(CIDRAP News) – In its efforts to establish apreparedness certification process for the private sector, the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) today said it has adopted final standards, which it claims represents a major milestone toward the program's implementation.
I'd like to address a misconception that seems to be gathering traction. I'm sure it's one you, too, have encountered. People, including ones who sign your paycheck, are asking whether H1N1 was just another Y2K. You need an answer based on fact, not conjecture.
Daily headlines and newscasts this past month remind us that Mother Earth can be a risky place to live. I'm referring, of course, to the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, the Icelandic volcano, and a botched vehicle bombing, and while these phenomena are not connected by any obvious plot line, they are vivid teachable moments for our governments and organizations.
What have we learned during the past year regarding our encounter with novel H1N1 and the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century? How much will we remember of what we learned? And will the lessons learned make any lasting changes within our organizations?
Recent novel H1N1 influenza developments in the Southeastern region of the United States merit your attention. They're prime examples of why we must vigilantly expect the unexpected.
In a few weeks, we will have lived through the first year of the first influenza pandemic of the 21st century. For many of us who have spent a great deal of our professional (and personal) time responding to this pandemic, the anniversary of its recognition will likely result in mixed, if not contradictory, feelings. Where did the last year go?
(CIDRAP News) With pandemic flu activity declining over the past few months, businesses have a chance to retool some of their response plans, while many grapple with issues such as protective equipment shelf life and how to protect employees when pandemic or seasonal flu returns, corporate executives said today at a webinar.
So, is the H1N1 pandemic over or just taking a break? What should you tell your organization about the days ahead? What can you say about a possible a third wave of illness or even what to expect with seasonal influenza?
(CIDRAP News) Employees without paid sick days were more likely to work when they were sick during the peak of the fall pandemic wave and may have extended the outbreak by infecting their coworkers, according to a research group.
(CIDRAP News) The US government needs much closer collaboration with private industrylike the arrangements used in building aircraft carriers and putting men on the moonin order to improve the nation's medical defenses against biological, chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats, says a report from a federal advisory panel.
