ANDREWS AFB, Md. –
More than 60 Team Andrews leaders and representatives from the 316th Wing and base tenant units recently attended a tabletop exercise on disease containment, presented by Randy Sena, 316 WG chief of exercises, plans and inspections, in preparation for the upcoming influenza season.
In his introductory remarks, Col. Steven Shepro, 316 WG/Andrews commander, addressed the importance of the exercise.
"With the recent events at the United States Air Force Academy and the confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus there, that's the area where we're really going to direct our efforts. Why? Because it's a real threat - especially in a closed, office-type environment," Colonel Shepro said. "If you've been listening to the news, you've heard how the H1N1 can come back with a real vengeance for which we may not have the perfect remedy. This can be serious. That's why we're here today - come flu season, we may be at a point where we have to make tough decisions and have thresholds for those decisions. We have to be active and foresee the 'what ifs' in this situation," he said.
The H1N1 virus, also referred to as the "swine flu," is a respiratory disease caused by type A influenza that causes regular outbreaks in pigs. According to the situational overview presented at the tabletop exercise, people do not normally get H1N1 flu, though human infections can and do happen and transmission is the same as the seasonal flu. Typically, the elderly and young children are at risk for the seasonal flu, but according to the World Health Organization, the majority of H1N1 cases have occurred in otherwise healthy young adults, with age 16 being the median age. It is estimated that H1N1 has a roughly 25 percent higher rate of transmission than seasonal flu and that more than 60 percent of the cases affect five to 25-year-olds. The second wave of H1N1 is expected late September to early October.
Colonel Shepro also addressed how the flu could impact daily operations.
"We need to consider preventative measures - for instance, what can we do virtually? You have to consider, 'how well can I do operations at 80 percent, 60 percent or 40 percent of my folks?' -- because operations and the mission will still go on," he said. "Our goal is that we would be able to react as a team so we don't get bogged down in checklists."
At Andrews, there have been 61 confirmed or probable cases of the H1N1 flu infection, while the entire state of Maryland has seen total 686 cases, Virginia has seen 306, and Washington D.C. has seen 45 cases. As of the July 10 reporting date, the H1N1 flu infection has caused four deaths in the Maryland, D.C. and Virginia areas. At pandemic levels, the absenteeism rate is estimated to hit 40 percent.
Other exercise objectives included identifying areas to improve disease containment, as well as defense planning, education, training and exercises.
During the Disease Containment Plan Exercise, the group considered planning for, responding to and recovering from a flu pandemic, of which force health protection, mission continuation and availability of resources were among the topics of discussion.
There are four phases in the Andrews Pandemic Response Matrix: Stage 0, where the base operates under normal conditions, Stage 1, which incorporates awareness and education measures, Stage 2 integrates protective response measures, Stage 3 employs logistical sustainment measures, and Stage 4 is the recovery period.
According to historical data presented, three human pandemics occurred in the 20th century, each resulting in illness for approximately 30 percent of the world population and a death rate between 0.2 percent and 2 percent. The 1968 pandemic caused 34,000 U.S. deaths and 70,000 worldwide, the 1958 pandemic caused 70,000 U.S. deaths and 2 million worldwide, and the most often-cited 1918 pandemic caused 675,000 U.S. deaths and 50 million worldwide. As a comparison, seasonal influenza causes an estimated average of 36,000 annual deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations.
The Center for Disease Control reminds individuals that protection is a shared responsibility. According to the CDC, everyday steps can be carried out to protect one's health and lessen the spread of this new virus, including covering the nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing and then throwing the tissue in the trash after use. The washing of hands often with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing, is also encouraged; alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective. It is advised not to touch eyes, nose or mouth as germs spread in this manner, as well as avoiding close contact with sick people. Should one feel ill with flu-like symptoms, the CDC recommends staying home for seven days after symptoms begin or until one has been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer, in an effort to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.
Social distancing measures, a community-based strategy to increase physical space between people to prevent a person-to-person spread of an infectious disease, should also be considered including discontinuation of shaking hands and coming within close contact, within three feet, of people to have conversations.
For more information, visit the resources for service members, civilians and families at
http://fhp.osd.mil/aiWatchboard/servicemembers.jsp. For more information on local planning and response coordination, contact Mr. Sena at
301-981-1444.