Re: WA State uses flu pandemic money to prepare for any disaster

[Guest guest]

I wonder if these officials are in touch with reality? " The challenge

in a pandemic would be to redirect people away from hospitals " ???

The challenge in a pandemic is to quarantine and isolate the sick so

as to contain the pandemic. If America's homes were still built with

a sick room, as many homes were up until 1900, to isolate the sick,

then this might be an option, but not today. Fill the schools,

fairgrounds and homes with sick people and you just have a large group

of sick people in the community who need to be cared for in

quarantine. And if the isolation is not good enough, then the

pandemic spreads.

The state has 300,000 licensed health care

> workers, and 96 hospitals with approximately 14,000 beds — not enough

> to handle a flu pandemic, state officials said.

>

> " They're at capacity now, " kson said, adding that other ailments

> won't stop and women won't stop going into labor if a worldwide flu

> arrives. " The challenge in a pandemic would be to redirect people away

> from hospitals. "

>

> The sickest would still be sent to hospitals, but the next level down

> will be treated in schools and fairgrounds and at home, he said.