Corporate Influenza and Pandemic Preparedness

Scientists, public health officials, governments, and businesses alike are keeping a careful watch on the novel influenza virus that is rapidly spreading throughout the world in the avian population and has already resulted in over 200 human infections and 130 deaths worldwide. Public health officials are concerned that the virus could have the ability to mutate allowing the virus to be more easily caught and spread by humans. Although the virus has not yet shown an ability to transmit efficiently between humans, as is seen with the annual influenza virus, there is concern that it will acquire this capability through genetic mutation or exchange of genetic material with a human influenza virus.

Because this is a novel virus, the human population doesn’t have immunity to it. A virus that is easily spread from person to person and that causes serious disease has been predicted to result in a 40 percent absentee rate among workers. This threatens to strain a healthcare system already functioning at near or over capacity, will likely affect national and international travel, and has the capacity to compromise the ability of many industries to continue to do business for lack of personnel and supplies and a modus operandi that is not consistent with public health recommendations for social distancing and isolation.

Medical countermeasures typically utilized against disease, medications, and vaccines are predicted to be absent or in short supply early in the course of a pandemic. Two of the four antiviral medications available to treat influenza have been shown to be ineffective and there is currently no vaccine available to ward off the current strain. It is predicted that it would take approximately four months after the onset of a pandemic for a singular dose of vaccine to become available. The government is cautioning that its ability to render local assistance will not be robust. Therefore, the responsibility for contingency planning rests with local entities and operations.

STAT Medical Solutions Team Qualifications

STAT Medical Solutions is well positioned to offer expert consultation to businesses preparing contingency plans for pandemic influenza. Among its principal stakeholders are physician experts in domestic and international emergency medical services, disaster planning, and public health. STAT Medical Solutions has the expertise to guide your business continuity of operations planning committee through the reams of published scientific literature and pubic health recommendations to provide a clear interpretation of the most up-to-date information available. Among our physician consultants’ many qualifications is an understanding and track record of providing medical support for operations with the goal of increasing the likelihood of mission success.

Methodology

Federal commerce, public health, and security agencies have endorsed recommendations and checklists for businesses offering a framework for planning, but like most federal guidance documents, they do not describe how to make those recommendations operational. One federal recommendation for businesses preparing contingencies for an influenza pandemic is clear: identification of a medical consultant to assist in the preparation of contingency plans.

Solutions

The STAT Medical Solutions team can provide confidential and personalized medical consultation to assist small and large businesses engaged in continuity of operations planning in the context of pandemic influenza.

STAT Medical Solutions has the ability to: