Disability Resource Directory
Infection Control
Pandemic Preparation - The BasicsHaving a plan for a potential pandemic is important. Making decisions under great stress might cause you to do the wrong thing, but if you have a game plan already mapped out, you won't hesitate. Talk over pandemic preparations with work, family, church and school. Raise awareness about the possibilities. 1. Create a plan! Having a plan for a potential pandemic is important. Making decisions under great stress might cause you to do the wrong thing, but if you have a game plan already mapped out, you won't hesitate. Talk over pandemic preparations with work, family, church and school. Raise awareness about the possibilities. 2. Make sure that you will be able to stay in communication and know what is going on in the news. Stock up on batteries for radios and if possible, purchase a generator or some alternate form of power. If you can, make sure that your telephones will stay functional as well. Touch base with neighbors, friends and family so that everyone knows what is going on. 3. You should be prepared with the proper precautionary equipment and measures to prevent illness in your own family. Have masks ready to wear as well as disposable gloves and even goggles and gowns if necessary. Practice good hygiene with hand washing and sneezing and coughing into tissues. Purchase disinfectants to treat the hard surfaces in your home that could harbor viruses and bacteria. Stock up on hand sanitizer for those times when water is not accessible. Make sure that you also have bleach handy to decontaminate other items and surfaces as needed. Also don't forget trash bags! When you have to throw out disposable gloves or anything else that might be contaminated, you will want plenty of bags to throw these things away to prevent the spread of infection. 4. Create a handy, portable first aid kit that can get you through a pandemic. Over the counter diarrhea, cold and flu remedies are important as are electrolyte drinks to replenish any lost salt due to dehydration in your body. Get yourself a flu shot too. While it won't prevent a pandemic flu, it will prevent any flu illness from being overwhelming.
Invest in a first aid kit with bandages, pain relievers and more. Also, make sure that you stock up on any prescription medications you need for the duration of the pandemic. Make plans for at least two months just to be on the safe side. 5. Stock up on drinking water, especially if you rely on city water services. If you have well water or alternate sources, you will want to boil your water to kill germs or treat the water with chemical disinfectants to make the water potable. These chemical agents can be found in camping and outdoor stores predominantly. 6. Realize that transportation may become a problem. Therefore, try and stock up and plan ahead for all your food, water and health needs. You may or may not be able to fill up with gas and roads could be closed during the pandemic. Talk with your child's school as well as your workplace to arrange a way to school and work from home in the event of a pandemic.
The six steps above are just a few of the many things to contemplate when faced with a possible pandemic. Who knows? This may never happen but it is always helpful to be prepared and feel secure with yourself that you have a workable plan to see you and your family through a difficult time. Latest Infection Control News
12/04/2008 | |||||||||||||
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