of an imported case.

 

As a precautionary measure, the Government will put on standby the Home Team NS (HTNS) Pasir Ris Chalets as possible quarantine housing from 17 June 2013 (Monday) at 1.00pm. This is to ensure that quarantine facilities can be deployed at short notice to safeguard public health, if the need arises.

 

Options Available to Members to Minimise Inconvenience

HTNS members who have made prior bookings at the chalets may continue with their holiday plans at the HTNS Pasir Ris Chalets or opt to cancel their bookings. Instead of outright cancellation of bookings, these voluntary options minimise inconveniences. The public can continue with their holiday plans at the chalet until the time comes for the chalets to be activated as quarantine facilities

 

When the facility is activated to house the persons served with the Quarantine Order – Persons Under Quarantine (PUQ), chalet occupiers will be requested to check-out of the chalets within 3 hours upon receiving the notice, which will be served between 8.30am to 6.00pm. They will be given a full refund of their booking fee and vouchers worth $100, as a gesture of goodwill.

 

For HTNS members who prefer to make alternative holiday plans, they may  opt to cancel their bookings for chalets booked on or after 17 June 2013. They will be similarly given a full refund of the booking fee and a $100 voucher, as a gesture of goodwill.

 

HTNS will contact all affected members. We seek the understanding of families who have made prior bookings at the HTNS Pasir Ris chalets.

 

Capacity at the HTNS Pasir Ris Chalets

 

Should HTNS Pasir Ris Chalets be activated as a Government Quarantine Facility (GQF), seven of the eight units will serve as quarantine housing with the remaining unit functioning as the operations centre. 21 persons can be quarantined under this arrangement.

 

The Government will continue to monitor developments and stands ready to respond to any evolving situation to safeguard the public health of all people in Singapore.

 

For more information, please visit the webpage www.e101.gov.sg/mers-cov.

 

 

Although the terms are often used interchangeably by the public, the CDC sums up the difference between quarantine and isolation this way:

 

• Isolation applies to persons who are known to be ill with a contagious disease.
• Quarantine applies to those who have been exposed to a contagious disease but who may or may not become ill.

So presumably, these chalets would be used for people who have been exposed to a MERS infected person, but are not yet symptomatic (or only mildly so).

 

Earlier this year, in EID Journal: A Brief History Of Quarantine, I wrote about the use of quarantine and isolation with the 2003 SARS outbreak:

 

During the 2003 SARS epidemic, Isolation was used in the United States for patients who were ill, but since transmission of the virus was very limited here, quarantine was not recommended for those exposed (cite).

 

In other countries, where transmission risks were greater, quarantines were used – quite successfully – in order to contain the virus.

 

• Singapore was one of the first countries to mandate quarantines when more than 800 family members of SARS patients were ordered to stay in their homes. 
• Hong Kong sealed part of the Amoy Gardens Apartment complex after scores of cases erupted there, and later moved all remaining residents to two holiday camps where they were quarantined.
• And Toronto, Canada closed schools and quarantined thousands in their bid to contain the virus (see The SARS Experience In Ontario, Canada).

The graph below shows two distinct phases of disease transmission in Canada, both apparently dampened by the implementation of quarantines.

While the aggressiveness of quarantine measures taken in Toronto have been criticized by some (see Severe acute respiratory syndrome: Did quarantine help?), many experts have stated that quarantining those exposed (usually in their own homes) helped to halt the epidemic.

 

A 2003 MMWR report from China’s CDC, called Efficiency of quarantine during an epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome--Beijing, China, 2003 found:

The use of quarantine, in combination with enhanced surveillance, isolation of SARS patients, and comprehensive use of PPE by health-care workers, appears to have been effective in controlling the recent epidemic of SARS in Beijing.

 

Limiting quarantine to persons who have contact with an actively ill SARS patient will likely improve the efficiency of quarantine and allow for better focus of resources in future outbreaks.

 

While unlikely to be popular among those caught up in one - particularly early in an outbreak - quarantines may be one of the most effective tools that public health officials have in their arsenal.

 

That said, the value of quarantines tends to diminish quickly as the number of cases, and geographic spread of a disease, increases.

