Pandemic Flu and Critical Infrastructure

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Pandemic Flu and Critical Infrastructure

• Jim Sideras
• RN, MSN, MIFireE, CFO, CMO
• sideras_at_post.harvard.edu

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Objectives

• What additional information do you need?
• What can we do to help?
• Determine Issues for further development
• Now is the time to begin open discussion and
  planning
• If it is not Pandemic Flu, it will be something
  else
• Planning is everything

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Flu strains can (and do) change

• As a strain of flu changes or mutates, it can
  impact other animals and humans
• It is hard to predict the impact to humans and
  whether it will continue to mutate

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Generation of Pandemic Flu
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Prevention and education of Employees
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Each infected person will spread flu to 2-3
healthy people
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What is Critical Infrastructure?

• Sectors that provide the production of essential
  goods and services, interconnectedness and
  operability, public safety, and security that
  contribute to a strong national defense and
  thriving community.

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What is Critical Infrastructure?

• Emergency Services
• Banking Finance
• Chemical HazMat
• Defense
• Water
• Public Health Healthcare

• Information Technology
• Energy
• Telecommo
• Postal / Shipping
• Transportation
• Food and Agriculture

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85

• of critical infrastructure resources reside in
  the private sector

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• which generally lack plans for a catastrophic
  health emergencies such as pandemic flu

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WHOs Tracking a Potential Pandemic
Interpandemic New Virus Low Risk of Human cases 1
no human cases Higher Risk of human cases 2
Pandemic Alert No or limited cases 3 Plan for mitigation
New virus causes Increased human to human cases 4 Plan Implementation
human cases Significant human to human cases 5 Strategy Execution
Pandemic Efficient spread 6
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Biggest Impact to Business

• Will be derived directly or indirectly from
  unprecedented rates of

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absenteeism 15-30
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Absenteeism rates of 15-30 due
tosicknessquarantinestravel
restrictionsfamily responsibilitiesfear of
contracting disease
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Wave Effect of Pandemic Flu

• Typical incubation period 2 days
• On average, an infected person will spread
  disease to at least 2 other people
• Epidemics will last 6 to 8 weeks in affected
  communities
• Multiple waves across the country are likely to
  occur with each wave lasting 2 to 3 months

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Global Impact from China

• 25 of export goes to U.S.
• Accounts for 20 of U.S. total imports
• 45 of Chinas exports are
• Telecomm, textiles, apparel, auto parts, surgical
  masks and gloves
• U.S. just in time supply chains would be
  impacted

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Private sector should (from DHS)

• Establish process for infection control,
  including offsite work options and worker
  education
• Establish surveillance protocols to monitor
  health of employees
• Dev pandemic specific operations plans to
  maintain critical services despite absenteeism

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Private sector should (from DHS)

• Monitor international / national pan threat
  levels
• Coord with officials to share plans, preparation,
  and response/recovery information
• Estb partnerships with other members of the
  sector to provide mutual support and maintain of
  essential services

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Business Considerations

• Maintain essential operations and services with
  40 absenteeism or resources not available
• Maintain essential service operations for 6-8
  weeks between waves
• Bolster depth of reserves for essential workers
  at all levels
• Provide delegations of authority and orders of
  succession planning and workers

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Objectives

• Determine Issues for further development
• What additional information do you need?
• What can we do to help?
• Now is the time to begin open discussion and
  planning
• If it is not Pandemic Flu, it will be something
  else
• Planning is everything

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Pandemic Flu and Critical Infrastructure

• Jim Sideras
• RN, MSN, MIFireE, CFO, CMO
• sideras_at_post.harvard.edu