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Category: Pandemic Resources

Flu Prevention Educational Materials

Protecting yourself and others from respiratory illnesses like the flu starts with you. The following are educational materials such as factsheets, videos and trainings on nonpharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) that you can print, watch, act on, and share with others.

Printable materials

Nonpharmaceutical Interventions and Community Interventions for Infection
Protect Your Children and Others from Flu Factsheet
Protect Your Students from Flu During the School Year
Protect Yourself from Flu at a Public Event
Do Your Part to Slow the Spread of Flu

Training

The NPI 101: An Introduction to Nonpharmaceutical Interventions (NPIs) for Pandemic Influenza course is designed to assist state, tribal, local, and territorial public health professionals in preparing for and responding to pandemic flu in their communities through the use of NPIs. This interactive course educates learners on how to plan for the use of NPIs before, during, and after a flu pandemic to help slow the spread of flu

Register for “NPI 101”

SOURCE: “Educational Materials.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Aug. 2017, www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/tools-resources/educational-materials.html.

March 22, 2021
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Pandemic Planning for Your Community

Pandemic Planning for Your Community

In the wake of this outbreak, many of us have begun asking questions about our role in COVID-19 awareness and prevention. As a school safety company, the nSide team is always here to help communities amid crisis situations. We understand that this is a concerning and stressful time for many, so we’ve put together a review of CDC recommendations that is applicable to both school systems and community members alike.

As of today (March 24, 2020 at 3:00 pm), there are 44,183 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US, and 196 confirmed cases in the state of Alabama. Click here to see the coordinating list of confirmed cases, per county, in Alabama. 

List of symptoms and emergency warning signs provided by the CDC:

These symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure (based on the incubation period of MERS-CoV viruses).

  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath

If you develop emergency warning signs for COVID-19 get medical attention immediately. Emergency warning signs include*:

  • Trouble breathing
  • Persistent pain or pressure in the chest
  • New confusion or inability to arouse
  • Bluish lips or face

Household Planning

Along with awareness of symptoms, the CDC recommends creating a household plan. In the event that you or someone you live with falls ill, it’s best to be prepared in advance. Designate a sick room or space, where you can safely quarantine with low risk of physical contact with others. It’s suggested that two weeks worth of over the counter medications and food are stocked, along with a process for having food delivered if possible. Guidelines also advise arranging any needs for communication among friends and family, as well as organizing childcare plans if needed. In addition to preparing your surroundings, it is necessary to take proper care of emotional health and communicate with others if you begin to feel a decline take place. Isolation due to quarantine can lead to anxious or depressive moods, so establishing emotional support is equally as important as assembling your household plan.These strategies are simple in nature but far-reaching in any effort to care for your home.

In addition to this, the CDC recommends we actively engage in social distancing. Many of us are in current practice of this and abstain from groups of people or large gatherings of any sort. But if you’re wondering how much social distancing does for you and those around you, their guidance would encourage you to consider the rapid pace at which coronavirus has spread. It is never our desire to evoke fear or panic for anyone, however we do recognize that grasping the communicable nature of this illness is a crucial element to pandemic planning. Maintaining this practice and limiting physical contact is one of the most significant things you can do to support any plan. As unfortunate as it feels at times, social distancing is in fact the best way to care for your friends and loved ones right now.

Pandemic Planning for Schools

The CDC also stresses that pandemic planning be assessed as seriously as the day-to-day management of warning signs. Remaining informed about the local coronavirus situation is one of the most critical steps that your schools can take to properly recover from this pandemic. With oncoming news and school closures extending each day, maintaining awareness and a consistent stream of communication with your team is a foundational piece of your school’s plan of action.

Likewise, it’s essential that your faculty continues to communicate with households as often as they receive new information. Once ensured that information is factual and from a reliable source, it needs to be distributed as quickly and sensitively as possible among guardians. In crafting this circle of communication among school communities, you have the opportunity to effectively carry out a culture for school safety within your district.

