Swine flu threat increases, business told to remain vigilant

Businesses are being encouraged to remain vigilant against the onset of swine flu and ensure sick employees are kept at home, after the number of victims of the virus has risen by over 700 in just one day.

Australia’s chief medical officer Jim Bishop has said the virus has increased the workload of hospitals dealing with influenza and the number of cases is set to increase.

“We’d anticipate that, as with the normal flu season, this will start to peak really in August, so we’ve still got some way to go,” he told The Australian.

Yesterday, Australia had 9,828 cases of swine flu – up by 778 since Monday, with 20 people dead since the outbreak of the virus. Despite the rise in cases, Bishop said there is still no vaccine yet, and it may even come too late.

“We anticipate that the Australian population will be one of the first populations around the world where the vaccine is available,” Bishop said. “I’d also say that the chances are that the way this is going, the manufacture of this, it’ll come after the peak.”

The warning comes as pharmaceutical group CSL prepares to start vaccine trials on 240 adults in Adelaide next week, which the company said should be commercially ready by October.

But the World Health Organisation has said the pandemic is now “unstoppable”, after 90,000 cases have been reported worldwide alongside 429 deaths.

Head of risk management company Continuity Planners Australia, Graham Nisbet, says businesses must remain cautious about swine flu and be on the alert.

“This is not going to go away. Businesses certainly need to get that in their minds, and even when it does come away it may very well come back for a second wave. Swine flu continues to be infective and people are continuing to catch it.”

“What businesses must do is pay attention to their normal safeguards, but also do other things. They need to change this ‘soldiering on’ concept at work where people come in sick. That will work against businesses in the short- to medium-term. Instead of glorifying those who are sick and come in, it’s time to change that culture and glorify those who stay home when they are ill.”

The current state of the swine flu pandemic has led the Federal Government to recommend that businesses bring in ‘Phase 6′ preparations against the virus.

These include:

• Consider the business’s viability and prepare to either reduce or suspend work if a business is hit by the outbreak and does not provide ‘key services’.
• Prepare for longer wait periods for goods from overseas, and even organise alternative providers.
• Isolate air circulation systems into quiet areas of the business.
• Introduce more cleaning and disinfecting products.
• Use personal protective equipment for staff in customer interaction roles.
• Provide health information of employees.
• Encourage home quarantines for staff feeling ill.