KING COUNTY, WASHINGTON - Today, representatives from a wide range of local businesses and chambers of commerce met with King County Executive Ron Sims and Public Health –
Seattle & King
County
officials to learn about and prepare for the potential health, social and economic impacts of a pandemic influenza.
Participants discussed ways to prepare for impacts that pandemic influenza may have on local businesses, including high absenteeism, psychological impacts on the workforce, travel and transport restrictions, economic losses, and the possible temporary closing of schools and other public gathering places. Needs and concerns about human resource policies, continuity planning and employee education and communication were addressed, and next steps that businesses can take were identified.
“There are few disasters more devastating and more threatening to our way of life than pandemic influenza,” said King County Executive Ron Sims. “It will take a prepared community to lessen to impact it will have on our lives, and I am determined that we are fully prepared here in
King
County
. That will take serious collaboration between the public and private sectors, so I commend our local businesses for stepping up to the plate to face the challenge today.”
A pandemic influenza is a new flu virus that could be much more serious than what is seen in a typical flu season. Different from the typical, seasonal strains of flu, humans would have no or little natural resistance to a new strain of influenza. There is no vaccine available at this time for a pandemic influenza, and it is expected to take at least six months after a pandemic influenza appears to develop a vaccine.
"For businesses, pandemic influenza preparation is about safeguarding its most essential capital – human capital." John Powers, President and CEO of enterpriseSeattle, formerly known as the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County, which works directly with business clients to create jobs throughout King County and its thirty nine cities. "Our region's long term economic vitality depends on us taking all reasonable precautions to mitigate the effects of any influenza pandemic. Business must partner with government to accomplish this important goal."
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that in the
United States
alone, an influenza pandemic could infect up to 200 million people and cause between 100,000 and 200,000 deaths. 25-35% of the workforce could be affected at any given time, and the economic impact in the
United States
could range from $71.3 to $166.5 billion. In
King
County
alone, it is estimated that 1.2 million could become infected and 3,000 could die.
“Pandemic influenza requires a different preparedness strategy,” said Dorothy Teeter, Interim Director and Health Officer for Public Health -
Seattle & King
County
. “Buildings are left standing, and the roads remain open, but the tremendous impact on human health will change how everyone will do business when a pandemic influenza comes.”
Basic services such as health care, law enforcement, fire, emergency response, communications, transportation, and utilities, could be disrupted during a pandemic. Unlike many other emergency events, a pandemic influenza could last for many weeks, if not months.
This forum is part of
King
County
’s ongoing initiative in preparing for the possibility of a pandemic influenza. This work includes outreach and detailed planning with the hospital and health care community, local businesses, government agencies and essential service providers, state and federal health authorities, and the public.
For a pandemic influenza fact sheet, see www.metrokc.gov/health/prevcont/pandemic-flu.htm
For more information on how to stop germs and stay healthy, visit www.metrokc.gov/health/stopgerms and www.doh.wa.gov/FluNews/#materials.
Public Health – Seattle & King County is among the largest metropolitan health departments in the country, providing effective and innovative health and disease prevention services that achieve and sustain safer and healthier communities for over 1.8 million residents and visitors of King County . Answering the needs of an increasingly diverse population, Public Health - Seattle & King County touches people's lives every day through health promotion and prevention activities, disease surveillance, health care, outreach and referral services, environmental health services, emergency medical care, jail health services, and readiness and response to public health emergencies.
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