“The bad news is there will be a next pandemic ... as surely as the sun comes up,” said Dr. Dick Gingery of Montrose County Health and Human Services.
Representatives from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment were in Montrose Thursday to discuss an inevitable pandemic flu situation and how the government can assist to make the event “less” detrimental to communities.
 Dr. Dick Gingery, standing background, of Montrose County Health and Human Services, explains the seriousness of a pandemic flu to community members during an event at the Montrose Regional Library Thursday afternoon. Representatives from the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment made Montrose their first stop in a statewide tour to bring awareness and gather feedback on preparing for a pandemic situation. (Joel Blocker / Daily Press) Advertisement |
The last pandemic flu in the United States was the 1918 Spanish Flu which killed 500,000 Americans, according to Gingery. In the event of another pandemic, the tools are basically the same — isolation and quarantine. However, the situation is slightly different, as populations have grown and travel is easier and faster. So, being prepared is still the best measure to deal with such a situation, he explained.
CDLE Maryann Motza stressed the importance of setting up a business preparedness plan. She said many larger businesses have a plan in place and the resources to integrate it. It is the smaller businesses that her department is worried about.
“How do we keep them in business?” she asked.
The effects on businesses during a pandemic could be detrimental. Gingery explained that pandemic flu differs from the seasonal flu in several ways. There would be a higher death toll of young adults in their 20s and 30s; fatality could occur within 24 hours of the onset of the disease; 30 percent of the population could become sick, resulting in a death rate of about 5 percent; and half the workforce would be affected, either because they are sick, have to care for someone sick, or are worried about being exposed to the illness.
To prepare for a massive dent in the workforce population, Motza and her co-worker, Dean Conder, are traveling the state to see what needs to be done. They will report back to the state in several months on their findings.
Conder explained some current labor laws in place to community members from several entities, such as the police department and the Montrose County School District.
He also noted some possible changes to those laws to accommodate the special situation a pandemic would create.
One of those possible changes would be the liability of employers (making them immune for the spread of the virus) so they don’t have to worry about being sued.
Noelle Hagan, former city council member and current candidate for Colo. House District 58, said she wondered if there could be some sort of “blanket” so that businesses wouldn’t have to worry about being sued in the incident if they were trying to provide a helpful service, such as a daycare center for their employees.
Motza said expanding or strengthening the Good Samaritan law might be a good idea in the case of a pandemic.
It is this kind of feedback the department is looking for. It encourages people to send their ideas via e-mail. For more information on pandemics and being prepared, visit the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment at www.cdphe.state.co.us/epr/pandemic.html. For information on preparing your business, visit www.cdphe.state.co.us/epr/Public/businesspanready.pdf
Contact Kati O’Hare via e-mail at katio@montrosepress.com
• Be respectful of others, the writer and the subjects in the story.
• Be relevant. Keep your comments on point.
• See the guidelines for TalkAbout. Perhaps your comment is best for that community forum, available from the home page, instead of commenting on a particular story.
Comment posters are responsible for the opinions they express and the accuracy of the information they provide. We urge comment writers to treat this as a public forum where manners matter. We encourage a collegial, non-insulting tone. All readers comments must be approved by our staff before posting to the Web site. Be aware, in accordance with the Communications Decency Act and provisions upheld in judicial appeal, that you are responsible for comments posted on this Web site. Montrose Press is not liable for messages from third parties.
DO NOT POST:
* Potentially libelous statements or damaging innuendo.
* Obscene, explicit, or racist language.
* Personal attacks, insults or threats.
* The use of another person's real name to disguise your identity.
* Comments unrelated to the story.
Opinions, advice and all other information expressed in montrosepress.com's reader comments represent the individual's own views and not necessarily those of the Montrose Press. Montrose Press does not endorse and is not responsible for statements, advice or opinions offered by anyone other than authorized Montrose Press spokespersons.
Thank you for your comments!