The Swine Flu (H1N1) is suddenly on the scene and it is on everybody’s mind.
Is it for real? Yes.
How can we react appropriately to protect ourselves and our families?
- Adopt some safe habits and practice them.
- Be ready for the unexpected.
- Adjust if the swine flu comes our way big time.
Adopt some safe habits and practice them
The main thing to do is to avoid getting the flu in the first place. The principal means of doing this are: Personal hygiene and avoidance of people with the flu.
As an APL leukemia survivor over the past three years, I have been following these practices, and know that they can be done. This involves scrupulous hand washing with soap and water or hand sanitizer, heightened cleanliness at home, and avoiding people who are or who could be sick.
At home, you have the most control over your surroundings and personal safety. What is needed is setting up a system and following it. For instance, I would have people who entered my home wash their hands upon entering. Also, I set up separate towels for me and my guests.
On public transportation, such as bus, subway, and airplane, you need to be vigilant as to who may be a potential threat and to avoid them. You can switch seats to avoid being near contagious passengers. Also, avoid touching surfaces which have been touched by others, such as buttons and handrails. And in airplanes, up through last week, I have been wearing a mast.
In the Pandemic Survival project, our staff has gathered the best practices and ideas for avoiding the flu or dealing with it if you get it. We suggest that you use this as a starting point for your own program. Please take our plan and make it yours. You can ignore parts that are not pertinent, and amplify the parts of the plan that pertain to your situation.
You may find it helpful to print and post three health posters that remind you of covering your cough and washing your hands.
Be ready for the unexpected
Since the Swine Flu came “out of nowhere” and has spread rapidly to many countries, it may have some surprises for us, such as who that we know gets the flu. Will schools and facilities be shut down, and how will we adapt to these closures?
Be ready to adapt the Pandemic Pan to meet your changing needs.
That’s why we put the plan in Project KickStart format. You’ll be able to adapt it easily. If you don’t yet have a copy of Project KickStart, you can download it here. Or recommend it to some colleagues and friends.
Adjust if the swine flu comes our way big time
Past Pandemics have come in waves, with a big spike following a mild introduction. If the big spike comes and causes major disruptions of our schools and jobs, we may have to adjust in ways we have not considered.
Use Project KickStart for whatever comes. If you do not already have a copy, you can download the free trial.
We’ll be there for you.
Roy Nierenberg
President
Experience In Software
Tags: Health, project planning, Swine Flu
Hey,
Good info…here is a little more from Cal TV. (UC Berkeley Student Television)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1T-J9hJOaM&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fthecaltvproject.com%2Fv3%2Fcategory%2Fdepartments%2Fjournalism%2F&feature=player_embedded
Greg
If you look at the pandemic of 1977, when H1N1 or Swine Flu re-emerged after a 20 year absence, there is no shift in age-related mortality pattern. The 1977 “pandemic” is, of course, not considered a true pandemic by experts today, for reasons that are not entierely consistent. It certainly was an antigenic shift and not an antigenic drift. As far as I have been able to follow the current events, the most significant factor seems to have been that most people, who were severely affected, were people with other medical conditions.