China Terminates H7N9 Emergency Response

H7N9 Affected areas – Credit Laidback Al FluTrackers

 

# 7343

 

Two months and 130+ cases after we first learned of the emerging H7N9 virus (see More Details Emerge On Shanghai H7N9 Case), China today has announced the termination of their emergency response to the H7N9 outbreak.

 

Only one new case has been reported in recent weeks (see  Beijing Reports 2nd H7N9 Case), a dramatic drop in cases which has been attributed to the closing of live markets and the return of warmer weather.

 

Few experts believe the virus has gone for good, however, and many have deep concerns it will return once live markets are reopened, or when cooler temperatures return in the fall.

 

So two reports this morning. 

 

First, the announcement of the end of the emergency response, followed by a statement from the Chinese CDC warning of the dangers of re-opening live markets.

 

H7N9 emergency response program ends

Updated: 2013-05-31 10:43

( chinadaily.com.cn)

All areas affected by the H7N9 bird flu have ended emergency responses as of May 28, xinhuanet.com reported.

 

The epidemic will be under routine monitoring as it has been deemed controllable and there has been no evidence of human-to-human transmission, the report said.

 

The Chinese mainland reported 130 confirmed H7N9 cases as of May 27, of which 36 ended in death.

 

The first case of human infection of H7N9 virus was announced in Shanghai on March 31, with 10 provinces and cities reporting cases in the following two months.

 

Shanghai was also the first city to call off the emergency response, on May 10, and Zhoukou city in Central China's Henan province was the last.

 

 

This next article is machine translated, and is slightly syntax-challenged.

 

Chinese CDC experts: do not advocate live poultry markets open

May 31, 2013 07:23:00
Source: China News Network

Original title: China CDC epidemiologist: do not advocate live poultry markets open

BEIJING, Suzhou, May 30 (Reporter Wu pupil) in recent days, some farmers market in Suzhou city of live poultry stalls have opened, but was immediately ordered to stop trading the local business sector. 30, China CDC epidemiologist Zeng Guang, chief expert came to Suzhou, the city's disease control and medical personnel to carry out the lecture. Turning to whether to suspend the live poultry trade liberalization, the experts made it clear that not support it.

 

Beijing health authorities 28 Nisshin confirmed case of human H7N9 avian influenza infection, the discovery of the confirmed case patient was a 6-year-old boy. People have been previously rumored, H7N9 avian influenza virus in the summer may die. Zeng Guang said that at present, H7N9 virus transmission is not clear, but for cooked chicken, ducks and other poultry products do not need to panic.

 

Speaking of whether you want to pause live poultry trade liberalization, the experts made it clear that not support it. "Open live poultry market, I do not advocate." Zeng said.

 

Zeng Guang, also introduced in the world, live poultry market in the country, are very few in the country. "They are duck, designed duck, chicken, special chicken, it's not coming from the retail feeding. Kill, do not kill their own people, in the professional protection, the central slaughtering, because in the recycling process, prone to mutation . "

 

Affected by avian influenza, Suzhou since April 8 banned live poultry trade, has not been lifted

 

 

There are strong cultural and economic factors at work here, and so it remains to be seen how long, and how effectively, authorities can keep live markets closed in Eastern China.

 

While the news out of China has slowed, the World Health Organization, in their H7N9 GAR Update of two days ago, warned:

 

Until the source of infection has been identified and controlled, it is expected that there will be further cases of human infection with the virus.

 

All of which suggests that while cases may be few and far between in the short run, the threat posed by the virus has not disappeared.

Public Health Practices (PHP) Update

 

# 6785

 

 

Every few months I try to highlight the Public Health Practices project (formerly Promising Practices), a freely accessible repository of public health tools and strategies, sponsored by CIDRAP at the University of Minnesota, in partnership with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO).

 

Over the past two years Public Health Practices has broadened its original scope to include more than just pandemic response. You’ll find tools and practices that cover a wide range of public health concerns, including chemical, radiological, and natural disasters.

 

 

In addition to the constantly expanding website, there is also a monthly email newsletter you can sign up for.

 

This continually expanding site includes:

• More than 400 public health practices in 9 categories of emergency preparedness and disaster response from state and local health agencies, community-based organizations, and colleges and universities.

