The federal government has taken a leading role in helping states and local communities plan for a public health disaster. Washington’s concern grew from the anthrax attacks of 2001 and the 2005 bird flu scare that sparked fears of global infection.
In Congress, the chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, Democrat George Miller of California, said he will hold a hearing next week on how schools and businesses are prepared to handle the swine flu virus.
On a conference call April 27, officials from the Education Department and the CDC answered questions from more than 1,400 people from school districts, state education offices, and education groups.
Education officials said many asked what circumstances should prompt schools to close. They were encouraged to follow the CDC’s recommendation that schools close if they have a confirmed case or if they have a suspected case that is linked to a confirmed case.
In the end, making the decision is a balancing act, not an on-off switch, said Robert M. Pestronk, a former public health officer who heads the National Association of County and City Health Officials.
“Because there is one case in one school, or 10 cases, doesn’t lead to a decision to close a whole district,” said Pestronk. “It’s a case of balancing the risk that is potentially present against the need for communities to operate normally on a day-to-day basis. You’re trying to protect people’s health and not completely shut down communities.”
There might be alternatives to closing schools.
Researchers at Georgia Tech modeled the effects of two options: a voluntary quarantine of affected households in a severe flu, and school closures. They found that both would work about as well.
“It’s information that boards of education should consider,” said Julie Swann, a professor of industrial engineering who collaborated in the study. “In some cases, you might want to do both kinds of interventions.”
Link:
Federal government’s pandemic preparation page
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