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City of Decatur releases initial pandemic response plan

The City of Decatur, along with other local agencies, has made plans in preparation to a potential infectious disease outbreak in Alabama.
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DECATUR, Ala. — The City of Decatur, in collaboration with other local agencies, has reviewed its plans, policies, and procedures, in the event of a potential infectious disease outbreak. 

The foremost goal is to minimize the potential impact from wide-spread diseases, while preserving normalcy and minimizing economic disruption.

The City of Decatur would like to remind residents to continue the daily practices we should all be doing – washing our hands; covering coughs or sneezes; avoid touching our eyes, nose, and mouth; and staying home if we feel ill.

Novel influenza viruses periodically emerge to cause global epidemics, known as pandemics, either directly from a mutated animal influenza virus or out of combination of animal virus with a circulating human influenza virus. 

Such viruses circumvent normal immune defenses and cause illness and death at higher rates than seasonal influenza strains; compared to seasonal influenza, a larger proportion of deaths occur in older than age 65

Novel influenza viruses that cause pandemics are transmitted from person to person in the same manner as seasonal influenza; typically, by contact with large respiratory droplets caused by coughing or sneezing or by touching contaminated environmental surfaces and then touching one’s mouth, nose, or eyes. 

With the exception of a vaccine, antiviral medication, and advanced medical care, many of the strategies used to respond to a modern pandemic are the same as the effective measures of previous generations. 

No intervention short of mass vaccination of the public will dramatically reduce transmission when used in isolation. However, strategies using multiple non-pharmaceutical interventions have been identified as a way to significantly decrease human-to-human transmission. 

An even greater reduction can be achieved by combining such measures with targeted use of antiviral medication for treatment and prevention. 

Reducing the number of people infected will reduce the burden on the healthcare system, while minimizing the impact of a pandemic on the economy and society. Such intervention strategies may include but are not be limited to: 

  1. Potential isolation and treatment with influenza antiviral medications of at risk persons with confirmed or probable pandemic influenza. Isolation may occur at home or in a healthcare setting depending on the severity of an individual’s illness and/or the current capacity of the healthcare infrastructure.
     
  2. Potential voluntary home quarantine of household member(s) with confirmed or probable case(s) or with other members of their ill family members. Consideration should be given to combining this intervention with the use of antiviral medications, providing sufficient quantities of effective medications are available and a viable distribution plan is in place.

  3. Potential dismissal of students from schools (including public and private schools, as well as colleges and universities), along with school based activities, if deemed necessary per consultation with local health officials and the Alabama State Department of Education. Decatur City Schools has established emergency operations plans to enact e-learning, in the event that social distancing is required. Upon any dismissal of students, the continuity of operations plan for Decatur City Schools would mandate a high level of school property disinfection to mitigate any possible surface exposure upon the return of students.

  4. Potential use of social distancing measures and personal hygiene measures for adults in the community and the workplace are essential steps that should be taken. Examples include alteration of workplace environments such as working from home, diligently cleaning work surfaces, emphasizing healthy personal habits such as frequent hand washing, cough etiquette, and decreasing the social density within the work environment. In the event of a severe outbreak, canceling large gatherings must be considered.

  5. In the event that effective antiviral medication becomes available for early distribution, it could be given to healthcare personnel, emergency workers, and individuals required to provide and maintain critical infrastructure. 

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