Download or read book Employer Preparedness for Pandemic Influenza written by Jennifer Alice Lachance and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Pandemic influenza is currently one of the most visible public health threats of concern to the general public, and private businesses are an important part of pandemic preparedness. The health of communities is affected by the local economy, which is driven by the businesses in that economy. To date, public health authorities' efforts to engage businesses in pandemic influenza preparedness efforts have justified preparedness based on potential losses due to future, uncertain threats. However, this approach has not successfully engaged businesses on a broad scale. This dissertation proposes that a more effective way to engage the private sector may be to shift the conversation away from justifying preparedness only as a long-term insurance strategy and toward justifying it as an investment strategy with short-term benefits such as improved employee health during interpandemic cold and influenza seasons. The viability and acceptability of this new approach are explored here via three distinct but complementary studies using both quantitative and qualitative methods. The first study, a prospective observational cohort study, examined the individual characteristics and situations that predicted changes in hand and respiratory hygiene and social distancing behaviors among university students during an interpandemic cold and influenza season. This analysis reveals that individuals have higher adherence to behaviors in situations such as when they are ill. Additionally, some individual characteristics predict higher behavior adherence. In particular, individuals who perceive peer expectations concerning adherence to hygiene behaviors tend to have better adherence to those behaviors over the course of a cold and influenza season. The second study, a cost-effectiveness analysis of a hand and respiratory hygiene intervention among university students, assessed whether an intervention could be cost-effective in reducing influenza-like illness and associated time lost from productive activities during an interpandemic cold and influenza season. This analysis finds that hand and respiratory hygiene interventions can be cost-effective and may even become cost-saving during a severe cold and influenza season, especially using group-level interventions that may create peer expectations to influence behaviors. Finally, the third study, an exploratory analysis based on key informant interviews with private sector business continuity managers, consultants, and public sector planners, examined private sector preparedness for pandemic influenza. This analysis assessed the key components of employer pandemic influenza preparedness plans, including whether short-term benefits are a consideration in business planning. The results indicate that the most important components of private sector pandemic influenza plans before and during the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic included communications and employee education around hygiene behaviors. Participants further identified that implementation of these initiatives during interpandemic cold and influenza seasons is of interest to organizations due to potential short-term and long-term benefits. These results together provide evidence that education and provision of materials for hygiene behaviors at a group level can be cost-effective in reducing influenza-like illnesses during interpandemic cold and influenza seasons and are an acceptable strategy to the private sector. This provides a basis for the hypothesis that employer preparedness for public health events such as pandemic influenza can be justified as a short-term business investment strategy rather than only as a long-term insurance strategy.
Download or read book Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 106 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers written by and published by . This book was released on 2007 with total page 99 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The goal of this document is to help healthcare workers and employers prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. The guidance document is organized into four major sections: clinical background information on influenza, infection control, pandemic influenza preparedness, OSHA standards of special importance.
Download or read book Pandemic Influenza Family Preparedness Study written by Phoenix Strategic Perspectives Inc and published by PHAC. This book was released on 2006 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers written by U.S. Department of Labor and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-03-19 with total page 104 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity, and for which there is no vaccine. The disease spreads easily person-to-person, causes serious illness, and can sweep across the country and around the world in a very short time. It is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be. Wherever and whenever a pandemic starts, everyone around the world is at risk. Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel restrictions, delay arrival of the virus, but they cannot stop it. An especially severe influenza pandemic could lead to high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts can range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery. A substantial percentage of the world's population will require some form of medical care. Healthcare facilities can be overwhelmed, creating a shortage of hospital staff, beds, ventilators and other supplies. Surge capacity at non-traditional sites such as schools may need to be created to cope with the demand. It is expected that such an event will quickly overwhelm the healthcare system locally, regionally, and nationally.4 An increased number of sick individuals will seek healthcare services. In addition, the number of healthcare workers available to respond to these increased demands will be reduced by illness rates similar to pandemic influenza attack rates affecting the rest of the population. Finally, healthcare workers and healthcare resources will also be expected to continue to meet non-pandemic associated healthcare needs. Collaboration with state and federal partners is vital to ensure that healthcare workers are adequately protected during an influenza pandemic. The goal of this document is to help healthcare workers and employers prepare for and respond to an influenza pandemic. The guidance document is organized into four major sections: Clinical background information on influenza; Infection control; Pandemic influenza preparedness; OSHA standards of special importance.
Download or read book Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response written by World Health Organization and published by World Health Organization. This book was released on 2009 with total page 62 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This guidance is an update of WHO global influenza preparedness plan: the role of WHO and recommendations for national measures before and during pandemics, published March 2005 (WHO/CDS/CSR/GIP/2005.5).
