Why a Bird Flu Pandemic Will Overwhelm Our Healthcare System

							Why a Bird Flu Pandemic Will
Overwhelm Our Healthcare System




If you think our health care program has problems now, how do you think it will stand
up in the occasion of a fowl flu pandemic? Bird flu is currently not propagate by person-
to-person get in touch with. Since 2003, 165 individuals globally have approached fowl
flu and about 88 of those individuals have passed away. Those individuals all had close
get in touch with with contaminated wildlife. Researchers worry that it is only a matter
of your energy and energy and effort before the virus mutates into a form that can be
propagate by get in touch with with others. When that happens it could propagate all
over the globe within weeks or several weeks. Government authorities all over the globe
are struggling to find solutions to prevent that from occurring. Antivirals such as Tamiflu
are being stockpiled. Current stock may only cover about 20% of the inhabitants or less.
If a outbreak smashes out, those stockpiles would quickly decline. New antivirals would
take 6 several weeks to get into high volume production and allocated to those who need




it.

In the occasion of an flu outbreak, our health care program will be expanded to the limit.
If we analyze the figures we can see the terrifying situation. Depending on a "mild"
outbreak this is what we are looking at:

Population of the United States: 295,000,000
10-20% of the inhabitants becomes ill: 29,500,000-59,000,000

Percentage of individuals demanding hospital remain 10% 2,950,000

Number of medical center mattresses nationwide: 955,768

Number of ventilators nationwide: 100,000

Some of those figures may be traditional. The amount of the inhabitants that becomes ill
could be 30-50%. The variety of available medical center mattresses would go the same.
Now lets factor in the following facts. Medical facilities would not be seated vacant just
awaiting flu sufferers, many are already complete to potential with everyday diseases,
cancer sufferers, new infants, and cardiac arrest sufferers. Those would not go away,
they would continue. Physicians workplaces, medical center urgent rooms and immediate
care facilities would be filled to potential with individuals who are concerned they have
the flu frustrating the staff and the need for lab results.

Those requiring hospital remain would overflow local hospitals that would have
nowhere to put them. Most hospitals have very only a little space for identifying
sufferers that may be required in the case of flu. Ventilators are scarce to begin with and
only those most likely to live would be given access. At some point hospitals would need
to turn away all but the sickest sufferers. As in the 1918 flu, public structures would
have to be open up for additional medical center wards to deal with the ill.

Are there even going to be enough health care employees to proper maintain the sick?
Many health care employees and first responders may work out of worry sufferers may
contaminate them. A amount will be out fed up themselves or looking after for close
relatives who are ill. Even if they are not ill, they may need to work to deal with children
because educational institutions are shut.

There is no increase potential for resources such as needles, IV hand bags, covers and
antiviral medication. Everything is centered on just-in-time distribution. Because
resources of vaccinations and antiviral medication will be insufficient, huge amounts of
fatalities will occur.

Hospitals around the country are not set up to deal with the potential required for an flu
outbreak and will be confused. Serious planning is required now to deal with this
potential outbreak problems.
Why a Bird Flu Pandemic Will Overwhelm Our
Healthcare System