Timing Is Key:
Be Ready to Act if a Pandemic Occurs
Carter Mecher, M.D., one of the
authors of the National Strategy
for Pandemic Influenza: Implementation
Plan, is the clinical manager of the
Veterans Integrated Service Network
(VISN7) in Atlanta. He worked on the
implementation plan while on assignment
to the White House in 2005.
Mecher spoke with the Challenge staff
about pandemics and the importance of
response planning.
Think of a pandemic as a fire. When smoldering
in the corner of a room, it’s much
easier to contain than if it has spread
beyond the room and is burning down
the house. And fi res move fast. This is the
best metaphor for pandemics according to
Carter Mecher.
If a pandemic begins elsewhere in the
world and reaches the United States,
Mecher says research models suggest it
could spread across this country within
two to four months. Numerous research
facilities, including the Los Alamos National
Laboratory, are working on these
models that simulate flu transmission patterns. Cases could potentially double
every two or three days in a pandemic,
and natural immunity is not prevalent as
with a regular flu virus. Early planning and
being ready to act quickly will be vital to
communities in the face of an approaching
pandemic.
Mecher and his colleagues looked at the
education system and its myriad processes
(including daily instruction, nutrition, and
transportation) to ensure that children
and staff are well represented in national
planning and well protected during an
outbreak.
“Schools, compared to work and homes,
are the most dense population,” Mecher
said. “Kids spend the school day in close
proximity to other kids, and they are a key
factor in the normal exchange rates of a
flu virus. Kids are among the first ones to
get the flu and have higher rates of illness
compared to adults.”
Dismissing students from school can
be one of the most effective measures a
community can take when faced with a
pandemic; however, when the topic comes
up, it raises a lot of concern and subsequent
discussion among administrators,
educators, and parents.
Because of the overwhelming speed with
which a pandemic can travel, it is critical
to address these concerns and discussions
now. Schools, health departments,
communities, and parents need to work
together now so flu-mitigation processes
are established, tested, and well known.
For Mecher, looking at the past is a smart
way of preparing for the future. He studies
the best practices used during the 1918
Spanish flu pandemic and how things have
changed in the education system since
then. “We’re looking at transportation,
school meals, and what happens during
the summer. What programs are in place?”
The 1918 pandemic is regarded as the
deadliest in modern history, killing between
20 and 50 million people worldwide.
Researchers and policy advisors are
interested in the virus that caused this
pandemic because it was so severe, and
many of its victims were healthy young
adults. Studying the genetic attributes and
functionality of this virus helps researchers
evaluate current public health interventions
and refine them for the future.
Schools are a key resource for communities
in terms of offering flu shots, sharing
safety messages, such as hand washing
and cough etiquette, and possibly serving
as overflow treatment centers. They also
should play a key role in community planning.
Schools must have a plan and ensure
everyone knows what to do should this fire
spark.
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