Words to the Wise: Pandemic Preparedness

Here's a terrific summary of the expert opinions presented at the lastest 2007 Summit, sponsored by the University of Minnesota Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy, on how to prepare for a pandemic. Although the summit was geared toward businesspeople, the advice applies to everyone. Here's one example:

"John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza, a history of the 1918 pandemic, warned the audience that planning documents do not equal preparedness. He cited the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans as exhibit A: 'If there was an event more planned for than a hurricane hitting New Orleans, I don't know what it is.' "

For years, experts had predicted that a category five hurricane would overwhelm the levees and destroy much of New Orleans. Yet no one did prepared for it. We shouldn't make the same mistake twice, but clearly it's up to individuals, not government agencies, to do the heavy lifting.


(Major hat tip to Maggie and Gordon Johnson of the superb Little Tree B&B in Taos, NM, for the heads up on this report.)