East Ottawa Star
Published: Friday, September 11, 2009

Preparing for the next wave

With the kids now back to school (for my son it has been two weeks), sadly, it is only a matter of time before the next wave of H1N1 explodes in our community. To be fair to the schools, it seems that they are doing the best they can with increased door-handle washing, extra attention to computer apparatus and posting hygiene reminder signs in prominent locations.  

Nonetheless, as it gets colder and the kids mingle together in the halls and class it is inevitable that we will have challenges. But my focus is not on what our public institutions are doing, but rather what our private employers and businesses are doing, or not doing.

Halloween costumes are already out in some of the bigger stores and kids are sticking their tongues through the masks as they try them on with the next kid mere seconds behind. And the adults are sneezing away without properly doing it into their sleeves to minimize the spread of germs. Yes, it’s fall allergy season and nobody’s perfect, but the risks are out there; think, people.

Ditto for my local Tim Horton’s, and I expect other food service and restaurant establishments as well. It’s time they upped their game and invested in some prominent hand-washing signage and portable hand sanitizer stations as well. From what I’ve seen so far, some of the downtown office buildings like World Exchange Plaza are putting our local retailers to shame on this front.

As for our employers, you might want to ask how flexible your employer will be if you, your partner, kids or grandparents get sick with H1N1. Better to have an understanding now of how much leeway there is with sick days than be surprised later on. And if you have a job that involves a lot of time in front of the computer, are you equipped to work from home and log on to the webmail or VPN server?

This also gets to the heart of emergency and disaster planning and your responsibility. While no one is predicting a massive economy-shattering pandemic, do you have enough water, food, batteries, etc., in case of temporary interruptions in our food supply or electric power? Hey I’m just asking as emergency planners will tell that you should be governed by YOYO (you’re on your own) for the first 48 to 72 hours of a public health or emergency crisis.

Then there is the challenge and responsibility of being neighbourly; not nosy, but neighbourly. If someone next to you is fighting or recovering from the flu this fall and winter and the whole family is taking precautions to self-isolate, offer to pick up some groceries or supplies for them.

With a little more advance planning and forethought we can all weather the worst of wave two of H1N1 that will be here very soon. The challenge is before all of us; let’s meet it and beat it!

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Comments can be sent to Walter Robinson at orleansouttakes@transcontinental.ca.