Pandemic Influenza Planning for Colleges And Universities

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Pandemic InfluenzaPlanning for Colleges And
Universities
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Everyone Needs a Plan!
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Pandemic Influenza Planning

• It is hard to hit the middle ground on this
  subject between inciting panic and not adequately
  informing people.
• We hope it will not happen but hope is not a
  strategy
• -Admiral John Agwunobi,MD,MBA,MPH Asst.
  Sec. DHHS
• We may be the first generation in history to do
  something in advance of this and we have a moral
  obligation to do it
• -Hon. Michael Leavitt, Secretary DHHS

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Cloudy Crystal Ball

• Our Greatest Risks
• Easily transmissible virus
• Students in residence halls living in close
  proximity and sharing facilities
• Caring for large number of ill students would
  strain resources

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How Can Colleges and Universities Plan for a
Pandemic?

• Develop a communication plan for staff, students
  and parents, with reliable information.
• Consider triggers for cancellation of class and
  other public events.
• Develop procedures for mass distribution of
  medical supplies.

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How Can Colleges and Universities Plan for a
Pandemic?

• Identify essential personnel
• Assess PPE and N95 needs
• Quantity of respirators to stockpile
• Personnel to receive N95 fit testing

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How Can Colleges and Universities Plan for a
Pandemic?

• Consider international students on campus and
  students studying abroad
• Travel restrictions may be in place

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WHO Planning Levels
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Do we close?Or do we stay open?

• The H5N1 Avian Flu strain has a high mortality
  rate.
• 60 of cases are fatal
• We cannot predict the severity of the next
  pandemic.
• Will it look like 1918 or 1957?

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Closing / Recess Policy

• A minimum of a 2-week recess will be initiated
  at U of R in the event of the following trigger
  points
• World Health Organization (WHO) declaration of
  Phase 4
• Continued cases of sustained human-to-human
  transmission of a highly virulent pandemic
  influenza in North America

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Therefore

• We will want to make the recess / closing
  decision early
• 2 weeks to make final decision
• 6 to 10 weeks for the wave to pass
• We hope to be able to resume the semester or
  begin a new semester after the wave has passed.

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How Can Colleges and Universities Plan for a
Pandemic?

• Exercise and revise the plan

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What We Still Plan To Do?

• Conduct a Tabletop Exercise
• Complete our Response Plan
• Finalize International Travel Policy
• Finalize Operations Procedures for when the
  University is closed