Finally, as you aim to respond and recover from this event, the students and children in your home should remain the central concern. Adjusting to a new routine and new learning experience can be difficult for many children to take on. As any educator knows, a large portion of caring for students goes beyond their education. Partnering with public health officials to maintain health and meal services for students, while publicly announcing the implementation of these projects, will bolster the support system for many students at home.

Our team is always here to assist you in emergency situations, and we recognize that this pandemic is unique to any experience we’ve had in recent years. Although we can’t be sure of what’s to come, our priority for maintaining your school’s safety is unwavering. We will continue seeking innovative ways to build up this community and provide you with relevant, accurate information to come. As always, if we can be of further assistance to you please feel free to reach out at help@nside.io. If there is anything else we can do to help you cope with these transitions, please do not hesitate to connect with our team.

Links to Relevant Resources

Last week, we released links to our S2:E1 Podcast, School Pandemic Resources Page, Pandemic Planning Assessment, and Public Health Planning folders within the nSide platform. These resources are available with the intent to guide your next-steps and encourage you along the way. We ask that you contact us at resources@nside.io for any questions or additional materials you might find helpful!

March 24, 2020
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Communication and Public Outreach

Any public health emergency presents significant risk communication challenges, and an influenza pandemic will be no different. Clear, accurate and timely communication is key to keeping the general public informed about the influenza pandemic. Listed below a few federal resources that can help.

Crisis & Emergency Risk Communication (CERC)
  • The right message at the right time from the right person can save lives. CDC’s Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication (CERC) draws from lessons learned during past public health emergencies and research in the fields of public health, psychology, and emergency risk communication. CDC’s CERC program provides training, tools, and resources to help health communicators, emergency responders, and leaders of organizations communicate effectively during emergencies. Please email cercrequest@cdc.gov with any questions or requests for training or materials.
Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA)
  • COCA prepares clinicians to respond to emerging health threats and public health emergencies by communicating relevant, timely information related to disease outbreaks, disasters, terrorism events, and other health alerts.
  • Learn more about COCA
Flu Social Media

Newsletter

SOURCE: “Communication and Public Outreach.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 3 Nov. 2016, www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/planning-preparedness/communication-public-outreach.html

March 22, 2020
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Public Health Preparedness

In 2011, CDC established 15 capabilities that serve as national standards for public health preparedness planning. Since then, these capability standards have served as a vital framework for state, local, tribal, and territorial preparedness programs as they plan, operationalize, and evaluate their ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from public health emergencies.