• In-depth stories on how state and local projects were created, communications materials in more than 40 languages, and tools like job action sheets and media campaigns.

• Expert reviewers' commentary on a practice's effectiveness, reach, sustainability, feasibility, and transferability. Please note: expert review is only available for a select number of practices.

• A regular e-newsletter featuring our newest practices and other updates from the CIDRAP Public Health Practices staff.

• The ability to search for practices based on geography, available languages, and key topics in preparedness and response.

Recent additions to the practices database include:

 

Recent Practices

2012 Dec 12

Community Reception Center exercise tests Florida’s radiological screening and decontamination process

State and local health departments across the country have been planning to address radiological threats, whether accidental (eg, incidents at nearby nuclear power plants) or manmade (eg,...

2012 Oct 16

Michigan integrates disaster preparedness curriculum into school health program

Disaster preparedness at the family level has been the focus of many public health agencies' communications campaigns. Recent collaborations between health agencies and school districts have...

2012 Oct 16

Social media training program builds responders' comfort with and ability to use Facebook and Twitter for emergency communications

Social media is used increasingly to alert, update, or provide recommendations to the public during emergencies. A 2011 American Red Cross (ARC) survey found that the Internet is the third most...

2012 Sep 17

Toolkit adapts infectious disease emergency response plan for local health departments

In 2006, the San Francisco Department of Public Health (SFDPH) compiled its Infectious Disease Emergency Response (IDER) plan. The IDER plan described how to integrate local emergency management and...

2012 Sep 17

Dispense Assist online screening system helps Kansas county improve POD throughput, serve vulnerable populations

More than 70 US cities participate in the Cities Readiness Initiative (CRI), which is funded by CDC to develop programs that ensure medication is available to a city's entire population within 48...

 

Whether you are looking for a specific solution, or simply looking for muse to inspire your organization’s emergency preparedness efforts, visiting Public Health Practices – and returning often – will likely pay tremendous dividends.

 

Highly recommended.

OCHA: Yesterday’s Tsunami Alert Response Timeline

 

 

# 6277

 

 

Yesterday’s 8.6 magnitude earthquake off the northern shore of Sumatra did not end up generating a devastating tsunami, but that bit of good fortune wasn’t apparent until several hours after the event.

 

For a time vulnerable coastal regions across the Indian ocean were under a tsunami watch, and evacuations were ordered in some areas.

 

Below you’ll find a graphic from OCHA (the United Nation’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), showing the alert response across the Indian ocean.

 

The timeline, showing the first quake and warnings, followed 2 hours later by a second 8.2 quake, are excerpted below.

 

 

 

After the tremendous earthquake and tsunami that devastated many coastal regions across the Indian ocean in 2005, tsunami warnings and preparedness have been taken far more seriously.

 

Last year’s earthquake/tsunami in Japan only reinforced the need for timely warnings and evacuations. 

 

For the most up-to-date tsunami information for the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and the Caribbean you will want to bookmark the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center.

 

 

As you can see, yesterday’s Sumatran earthquake have now slipped to positions 3 & 4, with 2 strong quakes in Baja California overnight. 

 

Neither of these most recent quakes produced a tidal wave.

 

For more on tsunami preparedness, you may wish to revisit a blog from last month called Tsunami: The Other Coastal Threat.

There I wrote about the history of tsunamis that have struck along the Atlantic coastline, and provided information and links for National Tsunami Preparedness Week.

 

 

As I wrote last month . . .

 

Tsunamis are relatively rare, but they are just one of many potential threats, which is why most experts recommend an `all threats’ preparedness strategy.

 

Disasters happen.

 

And so you need to have adequate emergency supplies (including a good first aid kit), a NOAA weather radio, and a disaster plan, in order to give you and your family the best protection.

 

Good places to get preparedness information include:

 

FEMA http://www.fema.gov/index.shtm

READY.GOV http://www.ready.gov/

AMERICAN RED CROSS

http://www.redcross.org/

 

And you can click the following link to search this blog for my PREPAREDNESS ESSAYS.

