September 14, 2006 

Greene County Combined Health District Announces

The Release of the First Greene County Pandemic Flu Plan

(XENIA, OH)  The Greene County Combined Health District (GCCHD) has collaborated with over 41 stakeholders to develop a plan for the community to respond to pandemic flu.  The GCCHD teamed up with Wright State University's Center for Urban and Public Affairs to contact stakeholders from cities, villages, townships, chambers of commerce and other organizations to obtain input for the plan. The final version of the plan is posted on the GCCHD web site at www.gcchd.org.  Greene County Health Commissioner Mark McDonnell stated, "Working with the community partners will lessen the effects of a widespread outbreak of infectious disease like pandemic flu. Teamwork will save lives. During the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, communities that worked closely with public health had fewer deaths”.

The plan covers public health recommendations for slowing the spread of the virus, including social distancing, isolation and quarantine.  Some examples of social distancing are voluntary sheltering, when healthy people stay at home to keep from being exposed to disease, and official "snow days", when schools are closed and public gatherings cancelled.  Those who have the flu or are sick may be isolated from the general population to prevent the spread of the virus.  In the GCCHD flu plan, a quarantine is a voluntary observance of a government order for those who are potentially exposed to separate themselves from the population and limit movement during a pandemic.

McDonnell added, "The current 'bird flu' virus H5N1 may or may not evolve to become a human flu virus. Currently, there are no cases of H5N1 bird flu in birds or people in the United States. Only those who have prolonged close contact with birds are at risk. Until the H5N1 virus passes easily among people, it is bird flu not a 'human flu' pandemic. Prevention measures include the concept of social distancing; hand washing; isolation of sick persons; limitation of movement; and quarantine of those affected or likely to become infected.”

McDonnell reminds everyone to maintain good health by washing your hands regularly, covering your coughs and sneezes, eating a balanced diet, exercising and getting the right amount of sleep.

For more information, please call Sara T. Pappa, Public Information Officer, at (937) 374-5662.

Greene County Combined Health District – Your center for public health services and health information in Greene County for over 70 years.

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