Prepare for Pandemic

Special Sunset Stake Meeting

November 15, 2008
Speaker: Dr. Susan Purl

Disaster Preparedness: THIS IS NOT IF IT IS WHEN

The most important thing we can cover today is for each of you to have a plan, at home, work or if you are traveling. These are the things you should always have handy:

• Home and family phone numbers
• Places to meet at home or other places (like summer cabins or Mom’s house)
• How to evacuate your space and what to take with you
• Know your children’s school plan (even at college)

Check out Provident living for their Grab and Go bags or 72 hour kits www.providentliving.org

Pres. Brigham Young said, “The time will come that the gold will hold no comparison in value to a bushel of wheat.”

Pres. Hinckley told us to “Safeguard those in charge”.

Pandemic means a worldwide disease out of control.

The Asian flu update as of Sept. 10, 2008:

• H5NI bird flu is in 67 countries
• 387 human cases with 245 deaths
• Human to human cases found in 15 countries
• Commonly found in close family clusters

At this time, there is concern because of continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5NI) virus, sometimes called “bird flu” among animals in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Europe that has the potential to significantly threaten human health. If a virus such as H5NI mutates and spreads easily from one person to another, avian influenza may break out globally. While there are no reports of sustained human-to-human transmission of avian influenza, governments and international health agencies are preparing for a possible pandemic. A pandemic can originate from any “unknown” source, such as the H5NI virus.

Check out Provident Living for information on the 5 gallon bucket cleaning kit and the wooden sifting box, for areas where fire has claimed homes.

Avian Flu Safety Measures in affected countries:

• Avoid live animal markets and poultry, pig farms.
• Do not handle sick or dead birds.
• Avoid and do not handle any sick animal, including cats.
• Avoid touching any surfaces that may be contaminated by poultry droppings, and do not swim in any body of water that is used by birds.
• Always maintain high levels of personal hygiene. Frequent hand washing is very important. Wash hands before and after food preparation.
• Poultry products and eggs must be thoroughly cooked before eating. Do not consume raw poultry products, such as raw duck blood. Also thoroughly cook all pork products.
• Consider having a flu shot.
• While in an affected region, seek medical attention if you develop influenza-like symptoms and you have had a significant exposure to birds, particularly if they are sick. Call the medical facility before arriving for car and alert them that you may have been exposed to avian influenza.
• Most people think it won’t happen to them or if it does happen it won’t be too bad and if it is bad well it would have happened anyway. Or the worst on is it won’t happen to me, I am a faithful Latter Day Saint and the Lord will protect me.
  

PRAY FOR HELP AND KEEP ROWING TO SHORE!

Important health practices:

• Hand washing the single most important thing you can do.
• Cough Etiquette
• Always cover your mouth and nose when coughing

Prevention of Spreading Disease:

• Quarantine
• Reverse Quarantine
• Social distancing of 6’
• Disinfection
• Personal protection equipment

NOTE: I was late to this meeting; the first 20-25 minutes she reviewed the importance of food storage, especially water. You can get all of this information of Provident Living. Dr. Purl did not use scare tactics, she gave us facts and we can take it from there.

You can get information from the Provident Living website. There is also a link to the CDC (Center for Disease Control).

Governor has a task force to participate in all measures of preparedness.

PSHERE exercise with the State Department of Health for monitoring of world health situation.

Current Pandemic Committee action:

• Fact sheets available at www.providentliving.org at this address: http://providentliving.org/content/display/0.11666.8041-1-4414-1.00.html
• Subjects covered in these fact sheets include; personal hygiene, home and family preparedness, social distancing, personal protective equipment, sheltering in place, workplace preparedness, infectious disease clean-up.
• Presentations to wards/stakes by request to pulssu@LDSChurch.org
• BYU Idaho has prepared a DVD on pandemic preparedness which is accessible via this link http://streaming.byui.edu/safetyoffice/flu.wmv
  

REMEMBER (during pandemic):

• Don’t touch nose, mouth and eyes
• No hand shaking
• Eat Well
• Exercise
• Rest Well
  

It is suggested that you get the flu shot even though it won’t affect avian flu it will build your immune system. If you are traveling and Phase 6 hits, you man not be able to go home so be prepared.

Here are a few websites to check out:

• pandemicflu.uta.gov
• cdc.gov
• pandemicflu.gov
• specialneedsutah.org (register special needs people so that first responders can find them)
• who.org
• ready.gov
• coughsafe.com
• OSHA.gov
  

There are ten things we should know:

1. Pandemic flu is different from avian influenza
2. Influenza are recurring events
3. The world is on the brink of another pandemic
4. All countries will be affected
5. Widespread illness will occur
6. Medical supplies will be inadequate
7. Large numbers of deaths will occur
8. Economic and social disruption will be great
9. Every country must be prepared
10. W.H.O. (World Health Organization), will alert the world when the pandemic threat increases

Mike Leavitt has been instrumental in getting this information out to the public. Mr. Leavitt has said repeat ably that the United States only has a surplus of two weeks of coal. The very item we need to stay on the grid.

There was a Pandemic mock trial in Kanab Utah for 2weeks. All interstate exits were closed; schools and public places were closed. Gas tripled in price.

We have reached Phase 3 in a short time and Phase 6 is the Pandemic!

The Pandemic Planning Considerations include:

• Church Employees
• Volunteers and Missionaries
• Interaction with the public
• Members Worldwide
• Facility considerations
• Welfare system prepared
• Pandemic Committee
• Missionary medical education project
• Security and Risk management
• Welfare action

The first human case of avian flu was reported in 1997 and continues to infect young and previously healthy people with a death rate of 50-88% depending on the strain. Over 90% of cases occur in those below age 39 and 50% under age 19. Death primarily occurs from sever pneumonia. At present it primarily infects birds, poultry and some mammals including pigs, tigers, meerkats, and others. There have been isolated cases of human-to-human contact, which puts us at a phase 3 at this time.

Dr. Purl said that she feels Mike Leavitt was called into the cabinet at this time for a special purpose, mainly what he taught about food storage and the Pandemic.

There is a program called All Is Safely Gathered In.