[StBernard] Avian Flue

[Westley Annis]

As if we don't have enough to do preparing for storms and recovering from
storms, yesterday the White House released an extensive document on the
national plan to address possible pandemic for the avian flu virus.

Basically, it warns that if it strikes the U.S., government and private
sector could have 40% of the workforce not coming to work because they are
ill, they are taking care of someone who is ill, or they are taking care of
elderly and children due to closings of nursing homes and schools.

It urges every government and private entity, including families,to have a
C.O.O.P., which is basically a game plan to get through this and still
provide essential operations. It warns of shortages of fuel, food, currency,
medicine, water, etc. due to lack of workers to move and sell goods across
the country.

They say it would come in waves, such as a two week period where an area
could be in quarantine until people recover. They also say that employers
should plan on essential personnel working from their homes electronically
in the event of a major quarantine. And it cautions people to save their
sick leave and vacation time because they could be out of work awhile!

The good news is that it has very seldom been transmitted from human to
human and when it has it hasn't gone beyond the second person. It has jumped
species (bird to human), but so far only for people who are in daily contact
with infected chickens, geese, etc. and those who eat their poultry on the
raw side.

So stick with your dog and cat, don't start raising poultry, and be sure any
poultry you eat is well cooked. We survived Y2K, we survived Katrina, so
this is just one more potential crisis.  I guess after we stockpile for this
hurricane season, we just re-stock for a possible pandemic.

If you have time on your hands, read John Barry's "The Great Pandemic"
about the last major epidemic that hit the U.S. hard in the early 1900s. He
is the author of "Rising Tide", the story about the great 1927 Miss. River
flood.

I wonder who'll be in charge on a national level-FEMA or Center for Disease
Control?

Here's the link to the report:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/homeland/nspi_implementation.pdf

Now go eat some Popeyes while you still can!

Deborah Keller