Pandemic Preparations

Telework is being looked to by the U.S. Government and many major companies as one of the best options to prevent the spread of Bird Flu and continue operations if a Pandemic becomes widespread.  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention along with the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management have all released studies showing the vital role telecommuting will play in the event of an emergency.

The H1N1 Swine Flu has begun spreading at an alarming rate.  Employers should consider alllowing employees who have been near infected persons or feel like they might be showing symptoms, work remotely.  The secretary of Homeland Security, Janet Napolitano, has suggested telework to prevent and sustain yourself in the event of a Pandemic in your area.

Many organizations are citing Telework as a means of sustaining business.  It is forecast that homes will become safe havens for people and thus bringing work to them is essential for a business’ sustainability. Additionally, the government is looking at suspending school for durations. This will mean that a large part of the workforce will be required to go home to take care of their children.In order to prevent the spread of the H1N1 virus, when it becomes a Pandemic, the World Health Organization suggests reducing the amount of person to person contact.  Aligned with this idea, Telework seems to be the best answer to keep people from interacting while continuing normal business operations.  More and more businesses are implementing a formal Telework program as a viable solution in the fight to prevent the contraction and spread of the H5N1 virus.

 

To recieve updates on the virus, please visit www.pandemicprep.org and sign up on the right hand column.

What can I do to protect myself from the virus and if contracted, keep from spreading it to others?

According to the American Red Cross and World Health Organization the following steps should be taken to prevent the spread of viruses such as the Bird Flu:

• Clean your hands often with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze and clean your hands afterward.  Put used tissues in a wastebasket.
• Cough or sneeze into your upper sleeve if you don’t have a tissue.
• Keep your hands away from your eyes, nose and mouth to prevent germs from entering your body.
• Telework from home to avoid the contraction and spread of the disease.