Reminder: Don’t Stress, It’s Only A Test

 

 

# 5947

 

Photo Credit – FCC

 

A little over a week ago (see Nationwide Test Of Emergency Alert System (EAS) On Nov 9th) I wrote about the upcoming test of the National Emergency Alert System.

Since that time, the length of the test has been reduced to approximately 30 seconds.

 

FEMA, which will spearhead this nationwide test, wants everyone to know – in advance – that the test messages to be issued on November 9th are just a test.

 

Details are available on the FEMA website at Nationwide Test of the Emergency Alert System (Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 PM EST), but the key points they would like to stress are:

 

• It will be conducted Wednesday, November 9 at 2:00 PM EST.
• It will be transmitted via television and radio stations within the U.S., including Alaska, Hawaii, the territories of Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and American Samoa.
• Similar to local emergency alert system tests, an audio message will interrupt television and radio programming indicating: “This is a test.”
• When the test is over, regular programming will resume.
• For additional questions, visit the FAQ’s page and the FCC EAS Test page.

 

 

For those of you on twitter, I would also suggest you follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, and @ReadydotGov for the latest Emergency information.

Nationwide Test Of Emergency Alert System (EAS) On Nov 9th

 

FEMA Director Craig Fugate - Photo Credit FEMA

# 5929

 

 

On November 9th of this year, at 2:00pm Eastern Time, FEMA, along with partners NOAA and the FCC, will conduct the first ever nation-wide test of the Emergency Alert System (EAS).

 

The EAS can be activated in the event of a national emergency by the President of The United States, and on a more localized level by the NWS to issue severe storm warnings, and by state governors and local emergency managers for more geographically limited emergencies.

 

Although those of us who grew up during the cold war are well familiar with early CONELRAD and later EBS alerts, we have become a `wired’ nation, and no longer depend primarily on over-the-air radio and TV broadcasts.

 

With newer technologies such as satellite TV,  cable TV, satellite Radio, etc. the task of alerting the nation during a crisis has grown considerably more complex. Telling people to turn to 640 or 1240 on their AM dial in the event of an emergency doesn’t cut it anymore.

 

Hence a need to test the system on a nationwide basis.

 

FEMA, which will spearhead this nationwide test, wants everyone to know – in advance – that the test messages to be issued on November 9th are just a test.

 

To that end, they have released a short video that will help to explain exactly what you may hear or see during this upcoming test.

 

 

For more on all of this, I would invite you to visit the FEMA BLOG.

 

FEMA Blog

October 28, 2011

Help Us Spread the Word – On November 9, “This is Just a Test”

Published by: Public Affairs

Over the past few months, we have written on this blog about the upcoming nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, which is now less than two weeks away. The test will take place on Wednesday, November 9th at 2:00 pm eastern standard time, and will be the first time this system, which is often tested and used by officials at the local level, will be tested across the entire country.

(Continue. . . )

For those of you on twitter, I would also suggest you follow @FEMA, @CraigatFEMA, and @ReadydotGov for the latest Emergency information.

FEMA: Timeline Of Response To Southern Storms

 

 

# 5537

 

NOAA Tornado Tracks & Imagery

 

It has been seven days since the devastating round of severe weather moved through Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, leaving behind hundreds of fatalities, thousands of injuries, and tens of thousands in need. 

 

FEMA, along with other local, state, and national agencies, have been on the ground providing assistance for a solid week.  

 

They are ably assisted by organizations like the American Red Cross and the Salvation Army, along with other voluntary and faith-based organizations who are providing meals, shelter and other relief supplies.

 

Late yesterday FEMA released a timeline of the joint response to this disaster, which may be viewed at:

 

Southern Storms: Overview Of Recovery And Support Efforts By FEMA, The Federal Government, And Our Partners

Release Date: May 3, 2011
Release Number: HQ-11-58

» More Information on Alabama Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Flooding

» More Information on Georgia Severe Storms, Tornadoes, Straight-line Winds, and Associated Flooding

 

*Since the deadly tornadoes first struck parts of the country last week, the federal government has been in constant contact with all of the impacted states as they responded to and began recovery efforts from these devastating storms. At the request of the respective governors, FEMA currently has personnel on the ground in Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Mississippi, Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, and commodities strategically pre-positioned in the region to support the states. The following timeline provides an overview of these and other federal activities, to date, to support the impacted states, families and communities.*

(Continue . . . )

A Round Up of Reports On Fukushima Reactor Response

 

 

# 5403

 

This morning a brief listing of news stories surrounding the ongoing crises at the Fukushima nuclear plant as provided by NKH World News .

