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PANDEMIC ALERT LEVEL
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’Social Distancing’ Experiment

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    Posted: September 05 2006 at 1:58pm
 
'Social Distancing' Experiment To be Unveiled at NY Conference on Pandemic Flu
Monday September 4, 10:30 am ET

 

French Government to Partner with Safe America in Conducting Trans-Atlantic 'Social Distancing' Experiment

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 4, 2006--The Safe America Foundation is planning to conduct the first 'social distancing' experiment to test the effectiveness of this form of public health intervention in relation to the 'Pandemic Flu' and the potential impacts on business operations. The planned 'social distancing' experiment--to be announced here Wednesday at Safe America's flu-preparedness conference for business leaders--will be done in a transatlantic pairing of U.S. and French companies, according to Foundation President Len Pagano.

"Medical and government experts agree that social distancing, which involves several important actions including keeping a greater than normal distance from others, can be the first line of defense in reducing the spread of a pandemic," said Motorola Fellow Gary Grube, Chairman of the Board for the Safe America Foundation. "But is it practical in the workplace? What are the difficulties implementing such a plan? What resources will be needed? Those are some of the questions we hope to answer at this conference and through this experiment."

French Chief Medical Officer and National Flu Coordinator Dr. Didier Houssin will oversee the French Government's involvement, while Safe America coordinates the involvement of U.S. firms. The American offices of the international consulting firms Booz Allen Hamilton and PA Consulting have been asked to help design a social distancing experiment that will help identify and evaluate techniques for businesses to cope with the potential of an influenza pandemic. Factors such as practicality, business disruption, costs, and technology implications will be considered.

"Social distancing has been touted as a logical strategy - and yet it hasn't been properly evaluated," said Safe America President & CEO Len Pagano. "We're pleased to facilitate this test - with the French Government, the CDC, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - so we can make sure we're ready for any pandemic outbreak."

Pagano noted that the social distancing experiment is part of the 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' initiative, a national program designed to orient American firms to what can be done to plan for a Pandemic - whether from Avian Flu or other causes. Safe America will launch its national 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' campaign at NBC Studios at 30 Rockefeller Plaza with a one-day business briefing on Wednesday, September 6.

Over 200 New York area business and government leaders are expected to convene to explore the pandemic question from a business perspective. The conference will be conducted by the Safe America Foundation, a national nonprofit organization focused on safety and preparedness which leads the 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' campaign. It is co-sponsored by Motorola, Booz Allen Hamilton, Roche Laboratories, 3M, Solvay Pharmaceuticals, Affiliated Physicians, Aramsco, PA Consulting, WNBC 4 and Columbia University. The program, which is open to all interested parties, begins at 8:30 a.m.

During the conference, Dr. Didier Houssin, Chief Medical Officer and National Flu Coordinator for France, will discuss the aggressive preparations his government is taking in response to the pandemic threat. He is also expected to announce the French firm that will conduct the social distancing experiment in that country. The experiment will take place on a yet-to-be-determined date this winter.

Featured Speakers for New York 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' Conference (9/6) include:

  • Dr. David Nabarro, Senior U.N. System Coordinator for Avian and Human Influenza
  • Mr. Al Martinez-Fonts, Jr., Assistant Secretary for Business Relations of the Department of Homeland Security
  • Dr. Irwin Redlener, Director of the National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University
  • Ms. Lisa Koonin, Director of Business Partnerships, Centers for Disease Control and Injury Prevention (CDC)

Dr. Betty Siegel, President of the Safe America Institute - the research and educational arm of the Safe America Foundation - adds that the lessons learned not only in the experiment, but also in the series of business discussions conducted by Safe America such as the New York event, could potentially save thousands of lives in the event of a pandemic influenza outbreak.

"Our focus is to save lives," Dr. Siegel said. "We believe our work in the 'Prepared.Not Scared.(TM)' initiative is tangible activity that will bring international business resources together in a meaningful way - just the way the UN is working with government leaders globally."

The conference also seeks to bring the topic of a potential pandemic influenza outbreak back to the forefront of national discussion. "This is truly a global problem, and everyone in every country faces the threat of a potential pandemic," Safe America President Len Pagano stated. "We can't allow ourselves to be lulled into thinking that a pandemic is not a threat. It is a very real, and a very serious threat."

Additional conferences are scheduled or planned for Philadelphia, San Diego, Los Angeles, Tulsa, Kansas City, Chicago, Atlanta and Omaha. A national 'wrap-up' briefing is being planned for Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. during the Spring, 2007.

To register for the New York conference on September 6th - or for additional information - business executives and community/civic leaders may go online to www.safeamerica.org.


Contact:

The Safe America Foundation
Atlanta Office:
Lisa Segall, 404-323-0528 
lisa.segall@safeamerica.org
or
Dave Garrison, 404-368-6950 
dave.garrison@safeamerica.org
or
New York:           
Jeff Bogart, 212-486-0030 
jeff@bogart.cc
or
Chicago:   
Rich Roberts, 312-983-7115

Source: The Safe America Foundation

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 3:58pm
Cruiser,
 
Great article. Thanks for posting, Argyll.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 7:06pm
Lets face it, this article can save lives and will make or break the success or failure of the best of plans for whatever pandemic comes our way.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote admin Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 8:04pm

Should be interesting to see what they learn from this.   The normal response is usually "nobody is properly prepared". I suppose it's a start. Focusing on business preparedness is okay, but we've been down this road before.  The war on pandemic flu is going to be on the frontline, which is with the healthcare system.  The hospitals and med community need to create a solid plan to handle the overflow of patients. Planning on saving businesses is good for the long run, but focusing on saving lives should be the first step, which again, comes down to hospital planning and properly caring for the overflow of patients. Not only would they save more lives going this route, but the more we save, the faster we eradicate a panflu.  France can keep the vaccine..

 

This is all just in time for AFT’s new medical tent business, eh? lol.   Not only do we need to make some money for people around here, but there is really no other way in getting the hospitals to create a solid plan to handle the overflow.  There are no companies that actively sell medical tents as pandemic flu has never really been an issue in the past, so they're not really available.  Long story short, we're about to make them more available.  There really doesn’t seem like there are too many other “realistic” options in hosp. panflu planning. 

 
A   

 

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote MelodyAtHome Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 8:08pm
I am sitting here deathly sick with a simple cold. I am one of the those people who doesn't go anywhere:O) I live in the country, go to the store once a week along with post office bank. I wash my hands anytime I know I've touched something in a public area...I try to use my sleeve or elbow opening doors, etc...anyway...as careful as I am and I have not had a cold in 20 years I got one. I was thinking what if the BF was out there. We would have to be completely isolated....not going out not once. I don't think most people think about that. They may think they can go to the store once and they will be "careful" As you can see Ms. Careful over here got sick. It really made me think how glad I am to be a part of this group to "hopefully" have a heads up when the pandemic has started so I can isolate my family completely when the time comes.
Melody
Emergency Preparedness 911
http://emergencypreparedness911.blogspot.com/
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Guests Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: September 05 2006 at 9:53pm
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