Influenza Pandemic

The media attention being given to the Avian Flu and potential for another flu pandemic is creating concern and questions about the flu and about how organizations should be prepared for a pandemic.

The ongoing “noise” about flu pandemics can contribute to unfounded levels of fear and general levels of stress. It can also cause us to stop hearing information we should have about a flu pandemic because we develop a “fear mongering” attitude toward it.

To ensure a realistic understanding and the potential for a reasoned response to what we hear, we should all develop a good basic level of knowledge about:

1. The Avian (Bird) Flu, why it is potentially dangerous to humans (See information that follows)
2. Pandemics and the development of pandemics.

Practical things organizations can do to help prevent the spread of the flu:

1. Ensure policies and practices support employees remaining at home when they are sick -
2. Develop the capability for employees to work from home and encourage people to do so when they “just have a cold”
3. Encourage and support healthy lifestyles
4. Develop a business operating plan in case of pandemics and other events that requires an out of the ordinary way to do business
   
   Websites where businesses can obtain information about planning:
   
   Pandemic Flu.Gov (Planning Checklists and Information for Businesses)
    
   Centers For Disease Control & Prevention (Planning checklist & Information for Businesses)
   
   Public Safety & Emergency Preparedness Canada. A Guide To Business Continuity Planning
   
   Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters. Continuity Planning Guide For Canadian Business (Free Download)

The World Health Organization (WHO) provides information about the Avian Flu, Pandemic Influenza on the WHO website.

1. The World Health Organization monitors disease on a global level. It has been monitoring the Avian Flu strain (H5N1) that can infect human beings. As at April 2006, WHO reports a total of 204 cases (death rate of 113) worldwide. All of those cases were in the Eastern Hemisphere.
2. WHO lists 10 things we should all know about Pandemic Influenza. The following list is taken from the WHO website noted above.

Ten things you need to know about pandemic influenza
14 October 2005

1. Pandemic influenza is different from avian influenza.
   Avian influenza refers to a large group of different influenza viruses that primarily affect birds. On rare occasions, these bird viruses can infect other species, including pigs and humans. The vast majority of avian influenza viruses do not infect humans. An influenza pandemic happens when a new subtype emerges that has not previously circulated in humans.
   
   For this reason, avian H5N1 is a strain with pandemic potential, since it might ultimately adapt into a strain that is contagious among humans. Once this adaptation occurs, it will no longer be a bird virus--it will be a human influenza virus. New influenza viruses that have adapted cause influenza pandemics to humans.
    
2. Influenza pandemics are recurring events.
   An influenza pandemic is a rare but recurrent event. Three pandemics occurred in the previous century: “Spanish influenza” in 1918, “Asian influenza” in 1957, and “Hong Kong influenza” in 1968. The 1918 pandemic killed an estimated 40–50 million people worldwide. That pandemic, which was exceptional, is considered one of the deadliest disease events in human history. Subsequent pandemics were much milder, with an estimated 2 million deaths in 1957 and 1 million deaths in 1968.
   
   A pandemic occurs when a new influenza virus emerges and starts spreading as easily as normal influenza – by coughing and sneezing. Because the virus is new, the human immune system will have no pre-existing immunity. This makes it likely that people who contract pandemic influenza will experience more serious disease than that caused by normal influenza.
    
3. The world may be on the brink of another pandemic.
   Health experts have been monitoring a new and extremely severe influenza virus – the H5N1 strain – for almost eight years. The H5N1 strain first infected humans in Hong Kong in 1997, causing 18 cases, including six deaths. Since mid-2003, this virus has caused the largest and most severe outbreaks in poultry on record. In December 2003, infections in people exposed to sick birds were identified.
   Since then, over 100 human cases have been laboratory confirmed in four Asian countries (Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Viet Nam), and more than half of these people have died. Most cases have occurred in previously healthy children and young adults. Fortunately, the virus does not jump easily from birds to humans or spread readily and sustainably among humans. Should H5N1 evolve to a form as contagious as normal influenza, a pandemic could begin.
    
4. All countries will be affected.
   Once a fully contagious virus emerges, its global spread is considered inevitable. Countries might, through measures such as border closures and travel restrictions, delay arrival of the virus, but cannot stop it. The pandemics of the previous century encircled the globe in 6 to 9 months, even when most international travel was by ship. Given the speed and volume of international air travel today, the virus could spread more rapidly, possibly reaching all continents in less than 3 months.
    
5. Widespread illness will occur.
   Because most people will have no immunity to the pandemic virus, infection and illness rates are expected to be higher than during seasonal epidemics of normal influenza. Current projections for the next pandemic estimate that a substantial percentage of the world’s population will require some form of medical care. Few countries have the staff, facilities, equipment, and hospital beds needed to cope with large numbers of people who suddenly fall ill.
    
6. Medical supplies will be inadequate.
   Supplies of vaccines and antiviral drugs – the two most important medical interventions for reducing illness and deaths during a pandemic – will be inadequate in all countries at the start of a pandemic and for many months thereafter. Inadequate supplies of vaccines are of particular concern, as vaccines are considered the first line of defense for protecting populations. On present trends, many developing countries will have no access to vaccines throughout the duration of a pandemic.
    
7. Large numbers of deaths will occur.
   Historically, the number of deaths during a pandemic has varied greatly. Death rates are largely determined by four factors: the number of people who become infected, the virulence of the virus, the underlying characteristics and vulnerability of affected populations, and the effectiveness of preventive measures. Accurate predictions of mortality cannot be made before the pandemic virus emerges and begins to spread. All estimates of the number of deaths are purely speculative.
   
