Comments on: July 24: SDHD recommends school closings and day-care closings.

By: Kobie

Kobie — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:44:47 +0000

Judy,

One school of thought says “they are all critical. If not, why are they being paid?”

I understand that management thought but the reality is a business can run with a skeleton crew. When that crew is defined then put two backups with that name. No one knows who will get sick.

Basicly start cross training for a good robust COOP. For a plan without people is just a plan on paper.

Also- single people can feel pressed to show up “for they do not have a family” They do have a life but not kids. Keeping things fair and balanced is hard; for me at least. The other issue is to still have checks and balances at work. IT takes two people to cut a check so there is not embezzeling. If a person is doing an labor job and an admin job – which pay rate do you use?

Rebecca,

Hi. Public fatigue is a good point. I would err toward complacentcly. You know how safe people are when they start out and then after a while they get sloppy.

Like radiation one never feels the effects of a virus till it is too late. People will fatique of wearing a mask, gloves and social distancing. Comfort is critical in daily PPE. Vigilance is critical in protection.

With all the new technolgy there must be new solutions. I’m not sure I see a way around faith congregations. We are a social species. Building a camp fire, giving a presentation out under the stars is still mezmerizing (sp?).

These are good questioins for dealing with school closures and the repricussions.

Please post more.

Regards,
Kobie
“Always look on the bright side of life
Always look on the light side of life..” – Monty Python and the Life of Bryan.

By: Rebecca Anderson

Rebecca Anderson — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 22:16:12 +0000

During the 1918 Influenza Pandemic, the second wave was the most deadly. Philadelphia was severely hit when it lifted its non-pharmaceutical containment measures too early. When you begin to think about instituting such measures as school closures and bans on public gatherings, it becomes a balancing act to institute them early enough to curb disease spread but not so early that the public’s tolerance (and compliance) fatigues. If you include Religious Worship Services as part of the banned public gathering activities, that does not mean that those congregations can not use alternative means to offer their support to each other – prayer chains, telephone calls, newsletters, etc. There are many ways to offer support to each other in times of crisis that don’t require a large group to gather. We just need to think out of the box.

By: Judy Kunz

Judy Kunz — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 21:50:23 +0000

We have been discussing at our clinic, who would be the key people, who would need to work. All others could stay home. We encourage our people to not use all their sick leave and vacation, so they would not have such a financial crunch. We don’t want our parents to work and expose their children to this epidemic.

By: Kobie

Kobie — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 19:59:10 +0000

SDHDTraining,

Good point about movies over the internet. There was talk of shutting down YouTube and video streaming to allow more internet traffic. The FCC said they are already working to guarantee the internet stays up.

Thanks for the info about Special needs planning in October. A regular schedule and social interaction is important for many kids. Often the parents do need a break.

Mike D,
I see your point and thinking. Closing church services is an interesting issue. The separation of church and state creates issues. Unlike recreational and educational activities faith based groups provide support, grief counseling and positive emotional benefits for many.
Post 9/11 there where many special services as people offered prayers. The same happened in England after Princess Diana died in a horrible car wreck.
Also HHS has reached out to faith based groups in their “Take the lead” campaign. (Source: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/takethelead/)

I like the bookmobile idea.

I hope libraries will do a pandemic diorama before H5N1 hits.

Kathy, you are right there are secondary infections but I do not have a source nor any guidelines on what presents itself when a person is in a weakened state.

Regards,
Kobie
“Hope is a gift we give ourselves”

By: Mike D.

Mike D. — Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:07:26 +0000

I would have recommended closing the Library, using the same guidance that Mike Doyle uses, or perhaps even a little earlier. We would have gone to home delivery of materials (even leaving them at the door in a plastic bag), exchanging them when possible. We are currently working on our website, updating it and trying to fix it so that we can deliver more materials to the home so that people don’t have to come downtown for everything.

Any home with Internet access (about 2/3rds of them, last I heard) would be able to access what the Library has online. This could include health information, nursing information, food distribution, etc.

We are hoping that we can get a bookmobile — one that can be used in all weathers — in addition to our Book Wagon. Both of these could be used to bring materials to homes; unfortunately (from the point of view of the kids) this could include school books and lessons so that education could at least limp along. They could also bring food to those who might need it.

By this time I would think that church services would be curtailed and funerals would be limited to the immediate family. Stores would be badly hit and might have to curtail hours and services because of sick staff — hence my comments about food distribution.

Nursing volunteers should have been mobilized by now as well; training will be needed.