by Stephanie Croston

    Although it hasn't happened yet, health officials across the country are getting ready for a pandemic flu.
     The Four Corners Health Department, which serves Seward, York, Butler and Polk counties, hosted a town hall meeting Sept. 25 to review some of the planning that's taken place in Seward County. A panel discussion with questions and answers followed the presentation.
     Laura McDougall of Four Corners said a pandemic flu is "a pneumonia-type severe respiratory illness with a higher mortality rate."
     People get flu shots for seasonal influenza, which is slightly different every year but for which there is some immunity. A pandemic flu is one that is never been seen before.
     "That's why the avian flu is under scrutiny," McDougall said.
     With a pandemic, there could be simultaneous outbreaks across many regions of the country. With some disasters, help comes to the affected area from around the country. With a pandemic, that help would be less likely, she said.
     A pandemic could affect the younger population, ages 15 to 50, in a disproportionate amount, causing a loss of some critical services.
     "We need to plan for things. There are many critical services that need to go on," McDougall said.
     Vicky Duey, director of Four Corners, said the H5N1 virus does kill quickly, which helps keep the spread of the disease down.
     The most important area of a plan would affect a person's family.
     "For most, it's hard to go to work if their family is not cared for," she said.
     Businesses and employers should also have a plan in place, as should each community.
     Communication is the key, and an emergency operations center would serve as a central clearing house for information, according to Vicki Duey, Four Corners director. The spokesperson would be the top elected official in the affected area.
     Each county has a local emergency operations plan (LEOP), Gary Petersen, Seward County emergency manager, said. The LEOP covers a wide variety of situations and explains what needs to be done in each.
     The most important thing is staying informed because the situation will keep changing, he said.
     Each family should have an emergency kit that includes essential medications and extra food and water.
     Roger Reamer, chief executive officer for Memorial Health Care Systems, said the hospital does conduct surveillance now, looking for anything abnormal.
     He said there is a wing in the hospital where pandemic flu cases could go.
     When asked about a quarantine situation, Reamer said that would be the hospital's and clinic's friend because it would keep people in their homes.
     Wendy Elston, county attorney, said the county board could issue a quarantine.
     Another question dealt with the use of emergency medical technicians to help in the hospital.
     Kathi Kelly, a hospital employee, said EMTs would probably be needed for patient transportation as opposed to working in the hospital.
     "It will come down to communication," Reamer said.
     Elston said there might be extra training for EMTs if the governor declares a state of emergency. The training would allow EMTs to fill additional roles to help care for the sick.
     Because of the higher mortality rate in a pandemic, funeral homes could also be filled to capacity. Greg Zabka of Wood-Zabka Funeral Home said there are 10 funeral homes in the district, but there are state and national plans in place to help handle the dead.
     In the event of a pandemic, the Seward Police would further prioritize their calls, answering those that need help right now, Chief Alan Baldwin said.
     "We will need to be as creative as possible and use the resources available," he said. "We will come out. It just might take awhile."
     Special populations like the students at Concordia University have their own requirements. John Townsend of CU said the timing of a pandemic would make a difference.
     "Would we stay open? Yes. No. Maybe. It depends on the circumstances," he said.
     With enough of a warning, the school would send its students home, he said.
     Cathy Miller of Seward asked about those with developmental disabilities. She said there are 350,000 people in Nebraska with developmental or acquired disabilities who may require care. If their caregivers are sick, what happens to them, she asked.
     McDougall said that is one of the gaps in the existing plans.
     The HIPAA laws could cause some problems in finding those people, she said, because of the privacy requirements.
     "HIPAA will have to be relaxed to care for the population," Reamer said.
     A pandemic could take out the majority of the workforce, so businesses need to determine how or if they would stay open.
     Julie DeBoer of Seward County Public Power District said most utility companies have discussed emergency responses, but most of the plans deal with outages. She said NPPD would send out limited crews to repair any power outages.
     "Hopefully we'll have good weather," she said.
     McDougall said volunteers will be called on to help get things done.