What Use Is Testing if Plans are not Updated? Flu Pandemic UK Planning
The government has plans for national emergencies and one of those is pandemic flu. For different emergencies there are plans drawn up about the process of handling the response. These plans are routinely tested with exercises to check readiness. However it's not much use if the tests for the plans are ignored and not acted upon.
The foreword of the Flu Pandemic plan from the government reads:
Further details in the document are shown below. One of the main issues with the current Covid-19 Coronavirus is that infection is being passed on by people who have no symptoms as suggested below. International travel has virtually been suspended but it highlights that this will make little difference.
The planning document also raises the concept of social distancing now something that is a mainstream phrase being used across the country.
Appendix 1: Planning assumptions 1. In developing the PHE response to a new pandemic, account must be taken of a number of assumptions described within the UK strategy: 2. The plan should be adaptable, to be used in outbreaks of other infectious diseases. 3. Stopping the spread or introduction of the pandemic virus into the UK is unlikely to be a feasible option 4. Any pandemic activity in the UK may last for a significant period of time and therefore a sustained response will be required 5. A novel virus would reach the UK very quickly 6. Once established in the UK, sporadic cases and clusters will be occurring across the country in 1-2 weeks 7. About 50% of the population may be affected in some way or another 8. Up to 50% of staff may be affected over the period of the pandemic, either directly by the illness or by caring responsibilities, thereby creating potential pressures on the response 9. The severity of the virus will be unknown; the groups of the population most affected will be unknown as will the efficacy of antivirals 10. No vaccine will be available for 4-6 months
You can read the full report here.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/344695/PI_Response_Plan_13_Aug.pdf
The foreword of the Flu Pandemic plan from the government reads:
The prospect of a flu pandemic is one of the highest risks faced by the UK. Ensuring the country is fully prepared and able to respond quickly and effectively is a top priority for PHE and, of course, for the government.In addition the document also states:
Given the uncertainty and the potential impact of influenza pandemic, pandemic influenza has been classified by the Cabinet Office as the number one threat to the UK population.It's quite incredible that this risk has been identified as the number one threat to the UK population yet the current outbreak still has so many issues being discovered that were found during these exercises. One absolutely key item is the lack of ventilator capacity in the UK. If we had acted in 2016 we may be in a much better position now and the cost to the country of investment in ventilators and NHS staff would have been a fraction of the cost of the extreme shutdowns and bailouts being implemented at the current time.
Further details in the document are shown below. One of the main issues with the current Covid-19 Coronavirus is that infection is being passed on by people who have no symptoms as suggested below. International travel has virtually been suspended but it highlights that this will make little difference.
The planning document also raises the concept of social distancing now something that is a mainstream phrase being used across the country.
Appendix 1: Planning assumptions 1. In developing the PHE response to a new pandemic, account must be taken of a number of assumptions described within the UK strategy: 2. The plan should be adaptable, to be used in outbreaks of other infectious diseases. 3. Stopping the spread or introduction of the pandemic virus into the UK is unlikely to be a feasible option 4. Any pandemic activity in the UK may last for a significant period of time and therefore a sustained response will be required 5. A novel virus would reach the UK very quickly 6. Once established in the UK, sporadic cases and clusters will be occurring across the country in 1-2 weeks 7. About 50% of the population may be affected in some way or another 8. Up to 50% of staff may be affected over the period of the pandemic, either directly by the illness or by caring responsibilities, thereby creating potential pressures on the response 9. The severity of the virus will be unknown; the groups of the population most affected will be unknown as will the efficacy of antivirals 10. No vaccine will be available for 4-6 months
You can read the full report here.
https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/344695/PI_Response_Plan_13_Aug.pdf
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