Disaster Response Plan to Pandemic Flu, Essay Example

Pandemic refers to large outbreak of virus to which human have no immunity responses. Pandemic flu is different from the common flue thus nurses and other personnel should always be ready to respond to flu pandemic.

Influenza is highly contagious viral respiratory infection. The seasonal; outbreak of te occur in communities during the fall and winter, the virus normally spread from person to person by respiratory deposits from coughs and sneezes, or from handling contaminated objects. Annual immunization for the virus is the most effective way of preventing the virus.

At unpredictable interval, of a new virus appears in human for which we have no immunity. The new virus is easily transmitted from person to person and course illness. These create a setting for influenza pandemic. In severe cases, influenza pandemic may lead to large number of patient hospitalization and death. In such pandemic has potential of overwhelming normal health care and cause great impact to region and national economies.

The disaster response plan

The following is a disaster response for a pandemic flu outbreak of new strain of virus. The plan is divided into planning, social distancing protocol, and exclusion, quarantine, and isolation protocols phase.

Planning – the following are some of the activities that occur during planning.

Disease detection and investigation

The objective of the activity is to detect the disease or health threat and investigate their causes and the effects. The sooner the disease is detected the more quickly the more quickly we can minimize the public exposure. The detection activities carried out in Alaska would include.

1. To conduct a year round surveillance for seasonal influenza
2. To link The local and state health to share information on new disease across the state
3. All urgent disease report are delivered through telephone
4. To investigate all urgent disease report

Social distancing protocol

This refers to various communities, workplace non-pharmaceutical activities that intend to limit the spread of infection. This option should be implemented in time as a primary means for controlling the spread of pandemic illness prior to development or distribution of a plan.

State division of health and social service recommends the implementation of social distancing. However, in special circumstance local health care officials may affect the decision of the implementation.

Exclusion, quarantine and isolation protocols

For individual either who have, been exposed to an illness or who are ill should be advised to remain at home or avoid public places to reduce the effect of the virus. If this action is not effective additional public health strategies such as quarantine, exclusion or isolation maybe implemented.

The outbreak of (Influenza flu virus)

The outbreak occurred in year 2013 in Northern Alaska hospital in the town of barrow.

The northern hospital of Alaska in barrow town started to receive pediatric patient that were suffering from respiratory synclinal virus RVS. After one month, the cases of RSV had tripled. Within three month the cases had spread all other parts of Alaska, the patient quickly filled all the available pediatric intensive care unit. The made the hospital to use alluded ICU bed to cater for overflow.

The Alaska division of public health activated its emergency operation center units. The DPH coordinated an interagency teleconference to share the outbreak information. Through the conference, the DPH approved social distancing and Exclusion, quarantine and isolation protocols need, for medical communities in the affected cities.

Public health representative and emergencies response agencies at local and state level led other medical practitioners to respond to the outbreak. The new flow was eradicated within seven months.