Swine Flu Threat Requires Emergency Broadcast Communications System

The sudden outbreak of human "Swine Flu" seems to have public health officials on alert. Right now, it seems to be more seriously internationally than it is here in the U.S., with the Centers for Disease Control reporting only 64 confirmed cases here. The World Health Organization has raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 4, indicating the confirmed person-to-person spread of a new influenza virus able to cause “community-level” outbreaks.” The increase in the pandemic alert phase indicates that the likelihood of a pandemic has increased.

There is a lot of hype and media coverage over this new illness, leaving people to wonder about their risk of getting the disease and what will happen if they get infected. Right now, we look to media updates from the CDC and local public health agencies to keep us up-to-date on new outbreaks and advise us on appropriate action. This situation calls for broad communication efforts, which can easily be accomplished with Alerts Made Easy.

Having an easy-to-access broadcast communication system in place can reduce the stress of the situation. We are continually being told not to panic, but panic is not always easy to control if you don't have a good way to distribute information effectively. With an emergency broadcast communication system, public health officials can send the appropriate messages at the appropriate time, stemming chaos but keeping possible outbreaks in check by asking citizens to avoid certain places or seek medical help for specific symptoms. The system could also be used to let citizens know when and where to obtain medications that could prevent the flu or lessen its impact.

And should a pandemic really hit the United States, an emergency broadcast system can quickly disseminate information about school, daycare, and business closings, doctor and hospital access, and quarantine information. Let's hope that's not necessary, but AME knows it's always best to be proactive and prepared for whatever emergency is waiting to erupt!