FARMINGTON – Franklin County may be prepared for a natural disaster but it is not prepared for a possible influenza epidemic such as avian flu. Overall, Maine and the United States also are not prepared for an influenza pandemic, speakers said Wednesday during an emergency preparedness forum. It was sponsored by the Western Maine Legislative Caucus at University of Maine at Farmington.
University seniors Erin Findlan and Jence Carlson and professor Kathleen Welch presented data that students in Welch’s Principles of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion class gathered during a study of avian flu and the possibility of a pandemic. The class is assessing Franklin County’s readiness for an epidemic.
Avian flu is a form of influenza caused by a Type A strain first discovered in birds in South Africa in 1961. It now has subtypes that have infected people in Indonesia, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia since 2003. Migratory birds have since spread it to Russia, Turkey and Romania, and there is concern of migratory birds carrying the virus to North America across the Bering Strait, the students’ data showed.
In total, 122 people have been infected, and 62 have died, according to the World Health Organization.
If avian flu strikes Maine, projections estimate that there would be 310,513 cases, with 11,333 people hospitalized and 2,651 dead, according to statistics Findlan cited.
The general consensus of the students’ findings, Welch said, was that “Franklin County has not yet prepared for a possible influenza pandemic.” There wouldn’t be enough ambulances, trained staff or hospital beds to handle an epidemic in Maine, she said.
There are 420 licensed ambulances and 700 paramedics in Maine, with the latter mostly volunteers, she said. In Franklin County, there are eight to 10 ambulances with 34 paramedics and 60 emergency medical technicians. Franklin Memorial Hospital has nine rooms available for isolation of two to 10 people in each room.
Fourteen people at the hospital are trained for decontamination procedures, and an accreditation team wants 30 percent – or about 200 members of the hospital staff – trained in the future, Welch said.
If a pandemic hits, stockpiling vaccines would not be the magic bullet, Welch said.
The global economy would shut down for 12 to 18 months, she said. There needs to be a plan in place at the local level, she said, to provide food, basic utilities, security and everyday medical care. A local emergency operations plan should be released for public comment and review, an education and awareness campaign for public needs should be established, and a backup work force should be trained.
Franklin County Emergency Management Director Tim Hardy said the county is prepared for a natural disaster and is continuing to improve planning, communications, shelters and other needed resources.
It is important, he said, that individuals be prepared for emergencies and be self-sufficient for at least 72 hours.
Paul Kuehnert, deputy director of the Maine Department of Health, said there are five key components that need to be addressed for public health emergencies: early detection, coordination of command and control, communication, response and recovery.
The last large pandemic that struck Maine was in 1918, he said, and “It touched each and every community.”
He said that if a pandemic comes to Maine – and experts say the state is due – it is going to have a devastating impact, and people need to plan for recovery.
To help prevent spreading the flu, people need to practice basic hygiene of washing hands, covering coughs and staying home if they’re sick, he said. He also recommended emergency kits that include fluids and basic medications, community support for planning efforts, and community dialogue to reinforce the social fabric of the community.
“We’re all going to have to take care of each other,” Kuehnert said.
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