Capability 1: Community Preparedness
  • Function 1: Determine risks to the health of the jurisdiction
  • Function 2: Strengthen community partnerships to support public health preparedness
  • Function 3: Coordinate with partners and share information through community social networks
  • Function 4: Coordinate training and provide guidance to support community involvement with preparedness efforts
Capability 2: Community Recovery
  • Function 1: Identify and monitor community recovery needs
  • Function 2: Support recovery operations for public health and related systems for the community
  • Function 3: Implement corrective actions to mitigate damage from future incidents
Capability 3: Emergency Operations Coordination
  • Function 1: Conduct preliminary assessment to determine the need for activation of public health
  • emergency operations
  • Function 2: Activate public health emergency operations
  • Function 3: Develop and maintain an incident response strategy
  • Function 4: Manage and sustain the public health response
  • Function 5: Demobilize and evaluate public health emergency operations
Capability 4: Emergency Public Information and Warning
  • Function 1: Activate the emergency public information system
  • Function 2: Determine the need for a Joint Information System
  • Function 3: Establish and participate in information system operations
  • Function 4: Establish avenues for public interaction and information exchange
  • Function 5: Issue public information, alerts, warnings, and notifications
Capability 5: Fatality Management
  • Function 1: Determine the public health agency role in fatality management
  • Function 2: Identify and facilitate access to public health resources to support fatality management
    operations
  • Function 3: Assist in the collection and dissemination of antemortem data
  • Function 4: Support the provision of survivor mental/behavioral health services
  • Function 5: Support fatality processing and storage operations
Capability 6: Information Sharing
  • Function 1: Identify stakeholders that should be incorporated into information flow and define
    information sharing needs
  • Function 2: Identify and develop guidance, standards, and systems for information exchange
  • Function 3: Exchange information to determine a common operating picture
Capability 7: Mass Care
  • Function 1: Determine public health role in mass care operations
  • Function 2: Determine mass care health needs of the impacted population
  • Function 3: Coordinate public health, health care, and mental/behavioral health services
  • Function 4: Monitor mass care population health
Capability 8: Medical Countermeasure Dispensing and Administration
  • Function 1: Determine medical countermeasure dispensing/administration strategies
  • Function 2: Receive medical countermeasures to be dispensed/administered
  • Function 3: Activate medical countermeasure dispensing/administration operations
  • Function 4: Dispense/administer medical countermeasures to targeted population(s)
  • Function 5: Report adverse events
Capability 9: Medical Countermeasure Dispensing and Administration
  • Function 1: Direct and activate medical materiel management and distribution
  • Function 2: Acquire medical materiel from national stockpiles or other supply sources
  • Function 3: Distribute medical materiel
  • Function 4: Monitor medical materiel inventories and medical materiel distribution operations
  • Function 5: Recover medical materiel and demobilize distribution operations
Capability 10: Medical Surge
  • Function 1: Assess the nature and scope of the incident
  • Function 2: Support activation of medical surge
  • Function 3: Support jurisdictional medical surge operations
  • Function 4: Support demobilization of medical surge operations
Capability 11: Nonpharmaceutical Interventions

Function 1: Engage partners and identify factors that impact nonpharmaceutical interventions
Function 2: Determine nonpharmaceutical interventions
Function 3: Implement nonpharmaceutical interventions
Function 4: Monitor nonpharmaceutical interventions

Capability 12: Public Health Laboratory Testing

Function 1: Conduct laboratory testing and report results
Function 2: Enhance laboratory communications and coordination
Function 3: Support training and outreach

Capability 13: Public Health Surveillance and Epidemiological Investigation
  • Functions: This capability consists of the ability to perform the functions listed below.
  • Function 1: Conduct or support public health surveillance
  • Function 2: Conduct public health and epidemiological investigations
  • Function 3: Recommend, monitor, and analyze mitigation actions
  • Function 4: Improve public health surveillance and epidemiological investigation systems
Capability 14: Responder Safety Health
  • Function 1: Identify responder safety and health risks
  • Function 2: Identify and support risk-specific responder safety and health training
  • Function 3: Monitor responder safety and health during and after incident response
Capability 15: Volunteer Management
  • Function 1: Recruit, coordinate, and train volunteers
  • Function 2: Notify, organize, assemble, and deploy volunteers
  • Function 3: Conduct or support volunteer safety and health monitoring and surveillance
  • Function 4: Demobilize volunteers

SOURCE: “Public Health Preparedness Capabilities: National Standards for State and Local Planning.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 13 Nov. 2019, https://www.cdc.gov/cpr/readiness/capabilities.htm

March 22, 2020
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Planning Guidance and Checklists

Any public health emergency presents significant risk communication challenges, and an influenza pandemic will be no different. Clear, accurate and timely communication is key to keeping the general public informed about the influenza pandemic. The following are federal resources that can help assist with pandemic communication planning efforts.

SOURCE: “Planning Guidance and Checklists.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 Nov. 2019, www.cdc.gov/nonpharmaceutical-interventions/tools-resources/planning-guidance-checklists.html.

March 22, 2020
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Learn About Caring for Children in a Disaster

Children are more vulnerable than adults in emergency situations. Take steps to protect children.

