Logistics
What should remain operational? Schools/churches/stores/garbage pick up?
Christy Sylvester & Ruxy Pascanu write: In order for people to survive if a pandemic were to occur, food stores and garbage pick up should remain operational. This is to allow people to remain nourished and not have garbage full of germs around them. Also, there should be some sort of schooling and church to continue maybe via internet so that people can remain educated or to worship and not “gather” in a large confined space for easy transmission. In order to buy clothes or other items, the internet should be used and the postal service should remain open as well to deliver the items-as long as it is not any imported food or anything that can easily carry the illness. Also, for emergency purposes, hospitals should remain open and used only if really needed; and for minor ailments, phone consults or some form of non-contact care should be instated.
Dan Szyprowski writes: During a bird flu pandemic, anything that is unnecessary to be kept open should be closed. This includes schools, specialty stores (such as in malls), and probably public transportation systems. These would be essential to close because these places bring a lot of people together and each one may be exposed to a different environment, such as one that contains bird flu. One person can infect another before any symptoms occur and one infected person is one too many in an area where thousands of people come into contact with each other. Some places should remain operational, but not open to the public. Stores that carry and/or produce essential materials like medication for the elderly should remain functional as long as the workers do not get infected with bird flu (it would be up to them to take the necessary precautions). People could come pick up their essentials in a matter that would have as little contact from worker to customer as possible. Banks should remain open only through outdoor window or online services as money will probably still be an issue for people. Any payments that can be done by phone or online would be recommended. Garbage pick up could still resume as the only ones in danger would be the workers. They could wear protective clothing and sterilize themselves after they have made their pick-ups. Of course, medical centers could remain open, but they would have to be very careful when treating any bird flu cases. Lastly, religious buildings could remain open, but probably not for the usual reasons. These places would probably be best suited to house infected citizens with the area quarantined.
What would be the punishment for disobeying the rules?
Christy Sylvester & Ruxy Pascanu write: As for the rules, it would be beneficial for some sort of fine, but since the economy will dwindle because of a pandemic, not everyone will be able to pay. If a fine was to be put into place, the money would be used for research and medical advances for a cure for the pandemic and other medical illnesses. It might be beneficial to require the people who are unlawful or who do not follow the rules to do some sort of labor that will help during the pandemic. It would not be beneficial for jail because that will allow for easy transmission and spread of any illness.
Dan Szyprowski writes: Most likely, the nation (or at least the areas infected with bird flu) will be placed under martial law. There will be new rules set such as public curfews and law enforcement will be conducted by the military. Under martial law, the Writ of habeas
corpus will be suspended. This means that any rule broken could result in immediate imprisonment. Most likely, the only rules that will be broken would be looting as it is human nature for people to fear for their lives and take precautions to survive. However, the military will have the right to use extensive force and shooting to kill is definitely an option, especially with inexperienced law enforcement soldiers.
Who would be resonsible for keeping general supply lines open?
Amanda, Leah & Liz write: The responsibility would come from the authorities and the advice from the Centers of Disease and Control and the World Health Organization; however the whole world/nation would have to work as one.
Dan Szyprowski writes: During an epidemic, keeping supply lines open will be very important. The only way to keep the supply lines open and organized is by using government agencies such as the National Guard. This will prevent unequal distribution among those who need certain supplies. If public groups would enforce the supply lines, then they would be ill prepared to handle any uprising or a panicking crowd trying to get as many supplies as possible. Also, public groups would be more likely to contract the disease as they would not have as good protection as a government run group and they would be more likely to go home, to a store, bank, etc. where they could contract the deadly disease.
What would you do with regard to quarantine? What would it take to institute it?
Amanda, Leah & Liz write: Quarantine refers to the separation and restriction of movement of persons who, while not yet ill, have been exposed to an infectious agent and therefore may become infectious. Both isolation and quarantine are public health strategies that have proven effective in stopping the spread of infectious diseases. CDC defers to the state and local health authorities in their primary use of their own separate quarantine powers. CDC continues to anticipate the need to use this federal authority to quarantine an exposed person only in rare situations, such as events at ports of entry or in similar time-sensitive settings. In the event a passenger infected with a novel influenza strain were to arrive in the United States on board an international conveyance, the Executive Order provides HHS with clear legal authority to isolate an ill passenger to prevent the passenger from infecting others.
Dan Szyprowski writes: Anyone who is infected with bird flu should be quarantined and only receive care from those with protection such as masks, protective suits, and those who received a vaccine for the flu. If at all possible, the patient should remain at home, but if they are unable to receive any treatment or they place others in that home at risk, then they should be moved to a designated quarantine center such as a hospital or a church. For the sake of humanity, this level of quarantining the infected people will need strict enforcement. However, not every law enforcer will be willing to come near the infected person. Therefore, those treating the patient, family members, the patients themselves, or other patients (enforcing the quarantining of others) must be active in this procedure.
What would you do if things turned ugly and there were large numbers of deaths? How would you manage this?
Amanda, Leah & Liz write: The decision to initiate activities aimed at rapid containment
should be triggered by compelling evidence that the situation represents a transition in the behavior of the virus likely to result in efficient and sustained human-to human transmission. The rapid containment strategy is normally implemented in two phases:
1. Immediate execution of standard measures aimed at reducing further
transmission. In this phase, active case finding and contact tracing are
undertaken and antiviral drugs are administered, in a targeted way, to persons
identified during these activities.
2. Execution of exceptional measures, including wider administration of antiviral drugs, quarantine, and the introduction of social distancing measures.
Dan Szyprowski writes: Aside from the loss of a life and the emotions that come after, the world must be practical should large numbers of deaths begin to rise. Only people well protected should handle the deceased bodies as they still carry the virus. Funerals would bring numerous people close to the body that may still have a live virus, so these should be eliminated. The best way to dispose of the bodies would be to cremate them. This can be done quickly, it saves room, and it can kill the virus living in the body. In order to manage this, deaths (by bird flu) should be reported as soon as possible and the body removed as quickly as possible. Perhaps a law should be passed with punishments like fines, jail time, and mandatory body removal would persuade people to set aside their emotions for the safety of others.
If there were a limited supply of vaccine or drugs to control the disease who should receive them?
Amanda, Leah & Liz write: We think the young (that systems are not fully developed), old, the patients with respiratory problems or any type of patient with life threatening conditions/diseases should be the top on the list.
Dan Szyprowski writes: There is a large possibility that there will be a limited supply of vaccine or drugs to control the disease. It is hard to choose who should receive these medications as there may be nobody who does not deserve any. In order to insure that the public does not panic, it would make sense to give vaccines to top government officials, despite the opinions of many. These people would be the most useful in getting more vaccines and speeding up the introduction of new drugs into the market. Those working in close proximity to the flu such as doctors, nurses, and other medical aids should receive a vaccine so that they are not infected which would cause others to be sick and cause a loss in medical experience. Those working with some type of supply line that will be delivered to the public need to be vaccinated so that they do not spread the flu to hundreds of people who may spread it to others. There are probably many other essential people to receive a vaccine, but let us say that all essential personnel were vaccinated and some doses were left over. One possible use for these vaccines would be to give them to the sick who still have a chance to survive. A first come, first serve basis should be next.