Download or read book Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Guidance for Healthcare Workers and Healthcare Employers written by U. S. Labor and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2012-06-22 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: OSHA 3328-05R. A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. A flu pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which people have little or no immunity, and for which there is no vaccine. The disease spreads easily person-to-person, causes serious illness, and can sweep across the country and around the world in a very short time. It is difficult to predict when the next influenza pandemic will occur or how severe it will be. Wherever and whenever a pandemic starts, everyone around the world is at risk. Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel restrictions, delay arrival of the virus, but they cannot stop it. An especially severe influenza pandemic could lead to high levels of illness, death, social disruption, and economic loss. Everyday life would be disrupted because so many people in so many places become seriously ill at the same time. Impacts can range from school and business closings to the interruption of basic services such as public transportation and food delivery. An influenza pandemic is projected to have a global impact on morbidity and mortality, thus requiring a sustained, large-scale response from the healthcare community. The 1918 influenza pandemic was responsible for over 500,000 deaths in the United States, while the 1957 and 1968 pandemic influenza viruses were responsible for 70,000 and 34,000 deaths, respectively. More recently, one modeling study estimated that an influenza pandemic affecting 15 to 35 percent of the United States population could cause 89,000 to 207,000 deaths, 314,000 to 734,000 hospitalizations, 18 to 42 million outpatient visits, and 20 to 47 million additional illnesses. In contrast, from 1990 to 1999, seasonal influenza caused approximately 36,000 deaths per year in the United States. A substantial percentage of the world's population will require some form of medical care. Healthcare facilities can be overwhelmed, creating a shortage of hospital staff, beds, ventilators and other supplies. Surge capacity at non-traditional sites such as schools may need to be created to cope with the demand. It is expected that such an event will quickly overwhelm the healthcare system locally, regionally, and nationally. An increased number of sick individuals will seek healthcare services. In addition, the number of healthcare workers available to respond to these increased demands will be reduced by illness rates similar to pandemic influenza attack rates affecting the rest of the population. Finally, healthcare workers and healthcare resources will also be expected to continue to meet non-pandemic associated healthcare needs.
Download or read book Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for an Influenza Pandemic written by U.S. Department of Labor and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2014-03-19 with total page 46 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A pandemic is a global disease outbreak. An influenza pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges for which there is little or no immunity in the human population, begins to cause serious illness and then spreads easily person-to-person worldwide. A worldwide influenza pandemic could have a major effect on the global economy, including travel, trade, tourism, food, consumption and eventually, investment and financial markets. Planning for pandemic influenza by business and industry is essential to minimize a pandemic's impact. Companies that provide critical infrastructure services, such as power and telecommunications, also have a special responsibility to plan for continued operation in a crisis and should plan accordingly. As with any catastrophe, having a contingency plan is essential. In the event of an influenza pandemic, employers will play a key role in protecting employees' health and safety as well as in limiting the impact on the economy and society. Employers will likely experience employee absences, changes in patterns of commerce and interrupted supply and delivery schedules. Proper planning will allow employers in the public and private sectors to better protect their employees and lessen the impact of a pandemic on society and the economy. As stated in the President's National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza, all stakeholders must plan and be prepared. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) developed this pandemic influenza planning guidance based upon traditional infection control and industrial hygiene practices. It is important to note that there is currently no pandemic; thus, this guidance is intended for planning purposes and is not specific to a particular viral strain. Additional guidance may be needed as an actual pandemic unfolds and more is known about the characteristics of the virulence of the virus, disease transmissibility, clinical manifestation, drug susceptibility, and risks to different age groups and subpopulations. Employers and employees should use this planning guidance to help identify risk levels in workplace settings and appropriate control measures that include good hygiene, cough etiquette, social distancing, the use of personal protective equipment, and staying home from work when ill.
