Geoscience Reference
In-Depth Information
state based on data that's coming in this week.”
*
Given the popularity of Google
web tools, including Google Earth (now being used to track avian flu outbreaks
and mutations worldwide), the public will have techniques never before available
to aid them in their awareness and sensitivity to preparedness activities. Pandemic
preparedness plans must include these tools, and planners must use the tools in
exercises.
Persistence and Pervasiveness of Pandemics
Pandemics are different from other crises. Events such as floods, tornadoes, hur-
ricanes, and wildfires are typically limited to relatively small areas. By definition,
pandemics are crises that affect wide areas, often covering entire countries, conti-
nents, or even the globe.
This geographic coverage greatly complicates preparedness planning. For most
emergency scenarios, planners can depend on other resources and aid from areas
not affected by the crisis. Firefighters often travel to serious fires; first responders
are often brought in to disaster scenes such as floods or hurricanes; and food and
other resources are typically flown to stricken areas. Planners for pandemics must
assume that potentially the pandemic will similarly hit
all
other areas, and people
in other areas will be unable to assist. Pandemic plans must build on locally avail-
able staff, food, water, power, transportation, and other resources. The plans must
call on the affected areas to weather the pandemic organically. As is sometimes said,
the citizens must be “their own first responders.”
Temporal Requirements of Pandemic Preparedness
Pandemic planners must not only assume that little or no outside help will exist
but also accommodate another unique aspect of pandemics: typically, pandemics
are not bounded by a short, easily defined timeframe. Rather, they often occur in
“waves” (each with a several-week duration) separated by some time period. These
waves can be individually devastating; collectively, they can sap a population's
energy and resources as response, recovery, and planning phases begin to overlap
one another.
These waves can be separated by many years, as has been the case for the global
cholera pandemics (e.g., seven of which have occurred from 1817 to the present).
*
Landau, Elizabeth (2008), “Google tool uses search terms to detect flu outbreaks,” http://edition
.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/conditions/11/11/google.flu.trends/index.html. As further stated in
the article, “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention collaborated with Google on the
project, helping validate and refine the model, and has provided flu tracking data over a five-
year period.” Furthermore, “In the 2007 and 2008 flu season, Google accurately estimated
current flu levels one to two weeks faster than published CDC reports in each of the nine U.S.
surveillance regions, Google said in a statement.” Google's Flu Trends can be found at www
.google.org/lutrends.