How are Children Different from Adults?
  • Children’s bodies are different from adults’ bodies.
    • They are more likely to get sick or severely injured.
      • They breathe in more air per pound of body weight than adults do.
      • They have thinner skin, and more of it per pound of body weight (higher surface-to-mass ratio).
      • They have less fluid in their bodies, so fluid loss (e.g. dehydration, blood loss) can have a bigger effect on children.
    • They are more likely to lose too much body heat.
    • They spend more time outside and on the ground. They also put their hands in their mouths more often than adults do.
  • Children need help from adults in an emergency.
    • They don’t fully understand how to keep themselves safe.
      • Older children and adolescents may take their cues from others.
      • Young children may freeze, cry, or scream.
    • They may not be able to explain what hurts or bothers them.
    • They are more likely to get the care they need when they have parents or other caregivers around.
    • Laws require an adult to make medical decisions for a child.
    • There is limited information on the ways some illnesses and medicines affect children. Sometimes adults will have to make decisions with the information they have.
  • Mental stress from a disaster can be harder on children.
    • They feel less of a sense of control.
    • They understand less about the situation.
    • They have fewer experiences bouncing back from hard situations.
Helping Children Cope with Emergencies
Before
  • Talk to your children so that they know you are prepared to keep them safe.
  • Review safety plans before a disaster or emergency happens. Having a plan will increase your children’s confidence and help give them a sense of control.
During
  • Stay calm and reassure your children.
  • Talk to children about what is happening in a way that they can understand.   Keep it simple and appropriate for each child’s age.
After
  • Provide children with opportunities to talk about what they went through or what they think about it. Encourage them to share concerns and ask questions.
  • You can help your children feel a sense of control and manage their feelings by encouraging them to take action directly related to the disaster. For example, children can help others after a disaster, including volunteering to help community or family members in a safe environment. Children should NOT participate in disaster cleanup activities for health and safety reasons.
  • It is difficult to predict how some children will respond to disasters and traumatic events. Because parents, teachers, and other adults see children in different situations, it is important for them to work together to share information about how each child is coping after a traumatic event.
Children and Youth with Special Healthcare Needs in Emergencies

Planning is key. It is important for families to have an emergency care planexternal icon in place in case a public health emergency like a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or disease outbreak occurs. If there is a child with special healthcare needs in your family, you and your family can prepare by developing a written emergency care plan and practicing your plan. For example, a plan can include medicines or assistance devices that your child needs. If possible, let your child help make the plan. Healthcare providers can work with families of children with special healthcare needs to make sure the child’s needs are covered in the family emergency plan and to identify support networks in your community.

Appropriate response. Stay as connected as possible with children and with others, as these connections can help in providing care and support in an emergency while distracting children to lessen their worries and anxiety. Talk to children about what is happening in a way that they can understand. Keep it simple and consider the child’s age and type of disability. For example, it may be hard to know how much information a child with autism is learning through television and conversations. Adults may have to look for clues that provide information on the feelings and fears of these children.

After the disaster. A disaster can have long-term effects on the mental and emotional health of all children. Coping with a disaster can be particularly difficult for children with disabilities. Children who have serious emotional and behavioral problems are at high risk for severe stress after a disaster or traumatic event. In many cases, it may help to maintain as much of a normal routine and environment as possible. It is important that parents, caregivers, and healthcare providers know how to help children cope after an emergency to support their health and well-being

SOURCE: “Learn About Caring for Children in a Disaster.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 9 Mar. 2020, www.cdc.gov/childrenindisasters/index.html.

March 22, 2020
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Guidance for School Administrators to Help Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Influenza in K-12 Schools

This document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, provides guidance to help reduce the spread of seasonal influenza (flu) among students and staff in K-12 schools. Recommendations are based on CDC’s current knowledge of flu in the United States. CDC will continue to monitor flu activity and update this guidance as needed.

