Advance Planning - The Basics of Pandemic Preparation

Having a plan for a potential pandemic is important. Making decisions under great stress might cause you to do the wrong thing, but if you have a game plan already mapped out, you won't hesitate. Talk over pandemic preparations with work, family, church and school. Raise awareness about the possibilities.

Infection Control

While there has not been a pandemic in almost half a century, many doctors and scientists feel that it is only a matter of time. Great strides have been made in various diseases but viruses that cause the flu as well as bacterial infections are on the rise irregardless. Because a pandemic can have a huge impact on local government, work, school, food supply and more, you should have a good idea of how to prepare and wait a pandemic out. Take a look at some of the steps you should take:

1.  Create a plan! Having a plan for a potential pandemic is important. Making decisions under great stress might cause you to do the wrong thing, but if you have a game plan already mapped out, you won't hesitate. Talk over pandemic preparations with work, family, church and school. Raise awareness about the possibilities.

2.  Make sure that you will be able to stay in communication and know what is going on in the news. Stock up on batteries for radios and if possible, purchase a generator or some alternate form of power. If you can make sure that your telephones will stay functional too. Touch base with neighbors, friends and family so that everyone knows what is going on.

3.  You should be prepared with the proper precautionary equipment and measures to prevent illness in your own family. Have masks ready to wear as well as disposable gloves and even goggles and gowns if necessary. Practice good hygiene with hand washing and sneezing and coughing into tissues.

Buy disinfectants to treat the hard surfaces in your home that could harbor viruses and bacteria. Stock up on hand sanitizer for those times when water is not accessible. Make sure that you also have bleach handy to decontaminate other items and surfaces as needed. Also don't forget trash bags! When you have to throw out disposable gloves or anything else that might be contaminated, you will want plenty of bags to throw these things away to prevent the spread of infection.

4.  Create a handy, portable first aid kit that can get you through a pandemic. Over the counter diarrhea, cold and flu remedies are important as are electrolyte drinks to replenish any lost salt due to dehydration in your body. Get the flu shot too. While it won't prevent a pandemic flu, it will prevent any flu illness from being overwhelming.

Health And Safety As with most insect repellants, you must reapply periodically to ensure their effectiveness. Always follow the directions as indicated on the labels. Infection Control Nursing

Invest in a first aid kit with bandages, pain relievers and more. Also, make sure that you stock up on any prescription medications you need for the duration of the pandemic. Make plans for at least two months just to be on the safe side.

5.  Stock up on drinking water, especially if you rely on city water services. If you have well water or alternate sources, you will want to boil your water to kill germs or treat the water with chemical disinfectants to make the water potable. These chemical agents can be found in camping and outdoor stores predominantly.

6.  Realize that transportation may become a problem. Therefore, try and stock up and plan ahead for all your food, water and health needs. You may or may not be able to fill up with gas and roads could be closed during the pandemic. Talk with your child's school as well as your workplace to arrange a way to school and work from home in the event of a pandemic.

The six steps above are just a few of the many things to contemplate when faced with a possible pandemic. Who knows? This may never happen but it is always helpful to be prepared and feel secure with yourself that you have a workable plan to see you and your family through a difficult time.

Latest News Regarding Infection Control ?

07/24/2008
CMV infections affect more than just patients with compromised immune systems, researchers find (EurekAlert!)
An infection due to a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV), which most commonly affects people with compromised immune systems, can also affect hospital intensive-care patients who have no immune-system problems, University of Washington researchers have found.

CMV infections affect more than just patients with compromised immune systems, researchers find (EurekAlert!)

07/24/2008
Hospital C. diff reporting will help Ont. better deal with disease: experts (C-Health)
TORONTO - Ontario is gearing up to roll out its new provincewide hospital program aimed at determining the rates of infection for Clostridium difficile, a so-called superbug that is posing a growing threat to patient safety across Canada.

Hospital C. diff reporting will help Ont. better deal with disease: experts (C-Health)

07/24/2008
High School Wrestler Dies From Staph Infection (FOX 40 Sacramento)
DOWNEY — A high school wrestler died from complications of a drug-resistant staph infection and a teammate was being treated for the illness. Noah Armendariz, 17, died Sunday at Children's Hospital of Orange County from methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

High School Wrestler Dies From Staph Infection (FOX 40 Sacramento)

07/24/2008
On National Patient Safety Day, The Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths Calls on the CDC to Make Every Death Count (PR Newswire via Yahoo! News)
On Friday, July 25th grieving families and patient advocates across the nation will hold candlelight vigils and gather for moments of silence in memory of loved ones who died from hospital infections. We share their pain and outrage, says Betsy McCaughey, Ph.D. Chairman of the Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths and a former Lt. Governor of New York State. The government agency responsible for ...

On National Patient Safety Day, The Committee to Reduce Infection Deaths Calls on the CDC to Make Every Death Count (PR Newswire via Yahoo! News)

07/24/2008
CMV infections affect more than just patients with compromised immune systems, researchers find (EurekAlert!)
An infection due to a virus called cytomegalovirus (CMV), which most commonly affects people with compromised immune systems, can also affect hospital intensive-care patients who have no immune-system problems, University of Washington researchers have found.

CMV infections affect more than just patients with compromised immune systems, researchers find (EurekAlert!)

07/23/2008
High TB Rates in Immigrants Highlight Need for Better US Infection Control, CDC Study Says (InteliHealth)
CHICAGO (AP) -- Tuberculosis cases continue to fall in the United States, but some immigrants have disturbingly high rates of the disease, according to a study released Tuesday that called for more aggressive action.

High TB Rates in Immigrants Highlight Need for Better US Infection Control, CDC Study Says (InteliHealth)