Swine Flu Update

With the news swirling with reports of H1N1 (swine) flu spreading in our schools and universities, preparing the workplace now for the possibility of an outbreak is critical. Bright spots in recent flu news are that H1N1 is unlikely to recombine with seasonal flu, Tamiflu is still fully effective against the virus and one dose of the vaccine will confer immunity. Good news aside, the history of this virus makes it likely that this flu season will be a record breaker.

Even if employees do not catch the virus, dependent care will be an issue for many requiring flexibility and time off to care for family. Some experts say to expect between 25% to 35% of your workforce being absent during an outbreak.

According to a Harvard study, many American businesses are unprepared to deal with widespread absenteeism in the event of an outbreak. And our Canadian counterparts are similarly stump sitting with only 10% of small businesses having a H1N1 preparedness plan.

As a responsible business professional, being aware of the issues you may face and preparing your business now is wise and may put you ahead of your competitors. Educate yourself and your employees on who’s at risk, the coming vaccine, side effects, and potential partial immunity. Remember, knowledge is power and an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

Introducing the new 2009-2010 Flu Prevention Starter Kit from Personal Best®, a collection of special resources that promote the power of prevention in the workplace. Includes 6 eye-catching and informative flu prevention posters, brochures, and a swine flu preparedness checklist.

Resources:

• Recently updated (August 19, 2009) resource for businesses: CDC Guidance for Businesses and Employers To Plan and Respond to the 2009–2010 Influenza Season recommends actions that non-healthcare employers should take now to decrease the spread of seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu in the workplace and to help maintain business continuity during the 2009—2010 flu season.
• Also updated is the CDC document “Preparing for the Flu: A Communication Toolkit for Businesses and Employers” designed to provide information and communication resources to help businesses and employers.
• Each week CDC analyzes information about influenza disease activity in the United States and publishes findings of key flu indicators in a report.

Here are the best Tweets of the week:

• Four-fifths of businesses foresee problems maintaining operations if H1N1 flu outbreak http://bit.ly/453PlG
• Wellness at work begins at the top http://bit.ly/12lzpE
• Tax code rewards wellness – and doughnuts http://bit.ly/22AKh
• World-first swine-flu vaccine trial reveals one dose provides ‘strong immune response’ http://bit.ly/gTl3i
• Cutting ‘hidden’ salt could lower nation’s BP. The majority of dietary sodium comes from packaged foods and eating out. http://bit.ly/4vRzf8
• Cinnamon oil has antiseptic properties. Make tried-and-true recipe for homemade hand sanitizer called “thieves oil”. http://bit.ly/zIehK

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