   WHO has used a relatively conservative estimate – from 2 million to 7.4 million deaths – because it provides a useful and plausible planning target. This estimate is based on the comparatively mild 1957 pandemic. Estimates based on a more virulent virus, closer to the one seen in 1918, have been made and are much higher. However, the 1918 pandemic was considered exceptional.
    
8. Economic and social disruption will be great.
   High rates of illness and worker absenteeism are expected, and these will contribute to social and economic disruption. Past pandemics have spread globally in two and sometimes three waves. Not all parts of the world or of a single country are expected to be severely affected at the same time. Social and economic disruptions could be temporary, but may be amplified in today’s closely interrelated and interdependent systems of trade and commerce. Social disruption may be greatest when rates of absenteeism impair essential services, such as power, transportation, and communications.
    
9. Every country must be prepared.
   WHO has issued a series of recommended strategic actions responding to the influenza pandemic threat. The actions are designed to provide different layers of defense that reflect the complexity of the evolving situation. Recommended actions are different for the present phase of pandemic alert, the emergence of a pandemic virus, and the declaration of a pandemic and its subsequent international spread.
    
10. WHO will alert the world when the pandemic threat increases.
    WHO works closely with ministries of health and various public health organizations to support countries' surveillance of circulating influenza strains. A sensitive surveillance system that can detect emerging influenza strains is essential for the rapid detection of a pandemic virus.
    
    Six distinct phases have been defined to facilitate pandemic preparedness planning, with roles defined for governments, industry, and WHO. The present situation is categorized as phase 3: a virus new to humans is causing infections, but does not spread easily from one person to another.

And, Suddenly, mosquito season is upon us.
We need to think about West Nile Virus again.

More information regarding the West Nile Virus can be found at:
www.health.gov.ab.ca/public/wnv_faq.html#reduce

The following has been taken from the Alberta Government site noted above:

What can I do to reduce my risk of West Nile virus infection?
The best way to reduce the risk of infection is to reduce contact with mosquitoes. Severe disease is rare but can happen at any age. Everyone can take some simple precautions to reduce their risk of infection:

• Use a mosquito repellent containing DEET or other approved ingredients on exposed skin; apply it to clothing as well, because mosquitoes may bite through fabric.
• Wear long-sleeved shirts, pants and a hat when outdoors during peak mosquito biting periods.
• The hours from dusk to dawn are peak biting times for many species of mosquitoes. Take extra care to use repellent and protective clothing during evening and early morning -- or consider avoiding outdoor activities during these times.
• Place mosquito netting over infant carriers when outdoors.
• Repair window and door screens so that mosquitoes cannot get indoors.
• Adult females of some mosquito species will lay their eggs in shallow pools of warm, sunlit standing water. Take steps to prevent this on your property:
  • Regularly drain standing water from items like pool covers, saucers under flower pots, recycle bins, garbage cans etc.
  • Remove or cover unused items such as old tires that have a tendency to collect water.
  • Change the water in wading pools, birdbaths, pet bowls and livestock watering tanks twice a week.
  • Cover rain barrels with screens.
  • Clean out eaves troughs regularly to prevent clogs that can trap water.
  • If you have an ornamental pond, consider getting fish that will eat mosquito larvae, or adding a fountain

Looking for more information or need some help with these or other HR issues? Please get in touch.

 

News
Workforce
Statistics Canada and Conference Board of Canada research is showing a rising trend of some concern - women aged mid- 30s to mid 40s dropping out of the job market to stay at home and an increasing number of women in their child bearing years leading the members of the labor force who choose not to work.

The concern around this trend: With unemployment already at a 30 year low in Canada and expectations that labor shortages and very low unemployment rates will continue for the foreseeable future, reduced interest in working in any segment of the workforce will only add to the difficulty organizations are already experiencing in finding workers. Long term sustained worker shortages result in a reduction in the standard of living because of an inability to produce the goods and services required for both domestic consumption and export.

Some Frightening Numbers:

In 2005 Canada was already experiencing critical worker shortages in a number of occupations (including health care – something near and dear to the hearts of an aging population) in 2005 there was 2.24 Million people between 20 & 24 – new career entrants - and there was 1.19 Million people aged 65 – 69 (career exiters).

Using the 2005 population charts and simply aging the population:

Each subsequent five years the number of new entrants goes down and the number of exiters goes up. In 15 years, by 2020, those numbers will be pretty close to reversed: there will be 1.9 Million 20 – 24 year old workforce entrants and 2.3 Million 65 – 69 year old workforce exiters.

(Statistics are from: Statistics Canada CANSIM Table 051-0001 Population by sex and age group.)

The Conference Board of Canada is projecting that Canada will be short One Million workers by 2020.

Compensation
The Vainer Institute Sponsored report “The Current State of Family Incomes” indicates that Canadian hourly paid workers incomes remained flat between 1991 and 2003. Stagnating pay is attributed to the effect globalization has had on bargaining power. Real increases are beginning to occur with the expectation that the very low unemployment levels will continue that trend.

(2005 – Vainer Institute of the Family)

Legislation
Wallace Damages
In 1997 the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that an employer’s bad faith conduct when terminating an employee should be taken into consideration when awarding wrongful dismissal damages. Since that time courts throughout Canada have been applying this decision in suits against employers.

“Wallace damages” named for the Wallace vs. United Grain Growers case are not limited to acts of the employer at the very moment of dismissal but must relate to conduct that is a component of the manner of dismissal. The courts have now clarified that in order for Wallace to apply, the alleged conduct must be “something akin to intent, malice, or blatant disregard for the employee” and “could be characterized as ‘callous and insensitive treatment.’”
Workplace Today® www.workplace.ca
 

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