Download or read book Preparing for an Influenza Pandemic written by Institute of Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2007-12-28 with total page 206 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During an influenza pandemic, healthcare workers will be on the front lines delivering care to patients and preventing further spread of the disease. As the nation prepares for pandemic influenza, multiple avenues for protecting the health of the public are being carefully considered, ranging from rapid development of appropriate vaccines to quarantine plans should the need arise for their implementation. One vital aspect of pandemic influenza planning is the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)-the respirators, gowns, gloves, face shields, eye protection, and other equipment that will be used by healthcare workers and others in their day-to-day patient care responsibilities. However, efforts to appropriately protect healthcare workers from illness or from infecting their families and their patients are greatly hindered by the paucity of data on the transmission of influenza and the challenges associated with training and equipping healthcare workers with effective personal protective equipment. Due to this lack of knowledge on influenza transmission, it is not possible at the present time to definitively inform healthcare workers about what PPE is critical and what level of protection this equipment will provide in a pandemic. The outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) in 2003 have underscored the importance of protecting healthcare workers from infectious agents. The surge capacity that will be required to reduce mortality from a pandemic cannot be met if healthcare workers are themselves ill or are absent due to concerns about PPE efficacy. The IOM committee determined that there is an urgent need to address the lack of preparedness regarding effective PPE for use in an influenza pandemic. Preparing for an Influenza Pandemic : Personal Protective Equipment for Healthcare Workers identifies that require expeditious research and policy action: (1) Influenza transmission research should become an immediate and short-term research priority so that effective prevention and control strategies can be developed and refined. The current paucity of knowledge significantly hinders prevention efforts. (2) Employer and employee commitment to worker safety and appropriate use of PPE should be strengthened. Healthcare facilities should establish and promote a culture of safety. (3) An integrated effort is needed to understand the PPE requirements of the worker and to develop and utilize innovative materials and technologies to create the next generation of PPE capable of meeting these needs.
Download or read book Influenza Pandemic Federal Executive Boards Ability to Contribute to Pandemic Preparedness written by and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2007 with total page 14 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Pandemic Influenza written by Jeffrey R. Ryan and published by CRC Press. This book was released on 2008-08-01 with total page 215 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The swine flu emergency needn‘t become a crisis. This critically acclaimed work provides public health officials, doctors, responders, and emergency planners with accurate current information that will help them understand the nature of an outbreak, assess risk, answer public concerns, and develop informed strategies. Devoid of sensationalism and a
Download or read book National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza written by and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page 24 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Once again, nature has presented us with a daunting challenge: the possibility of an influenza pandemic. Scientists and doctors cannot tell us where or when the next pandemic will strike, or how severe it will be, but most agree: at some point, we are likely to face another pandemic. And the scientific community is increasingly concerned by a new influenza virus known as H5N1 -- or avian flu -- that is now spreading through bird populations across Asia, and has recently reached Europe. While avian flu has not yet acquired the ability to spread easily from human to human, there is still cause for vigilance. The virus has developed some characteristics needed to cause a pandemic: It has demonstrated the ability to infect human beings, and it has produced a fatal illness in humans. If the virus were to develop the capacity for sustained human-to-human transmission, it could spread quickly across the globe. Our country has been given fair warning of this danger to our homeland -- and time to prepare. My administration has developed a comprehensive national strategy, with concrete measures we can take to prepare for an influenza pandemic. Our strategy is designed to meet three critical goals: First, we must detect outbreaks that occur anywhere in the world; second, we must protect the American people by stockpiling vaccines and antiviral drugs, and improve our ability to rapidly produce new vaccines against a pandemic strain; and, third, we must be ready to respond at the federal, state and local levels in the event that a pandemic reaches our shores."--President George Bush.
Download or read book Protecting Our Employees written by United States. Congress. Senate. Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Subcommittee on Oversight of Government Management, the Federal Workforce, and the District of Columbia and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page 116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Influenza Pandemic written by Bernice Steinhardt and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2009-02 with total page 52 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The ¿Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza¿ states that in an influenza pandemic, the primary response will come from states and localities. To assist them with pandemic planning and exercising, Congress has provided $600 million to states and certain localities. This report: (1) describes how selected states and localities are planning for an influenza pandemic and who they involved; (2) describes the extent to which selected states and localities conducted exercises to test their influenza pandemic planing and incorporated lessons learned as a result; and (3) identifies how the fed. gov¿t. can facilitate or help improve state and local efforts to plan and exercise for an influenza pandemic. Illustrations.
Download or read book Ensuring Preparedness Against the Flu Virus at School and Work written by United States. Congress. House. Committee on Education and Labor and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Reducing Workplace Exposure in a Pandemic written by and published by . This book was released on 2009 with total page 2 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Influenza Pandemic Continued Focus on the Nation s Planning and Preparedness Efforts Remains Essential written by Bernice Steinhardt and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2009-12 with total page 28 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: As the recent outbreak of the H1N1 (swine flu) virus underscores, an influenza pandemic remains a real threat to our nation and to the world. While the previous admin. had taken a number of actions to plan for a pandemic, including developing a national strategy and implementation plan, much more needs to be done, and many gaps in preparedness and planning still remain. This statement covers six thematic areas: (1) leadership, authority, and coordination; (2) detecting threats and managing risks; (3) planning, training, and exercising, (4) capacity to respond and recover; (5) information sharing and communications; and (6) performance and accountability. Illustrations.
