Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
influenza virus. Indeed, the question of evacuating Canadian citizens from places
where an influenza pandemic has erupted would be a tricky one. Hong Kong would
surely become a place necessitating emergency planning due to the 250 000 canadian
citizens residing there. The 1.2 million Canadians in the United States would also
call for special policy consideration. If evacuation were implemented, the spread of
the virus could be facilitated practically, but if it were discouraged, then returned
canadians may be quarantined at a relatively remote place for a certain period.
During the SarS outbreak, 13 000 torontonians who travelled to infected areas
quarantined themselves voluntarily for several days to prevent others from possibly
being infected, but such a self-driven initiative would have a very limited impact in
travellers who returned to Canada from affected places would be insufficient during
a pandemic unless all returnees were temporarily quarantined in safe houses.
Sixth, at the apex of the influenza pandemic, all schools in Canada should be
closed, thus disrupting the studies of hundreds of thousands of children. Kindergarten,
elementary schools, high schools, and universities would have to terminate their
classes, affecting teaching and research on an unimaginable scale. each school should
be required to test its emergency plan at least once per year. there should be a plan
in place to continue classes using email and internet facilities. otherwise, a lack of
preparedness would generate massive panic and frustration at the grassroots level.
Seventh, the health authorities should regulate the sale of anti-influenza drugs and
vaccines to prevent their sale through illicit channels including the internet. During
a pandemic, criminal elements may take advantage of the crisis to sell sub-standard
vaccines and drugs through various means. Similarly, the promise of Tamiflu could
trigger criminal syndicates to produce fake antiviral drugs.
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Eighth, at the apex of the influenza crisis, the borders with asia, africa, europe,
the United States, and other parts of the world would have to be temporarily closed to
prevent the virus from being transmitted further afield. Yet this measure would have
calamitous consequences on the domestic economy and transportation industries. air
and ground transport, so crucial in this globalised era, would have to be temporarily
suspended. critics have already questioned the effectiveness of an air travel ban.
Ninth, the already strained staffing situation in hospitals would mean that health
workers would endure even more stressful work conditions. but the government
would have to solicit their unreserved support. complaints about any public
maladministration of hospitals could arise, ranging from inadequate masks to
insufficiently strict quarantine measures for influenza-infected patients. Effective
hospital management would constitute the determining factor shaping canada's
resistance to the influenza epidemic.
Tenth, quarantine measures must be modified and adapted to the circumstances.
the Singaporean model of using cell phones and video conferencing for
communications between patients and their families should be considered. Family
members must be persuaded of the complexities of the infectious disease. without
widespread public education, a sudden influenza pandemic would likely split
society. Some observers have rightly noted that the canadian government needs
