Papr Mask
papr mask, Developing and stockpiling vaccines is not a job for any one government. It is not even a job for any one nation. It requires cooperation between nations, cooperation between different government entities within nations, and cooperation between governments and the private sector. Pandemic preparedness requires that all these different elements work together. The better they do so, the better prepared we will be, as a species. Realistically, a COVID-19 vaccine is six to nine months away in a best-case scenario. Pandemic viruses tend to come in waves. Typically, there is more than one wave. So a vaccine will help on subsequent waves, but not the first one. In this first wave, prevention and avoidance are our only options.
papr mask - Local challenges and local solutions People still ask if our nation is prepared. It’s an understandable question, but the wrong question. Local preparedness is the foundation of pandemic readiness. In addition to state governors, leadership must come from mayors, county commissioners, school principals, church leaders, college presidents, corporate planners and the entire medical community. Any community that fails to prepare – with the expectation that the federal government can come to the rescue – will be tragically wrong.
papr mask, Most disasters, like hurricanes or even terrorist attacks, happen within a defined area and during a confined time. A pandemic could be happening in communities across the country at the same time. A pandemic is a unique disaster. And so we must all prepare. When it comes to a pandemic, there is a role for everyone to play. For the world to be prepared, every nation, every city, every business, every school, every hospital, every clinic, every church, and every household needs a plan. Most of our public health functions are conducted at the county level. In our rural counties, a heavy load is carried by multi-county organizations. County commissions need to begin to game out how to assure they are properly resourced.
papr mask - City and town officials may be called upon to make some complicated decisions on whether to recommend or compel public events be avoided. As residents of those cities and towns, we need to listen closely to public health officials and follow their guidance. City and town officials should be thinking about how to keep emergency medical providers such as ambulance, paramedic and law enforcement officers safe and well resourced. For school officials, the decision to close schools should be a local one. They should consider following the guidance of their public health officials. Closing schools has dramatic implications for families.
papr mask - Communicating with families on a contingent basis is important. A valuable question school officials should consider asking the families they serve is: If your children need to be at home all day, do you have a plan for their care? Health care providers are already thinking deeply about this. We know a pandemic situation puts providers in unique danger. We thank them for all that they do and will do. Now is the time for providers to be training, stockpiling and preparing. Employers need a plan, and it is something they should be thinking about now. Next week, Leavitt Partners will have at least one day where everyone works remotely to test and validate what works well and learn what unanticipated limitations employees will encounter when all work remotely concurrently.