On This Page
Background

Each day, about 55 million students and 7 million staff attend the more than 130,000 public and private schools in the United States. By implementing the recommendations in this document, schools can help protect one-fifth of the country’s population from flu. Collaboration is essential. CDC, the U.S. Department of Education, state/local public health and education agencies, schools, staff, students, families, businesses, and communities should work together to reduce the spread of flu and other respiratory infections.

School-aged children are at high risk of flu complications

People of all ages get sick with flu. School-aged children are a group with a high rate of flu illness. Vaccination to prevent influenza is particularly important for people who are at high risk of serious complications from influenza

Reccomendations
  • Encourage students and staff to stay home when sick.
  • Encourage respiratory etiquette among students and staff through education and the provision of supplies
  • Encourage hand hygiene among students and staff through education, scheduled time for handwashing, and the provision of supplies.
  • Encourage students and staff to keep their hands away from their nose, mouth, and eyes.
  • Encourage routine surface cleaning through education, policy, and the provision of supplies
  • Educate students, parents, and staff on what to do if someone gets sick.
  • Teach students, parents, and staff the signs and symptoms of flu, emergency warning signs, and high risk groups
  • Separate sick students and staff from others until they can be picked up to go home
  • Encourage students, parents, and staff to take antiviral drugs if their health care professional prescribes them
  • Establish relationships with state and local public health officials for ongoing communication

SOURCE: “Guidance for School Administrators to Help Reduce the Spread of Seasonal Influenza in K-12 Schools.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 July 2018, www.cdc.gov/flu/school/guidance.htm.

March 22, 2020
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REMS Resources: Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) for Education Agencies

The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) Office of Safe and Supportive Schools (OSSS) and its REMS TA Center have been providing many supports to education agencies as they prepare for and engage in continuity, response, and recovery efforts related to the pandemic.

Source: https://rems.ed.gov/coronavirus.aspx

School EOPs In-Depth: Planning for Infectious Diseases Online Course

Take this online course to learn how to develop an Infectious Disease Annex and begin infectious disease planning at your school.

https://rems.ed.gov/trainings/CourseInfectious.aspx

SPECIALIZED TRAINING PACKAGES

Download this training package to learn and train colleagues on how to incorporate infectious disease planning into a school emergency operations plan.

https://rems.ed.gov/TrainingPackage.aspx

March 22, 2020
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Addressing Biological Hazards That May Impact Students, Staff, and Visitors

School Decision Tree

REMS TA Center Website

What’s on This Page?

Resources from the REMS TA Center, U.S. Department of Education, and federal agency partners on the topic of addressing a variety of biological hazards within K-12 schools and IHEs. The hazard types are organized alphabetically, along with the resources associated with each hazard. View the latest recommendations specific to COVID-19 from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Education, and the REMS TA Center via this page.

SOURCE: “Addressing Biological Hazards That May Impact Students, Staff, and Visitors.” REMS TA Center Website, rems.ed.gov/Resources_Hazards_Threats_Biological_Hazards.aspx.

March 22, 2020
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How To Clean and Disinfect Schools To Help Slow the Spread of Flu

Cleaning and disinfecting are part of a broad approach to preventing infectious diseases in schools. To help slow the spread of influenza (flu), the first line of defense is getting vaccinated. Other measures include staying home when sick, covering coughs and sneezes, and washing hands often. Below are tips on how to slow the spread of flu specifically through cleaning and disinfecting.

1. Know the difference between cleaning, disinfecting, and sanitizing

  • Cleaning removes germs, dirt, and impurities from surfaces or objects. Cleaning works by using soap (or detergent) and water to physically remove germs from surfaces. This process does not necessarily kill germs, but by removing them, it lowers their numbers and the risk of spreading infection.
  • Disinfecting kills germs on surfaces or objects. Disinfecting works by using chemicals to kill germs on surfaces or objects. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces or remove germs, but by killing germs on a surface after cleaning, it can further lower the risk of spreading infection.
  • Sanitizing lowers the number of germs on surfaces or objects to a safe level, as judged by public health standards or requirements. This process works by either cleaning or disinfecting surfaces or objects to lower the risk of spreading infection.

