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Kentucky OSHA Alert

May 13th, 2007 Posted by Amelia

Would you know what to do if an influenza pandemic were to occur? If such an outbreak were to occur, and according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration there is no sign of a flu pandemic, you can protect yourself by doing many of the things you do to protect yourself from the seasonal flu.

An influenza pandemic is much different than the common seasonal flu so many experience during the fall and winter months. This type of flu is not a major threat because most healthy people have developed the antibodies to fight it. Only the elderly, those with compromised immune systems like HIV, and children are at risk of dying from a common seasonal flu.

A recent Washington OSHA alert warns that a pandemic occurs when a new strain of the virus appears. Since no one has had a chance to develop antibodies, many people end up dying. This is what happened from 1918 to 1920 where more than 50 million people died within 18 months during the Spanish Flu.

The Spanish Flu, named so because of the exposure it received in Spanish newspapers, first appeared at a military base in Kansas and spread globally from there. Wartime newspaper censorship prevented most newspapers, except the Spanish newspapers, from publishing many stories about the flu. Reports stated that even healthy young adults died within days of getting the virus.

Keeping yourself healthy during a pandemic involves the same precautions you’d take when protecting yourself against the seasonal flu.

Cover your mouth when coughing.
Wash hands frequently or use hand sanitizer
Stay home if you’re sick
Stay at least 6 feet away from infected people

The last major influenza outbreak occurred between 1918 and 1920 and killed more than 50 million people, many of who were healthy young adults. This pandemic was called the Spanish Flu because it received so much coverage in the Spanish press.