 

 

Attempts to douse the overheating reactors with water ferried in by helicopter abandoned due to high levels of radioactivity.

 

 

 

SDF gives up on dousing No.3 reactor

Japan's Self-Defense Forces have postponed a mission to dump water by helicopter on the No.3 reactor at Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, because radiation above the facility has climbed too high for such work.

 

White plumes started rising from the reactor on Wednesday morning. Tokyo Electric Power Company says the vapor was steam caused by water evaporating from the reactor's storage pool for spent fuel rods, which is heating up.

 

In an effort to avert the fuel rods' exposure, a Self Defense Force CH47 helicopter took off from the Sendai base hauling a large container of water on Wednesday afternoon.

 

But the plan was aborted after radiation levels above the plant were found to have largely exceeded 50 millisieverts -- the maximum permissible for SDF personnel on a mission.

 

 

Meanwhile, the emergency radiation monitoring and forecasting system, put in place as a public safety measure in the areas surrounding Japan’s nuclear power plants, is apparently inoperative due to quake damage.

 

Radioactivity forecast system down

A computer system that forecasts the spread of radioactivity has not been working due to malfunctioning monitoring posts around a troubled nuclear power plant in quake-hit Fukushima Prefecture.

 

The Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency says it does not know when the system will be back in operation.

 

The system, called SPEEDI, predicts how radioactive substances will spread in case of radiation leakage from nuclear power plants, based on measurements taken at various locations, prevailing winds and other weather conditions.
SPEEDI data are intended to be used to draw up evacuation plans for residents around power plants in case of accidents.

 

The system is monitored at government offices, including the industry ministry and the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency in Tokyo.

 

 

And lastly, Cabinet Secretary Edano is reassuring people who live at least 20 km away from the Fukushima nuclear plant that radiation levels at this point pose no health risk.

 

Edano:No health risk 20km away from plant

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yukio Edano says the level of radiation detected about 20 kilometers from the quake-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant does not pose an immediate health risk.

 

Edano was referring to a maximum radiation level of 0.33 millisieverts per hour detected by Japan's science ministry on Tuesday evening.

 

He told reporters on Wednesday that this level of radiation would not have a negative effect on human health even if one worked outdoors in the area for a period of several days.

(Continue. . . )

Twitter Volunteers Translate Emergency Manual

 

 

# 5402

 

http://nip0.wordpress.com/

 

While there may be some who doubt the value and intentions of social media during a crisis, students from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies have used the power of Twitter to enlist the aid of dozens of volunteers to translate an online earthquake help page/manual into more than two dozen different languages.

 

The ABOUT section of the webpage states:

 

This project started from just one TUFS university student from statement on Twitter. Since the magic of twitter, a large number of people turned into strong supporters who built up number of teams to make all the translation, more than 24 languages.

 

While this manual won’t win any prose awards (it is basically a list of items, resources and advice), it does provide a quick reference for those trapped in the midst of a major disaster.

 

This report from Antara News.

 

Volunteers translate quake manual to 31 languages for non-Japanese

 

Wed, March 16 2011 16:34 | 95 Views

Tokyo (ANTARA News/Kyodo-OANA) - An emergency online earthquake manual has been translated into 31 languages as of Wednesday afternoon by Japanese volunteers to support non-Japanese living in Japan in the wake of Friday`s magnitude 9.0 quake.

 

The manual, called ``Japan earthquake: How to protect yourself`` in English, lists practical advice, such as ``move to higher ground if you are near the ocean,`` and how to use emergency message services, as well as goods that should be kept in stock to prepare for an earthquake.

 

The languages include those spoken by small groups in Japan, such as Burmese and Latvian, as well as German, French, Chinese and Korean.

 

Translation volunteers gathered in a wink in response to a request made via Twitter by students from the Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, they said.