Mayo Clinic Special Report Helps Businesses Prepare for Possible Flu Pandemic

Friday, September 22, 2006

ROCHESTER, Minn. — No one knows if bird flu (avian or H5N1 influenza) will be the next crisis. Experts worry that it could turn into a worldwide outbreak among humans — a pandemic. Pandemics are not new. Within the past century, Spanish flu, Asian flu, and Hong Kong flu accounted for millions of deaths worldwide. If an outbreak of this magnitude happens, experts agree that the result could be widespread disruption of businesses through the absence of between 20 percent and 50 percent of the working population for two to six weeks, loss of service from suppliers, loss of emergency services, and stress on key business units.

With this in mind, Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources has published an eight-page report titled "Pandemic Flu — A Special Report on How to Prepare" that draws upon the experience of Mayo Clinic experts in infectious diseases and emergency preparedness as well as the latest recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO). This report provides businesses with reliable and practical advice that can be applied to almost any broad-based disaster that would disrupt normal public services.

The "Pandemic Flu" report will provide organizations with a key communication vehicle for business continuity plans. For more information about providing the "Pandemic Flu" report or any of these services for your organization, call 1-800-430-9699 (toll free).

"Concern about the disease has intensified recently for several reasons," according to Mayo Clinic infectious diseases specialist James Steckelberg, M.D. "One is the appearance of several human cases of H5N1 influenza in regions previously unaffected by bird flu. Another is the news that researchers have determined that the 1918 flu pandemic, which killed 50 million people, was a bird flu that jumped to humans. Health officials and agencies worldwide feel it would be irresponsible not to prepare."

This report tells employers and employees what to expect in the event of a pandemic, answers frequently asked questions on bird flu, helps people cope with the emotional stress of a disaster, and provides action-oriented information on how to prepare, including:

• A checklist of emergency supplies
  
• Forms for collecting family health and emergency contact information
  
• How to reduce your risk of getting sick
  
• How to differentiate between seasonal flu and pandemic flu
  
• Caring for someone at home who has the flu
  
• How families can help children cope

The report can also be customized for organizations that purchase it to include:

• a corporate name and logo to the masthead (Provided by ... )
  
• a 150-word article on the front page which might be used for a message from a CEO or medical director
  
• a 250-word article on the back page which might be used to provide company policies during a flu outbreak, resources, and contacts and telephone numbers employees can turn to for information and company-specific plans under way to prepare for a possible outbreak.

Mayo Clinic Health Management Resources offers corporations a suite of programs that include the Mayo Clinic e-Health Package of online health tools and information, the Mayo Clinic Health Risk Assessment, "Mayo Clinic HealthQuest" newsletter, "Mayo Clinic Guide to Self-Care" book, Ask Mayo Clinic nurse line and Mayo Clinic Tobacco Quitline and telephonic lifestyle coaching.

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About Mayo Clinic

Mayo Clinic is the first and largest integrated, not-for-profit group practice in the world. Doctors from every medical specialty work together to care for patients, joined by common systems and a philosophy of "the needs of the patient come first." More than 3,700 physicians, scientists and researchers and 50,100 allied health staff work at Mayo Clinic, which has sites in Rochester, Minn; Jacksonville, Fla; and Scottsdale/Phoenix, Ariz. and community based providers in more than 70 locations in Southern Minn., Western Wis. and Northeast Iowa. These locations treat more than half a million people each year. To obtain the latest news releases from Mayo Clinic, go to www.mayoclinic.org/news. For information about research and education, visit www.mayo.edu. MayoClinic.com is available as a resource for your health stories.