2. Clean and disinfect surfaces and objects that are touched often

  • Follow your school’s standard procedures for routine cleaning and disinfecting. Typically, this means daily sanitizing surfaces and objects that are touched often, such as desks, countertops, doorknobs, computer keyboards, hands-on learning items, faucet handles, phones, and toys. Some schools may also require daily disinfecting these items. Standard procedures often call for disinfecting specific areas of the school, like bathrooms.
  • Immediately clean surfaces and objects that are visibly soiled. If surfaces or objects are soiled with body fluids or blood, use gloves and other standard precautions to avoid coming into contact with the fluid. Remove the spill, and then clean and disinfect the surface.

3. Simply do routine cleaning and disinfecting

  • It is important to match your cleaning and disinfecting activities to the types of germs you want to remove or kill. Most studies have shown that the flu virus can live and potentially infect a person for up to 48 hours after being deposited on a surface. However, it is not necessary to close schools to clean or disinfect every surface in the building to slow the spread of flu. Also, if students and staff are dismissed because the school cannot function normally (e.g., high absenteeism during a flu outbreak), it is not necessary to do extra cleaning and disinfecting.
  • Flu viruses are relatively fragile, so standard cleaning and disinfecting practices are sufficient to remove or kill them. Special cleaning and disinfecting processes, including wiping down walls and ceilings, frequently using room air deodorizers, and fumigating, are not necessary or recommended. These processes can irritate eyes, noses, throats, and skin; aggravate asthma; and cause other serious side effects.

4. Clean and disinfect correctly

  • Always follow label directions on cleaning products and disinfectants. Wash surfaces with a general household cleaner to remove germs. Rinse with water, and follow with an EPA-registered disinfectant to kill germs. Read the label to make sure it states that EPA has approved the product for effectiveness against influenza A virus.
  • If a surface is not visibly dirty, you can clean it with an EPA-registered product that both cleans (removes germs) and disinfects (kills germs) instead. Be sure to read the label directions carefully, as there may be a separate procedure for using the product as a cleaner or as a disinfectant. Disinfection usually requires the product to remain on the surface for a certain period of time (e.g., letting it stand for 3 to 5 minutes).
  • Use disinfecting wipes on electronic items that are touched often, such as phones and computers. Pay close attention to the directions for using disinfecting wipes. It may be necessary to use more than one wipe to keep the surface wet for the stated length of contact time. Make sure that the electronics can withstand the use of liquids for cleaning and disinfecting.

5. Use products safely

  • Pay close attention to hazard warnings and directions on product labels. Cleaning products and disinfectants often call for the use of gloves or eye protection. For example, gloves should always be worn to protect your hands when working with bleach solutions.
  • Do not mix cleaners and disinfectants unless the labels indicate it is safe to do so. Combining certain products (such as chlorine bleach and ammonia cleaners) can result in serious injury or death.
  • Ensure that custodial staff, teachers, and others who use cleaners and disinfectants read and understand all instruction labels and understand safe and appropriate use. This might require that instructional materials and training be provided in other languages.

6. Handle waste properly

  • Follow your school’s standard procedures for handling waste, which may include wearing gloves. Place no-touch waste baskets where they are easy to use. Throw disposable items used to clean surfaces and items in the trash immediately after use. Avoid touching used tissues and other waste when emptying waste baskets. Wash your hands with soap and water after emptying waste baskets and touching used tissues and similar waste.

7. Learn more

SOURCE: “How To Clean and Disinfect Schools To Help Slow the Spread of Flu.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 31 July 2018, www.cdc.gov/flu/school/cleaning.htm

March 13, 2020
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