Download Emergency Response to Pandemic Outbreak

Emergency
Response to
Pandemic Outbreak
Meagan Smith & Charity Stutzman
October 21, 2009
CSA 543: Legal & Ethical Issues
Overview and Purpose
The workshop will prepare Student Life Directors how to
respond to an emergency pandemic outbreak. Participating
offices in the workshop are high contact in nature and involved
in the daily life of students.
Given the high level of responsibility these positions entail,
these professionals need to be prepared to support student
health and safety. In addition, these offices must be aware of
potential legal and ethical issues in order to effectively respond.
To that end, workshop presenters will utilize an interactive
training approach to provide participants the opportunity to
navigate a number of online resources and locate specific
information within them.
Partners In Emergency
Who is here?
 Health Services
 Campus Safety
 Residence Life
 Food Services
Nice to Meet You!
1. Take an Index Card
2. Ask your neighbor to briefly describe the worst illness
that they’ve ever had
3. Mark your neighbor’s card and have them mark yours
4. Continue to interview other classmates for one minute
5. Follow moderator instructions after first minute has
passed
6. At the moderator’s signal, continue to interview
classmates and exchange marks for an additional
minute
7. Come together for brief discussion
What is a Pandemic?

“A widespread outbreak of an infectious disease that is geographically widespread,
occurring throughout a region or even throughout the world.”

Can be any disease (e.g., cholera, smallpox, flu)

Three Conditions



Development of new virus subtype
Virus infects humans
Infection readily passes from one person to another

Pandemics declared by World Health Organization (WHO) based on a Six-Phase Scale

On June 11, 2009, WHO indicated the spread of H1N1 to be a Level Six pandemic
World Health Organization
 Phase 5 is characterized by human-to-human spread of the virus in at least two
different countries
 Phase 6 is characterized by community-level outbreaks in at least two different
regions
 Designation of this phase will indicate that a global pandemic is under way
Little History Lesson
The Influenza Pandemic of 1918
 Three waves in the United States
 Approximately 675,000 Americans died (population 105
million)
 Approximately 50 million fatalities worldwide
 Legal and Ethical issues:
 Public health officials sought to stem the rising panic by
censoring newspapers and issuing simple directives
 Posters and cartoons were printed to warn people of
the dangers of influenza
Little History Lesson
Asian Flu Pandemic of 1957
 Began in China
 Vaccines were available by the time flu reached U.S.
 Virus spread quickly once school season began
 Approximately 70,000 Americans died
 Approximately 2 million fatalities worldwide
 Legal and Ethical Issues:
 Researched showed that outbreaks occurred most
frequently after large gatherings
 Schools some of first sites to report outbreaks
Little History Lesson
Hong Kong Influenza of 1968
 Began in Southeast Asia
 More deadly subtype of Asian Flu
 Continues to be one of the most persistent flu
strains among humans
 Legal and Ethical Issues:
 Vaccine impact was tested on Air Force cadets
who received immunization for Hong Kong Flu
What Does History Tell Us?
 Delayed decision and response puts populations at a greater risk
 Outbreaks spread more quickly among large groups of people living closely
together
 Fatigue, poor diet, and high levels of stress weaken the body’s immune
system
 Young adults are more likely than older adults to contract the H1N1 virus
 Institutions can be held responsible for the safety and well-being of their
constituents (e.g., lawsuits for failing to provide enough vaccines, exposure to
infected classmates in schools)
Health Services

Participate in pandemic response planning and practice
 Promote health and wellness measures for center staff
 Ensure that the center is adequately stocked with supplies and PPE
 Maintain sanitary conditions
 Create a triage plan and identify outside support resources
 Support student life departments with the most current health-related information and
policies
 Track cases of illness and provide recommendations for response
Campus Safety
 Outline plans for and assist with student transfers (e.g., to and from residence
halls, hospitals, student’s home)
 Create and enforce investigation protocols, including on-call coverage
 Lead inter-departmental emergency response team in the event of a pandemic
 Notify the campus community of threats to safety
 Provide security of campus privacy and resources in the event of pandemic panic
 Identify departments and roles key to ensuring student safety in the event of a
pandemic and design a strategy to prioritize and protect those functions
Residence Life


Assist in developing campus pandemic housing policies

Isolation vs. Quarantine

Pandemic housing arrangements

Student travel issues

Department staff duties and roles assignment

Paperwork and tracing student illness
Understand and be able to answer student questions regarding university
pandemic policy and insurance plans

Ensure that residence hall is stocked with adequate supplies and
communication technologies

Compile list of external resources for students (e.g., doctors, hospitals,
pharmacies, taxi service)

Post informational fliers about health promotion

Provide all staff with necessary response training

Consider the needs of all student populations, including students with
disabilities
“OMG,
Everyone is
going to die
and they are
making us
move
buildings!”
Food Services
 Design and implement plan to feed quarantined or isolated students
 Stock adequate supplies of prepared meals, disposable utensils, and PPE
 Maintain sanitary conditions and provide hand-washing opportunities
 Prepare for limited and contained delivery arrangements
 Offer meal times and menus that accommodate ill students
Scavenger Hunt!
 Break into Groups of 5
 Find these 4 Items (handout)
 Use these websites:
http://www.free.ed.gov/index.cfm
www.nyhealth.gov/diseases/communicable/influenza/pande
mic/docs/pandemic_influenza_college_toolkit.pdf
http://www.acha.org/
www.flu.gov
What Do You Think?
Legal and Ethical Issues to Consider
The university can be held liable for negligence
 Provide correct and reliable information, do not
misinform your students!!
 Set clear policy for University response
 Stay up to date on current legal and ethical news
 Take advantage of all opportunities and resources
available to educate students
Resources
 Association of College and University Housing Officers - International
http://www.acuho-i.org/?tabid=125
 American College Health Association
http://www.acha.org/
 The Center for Disease Control
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/eid/vol12no01/05-1254.htm
 Federal Resources for Educational Excellence
http://www.free.ed.gov/index.cfm
 Flu.gov
www.flu.gov
 World Health Organization
http://www.who.int/ethics/influenza_project/en/index.html