RESPONDING TO AN INFLUENZA OUTBREAK

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1 Created by LifeWind International Date: 4/09 (1 HOUR) OBJECTIVES: After working through this lesson, participants will be able to: 1. Describe the steps that individuals can take to protect themselves during an outbreak. 2. Describe the steps that a nation or state/province should take when there is an influenza outbreak. 3. Work through possible endings to a swine flu outbreak. OVERVIEW FOR TRAINERS: Teach this lesson after Influenza Pandemics. Role Play: A group of local health officials is meeting together. 1 st Now the World Health Organization says that we re in Phase 4! It is nearly a pandemic! 2 nd Now what should we do? 1 st How do I know? I ve never been in a pandemic before! 3 rd Let s just wait. This will settle down over time. 2 nd Wait? How can we wait? There are people who are sick and dying! SHOWD questions---- S = What do you See? H = What is Happening? O = Does this happen in Our place? W = Why does this happen? D = What will we Do about it? I. Response to an influenza outbreak Divide into small groups. You are health officials, in the midst of a Phase 4 outbreak, where there has been person-to-person spread of swine flu. In a speech or group presentation, act out your response to one of the following two situations. 25 I. Response to an outbreak. See the drawing, Phases of a Pandemic. Act out your response as health officials giving a speech or making recommendations. A. Advice for individuals: What A. Advice for individuals: are ways to avoid catching swine flu? What steps 1. Avoid crowds and group situations should they take? (Think mostly of prevention, not cure.) Schools and group meetings may be closed. Avoid public buses and This lesson is part of an extensive series created by LifeWind International for use in Community Health Evangelism (CHE). In CHE, facilitators skilled in participatory learning methods enable communities to escape cycles of poverty and live as followers of Jesus. For information about CHE and how you can be trained as a facilitator, go to communityhealthevangelism.org, or contact LifeWind International.

2 2 subways. 4. Cover your mouth when you cough or sneeze. 5. Use a tissue. Throw it away in a wastebasket. 6. Health care workers and people who are sick should wear masks. 7. Other people may choose to wear masks. 8. Masks help to remind people not to touch their face. 9. Masks can also help prevent the spread of flu germs. 10. Wash your hand frequently with soap and water. 11. You can also use an alcoholbased hand sanitizer. 12. You can get a flu vaccine, but this may not prevent against swine flu. 13. Keep a stock of food and water at home so that you don t have to go out as often. 14. If you get sick, call your health care provider. 15. Your health care provider may give you an anti-viral medicine like Tamiflu. 16. The medicine may help you recover more quickly and avoid complications. 17. If you get sick, stay home! Do not go out into public places. 18. If you get sick, avoid contact with other people. B. Advice for regions: What B. Advice for regions: steps should be taken on a national level, or by the states and provinces? What can they do to prevent the spread of a pandemic? (Again, think of prevention, not treatment.) 1. May sure that there are enough anti-viral medicines available. Stockpile as much medicine as possible. 2. Pigs may also be vaccinated so there are fewer pigs with swine flu. 3. Work on developing a vaccine against swine flu. 4. Set up a way to detect and report new cases of swine flu. 5. Make sure that hospitals and clinics are ready to diagnose and treat people with swine flu. 6. Work with international agencies like the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 7. WHO and the CDC may help

3 3 II. Return to your small groups. 25 II. Influenza story Now you will act out how the swine flu outbreak progresses over time. Role play your answers. Give the groups one of the Influenza Story cards. They will take the parts of public health officials and ordinary town people during an outbreak or pandemic. Use the Phases of a Pandemic drawing as a reference. with diagnosing swine flu. 8. Call for schools and public places to be closed. 9. Provide surgical masks or hand sanitizer. 10. Sometimes travel is restricted, but restricting travel won t help much if the flu virus is already widespread. A. Congratulations! Your efforts to block the spread of the influenza outbreak seem to have been effective. The World Health Organization has just lowered it to a Phase 3. What should you do now? Act out your response. 1. Keep watching! 2. You may be able to relax some or the restrictions, like opening the schools again. 3. But be careful! There may be another wave of swine flu. B. Despite all your best efforts, the swine flu outbreak continues to spread to more countries, with many more people involved. Now the WHO has declared it to be Phase 5. What will you do? 1. Pray! Trust that God is in control. 2. Keep up all the precautions. 3. Make sure the hospitals are prepared. 4. Are there enough medicines and medical supplies? 5. Are there enough people to care for those who are sick? 6. Work to develop a swine flu vaccine. C. The cases of swine flu seemed to be decreasing, but now a new wave of cases is starting. What will you do? 1. Influenza outbreaks often occur in waves. 2. You may need to take more precautions again. 3. Keep people from gathering together in groups. 4. Go back to the earlier steps. D. Whew! The swine flu outbreak seems to be over. But what can you do to prevent future outbreaks? 1. Thank God for his protection. 2. Work to develop a swine flu

4 4 vaccine. 3. Develop ways to detect swine flu earlier. 4. Make sure that you have enough flu medicines. 5. Vaccinate pigs to prevent spread of influenza among pigs. 6. Another flu outbreak may come. But be ready for the next time. III. Trusting in God 5 III. Trusting in God A. So far we have been talking A. Who is in control? mostly about health precautions for an influenza outbreak. But during an outbreak, who is really in control? 1. God is in control. 2. He promises to take care of us. 3. He promises to watch over us. 4. He knows our needs. 5. He will never leave us or forsake us. B. So how should we respond B. Our response during an influenza 1. We should trust in God. outbreak? 2. We can pray to him for help. 3. We can also pray for others and share with them the hope we have in Christ. References: Wikipedia Swine flu outbreak. Available from: Wikipedia Influenza pandemic. Available from: World Health Organization Current WHO phase of pandemic alert. Available from: ATTITUDE: Be ready for an influenza outbreak or pandemic. SKILL: EVALUATION: Participants will know advice to give to individuals during an influenza outbreak. They will also know the steps that public health officers should take. They will know the normal progression of an influenza pandemic. Are the participants able to role play the part of health officers responding to an influenza outbreak? MATERIALS: -Newsprint, markers, masking tape -Phases of a Pandemic -Influenza Story This lesson is used in: Health Promotion/Health Problems/Influenza/Swine flu and in Influenza/Avian (Bird) Flu

5 5 PHASES OF A PANDEMIC From: World Health Organization Current WHO phase of pandemic alert. Available from: INFLUENZA STORY Congratulations! Your efforts to block the spread of the influenza outbreak seem to have been effective. The World Health Organization has just lowered it to a Phase 3. What should you do now? Act out your response. Despite all your best efforts, the swine flu outbreak continues to spread to more countries, with many more people involved. Now the WHO has declared it to be Phase 5. What will you do? Act out your response. Whew! The swine flu outbreak seems to be over. But what can you do to prevent future outbreaks? Act out your response. Oh, no! The cases of swine flu seemed to be decreasing, but now a new wave of cases is starting. What will you do? Act out your response.