You Can't Stop the Flu Pandemic, You Can Only Hope to Contain it

The Bush Administration is expressing more concerns of a widespread flu pandemic, saying it could cause massive disruptions of our way of  life, reports the Associated Press. The federal government is urging states, cities and businesses to make plans now so that they can keep functioning when and if that event occurs.

In a written statement, the Chief Executive urged that the U.S. must be on high alert for a global threat that it might very well face in the future. A united front -- in both purpose and action -- is needed in order to best protect our families, communities, and our nation. While encouraging local governments and individuals to make their own preparations, Bush and his advisors remain focused on a national pandemic response strategy.

Last fall, the President proposed a plan to prepare for the next worldwide outbreak of a super-strain of influenza, at a cost of $7.1 billion. This week's comments show progress in that plan, the purpose of which being to  outline exactly which government agencies are responsible for what tasks. All in all, more than 300 steps that must be taken in order to ensure the safety of our nation, and many are already underway.

It's certainly a complex process. Even drastic masures, such as shutting down ports and U.S. borders to guard against outbreaks abroad, would not stop pandemic from spreading to America, the administration acknowledges. Henceforth, experts are trying to map out a series of smaller, manageable restrictions that would be in place instead. If the disease will not be halted, the next best thing is to slow it down.

If the nation's health care centers are given adequate time to develop and produce protective vaccines, and stockpile critical medical supplies, the almost inevitable economic and social chaos can be curbed to some degree. If a severe pandemic were to hit the U.S., up to 40 percent of the work force could be off the job for two weeks. With 85 percent of our society dependent on private services - food production, medicine and financial services, among others - businesses in particular should start planning how they will function amid these conditions.

The administration hopes that their pandemic preparation plan will serve as a road map that will cover both the government and nongovernment actions. If successful in thwarting the most adverse consequences of an outbreak, it will be well worth the hefty price tag. The scary medical reality is that people can spread the flu for 24 hours before they show symptoms, making the response to an outbreak as important as prevention.

The government is preparing for the worst-case scenario of up to 2 million deaths in the U.S., along with massive disruptions of the labor force and other logistical nightmares such as quarantining travelers and otherwise restricting movement around the country. It will be up to communities to address the local impact of the pandemic, because unlike a one-time event such as a hurricane, the federal government will not be able to provide a prompt relief effort  as the flu sweeps across the U.S. in waves.

There is a lot of work to be done on the local level. Tommy Thompson, a former Health and Human Services Secretary, said that a survey recently revealed 66 percent of mid- to large-size companies have made little or preparations. Businesses and municipalities need specific instructions, warns Thompson, who warns that organizations will wonder what they should do, rather than doing anything at all. A series of incremental, specific instructions will be needed in order for most places to comply.

An Influenza pandemic can strike every few decades if a never-before-seen strain of the disease arises. It's impossible to predict when the next will occur, although concern is rising that the Asian bird flu, called the H5N1 strain, might become one. If it develops into a strain that can be spread easily from person to person, we could have a crisis on our hands. How we respond to that crisis is up to us.