Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with pandemic

How would a big HMO like Kaiser handle a pandemic?

salvia — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 22:39:46 -0800

I'm sure Kaiser Permanente and other major HMOs have plans related to a potential pandemic, and how they would try to protect their customers' health and/or minimize financial losses. Have the plans themselves been published or leaked? Has anything summarizing those plans been published anywhere?

What's all the pandemic about?

kitcat — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 17:23:09 -0800

Swine flu has given rise to a whole lot more speculation about a coming pandemic than SARS did. Why?

I need a table of deaths by state due to flu in 1918!

elder18 — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 07:44:42 -0800

Where can I find a state-by-state breakdown of deaths in the 1918 flu pandemic in the US? I'm trying to determine the percentage of each state's population that died because of the flu or related diseases. To do this, I need to find how many in each state died so I can compare it with census data.

Why should homemade oral rehydration solution not be boiled?

oats — Tue, 12 Dec 2006 11:40:26 -0800

Why should homemade oral rehydration solution not be boiled? At work we just got pamphlets about what to do to prepare for pandemic flu. There is a recipe for ORS that calls for 2 T sugar and 1/2 t salt in a quart of water. After the recipe there is a note that says: "Do not boil the solution because that will reduce the solution's helpfulness."

How could boiling salty sugar water change it to the extent that it would not be as effective at rehydrating someone? The only thing I can think of is that some of the sucrose might be hydrolyzed to glucose and fructose, but I can't see why that would be a problem.

Corporate Pandemic Planning

nancoix — Tue, 15 Aug 2006 13:01:58 -0800

Corporate Pandemic Flu Planning: I'm looking for model corporate planning guides that our company can learn and borrow from. The best I've found so far is this 3M Corporate Planning Guide -- and want more of the same. I'm not looking for general information (like CDC Checklists or HHS Plans). I want something produced by a corporation to meet business continuation planning needs. So either something like this 3M plan, or some type of template like it. My email address is in my profile, if that's helpful.

What will happen to cities if a pandemic occurs?

stokast — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:57:07 -0800

What will happen to cities if a pandemic occurs? How would the city be cut off from the rest of the world? What would that be like? Would people be advised to stay where they are? If lots of people left, what problems would they have?

Surviving the Pandemic

five fresh fish — Fri, 04 Mar 2005 10:54:16 -0800

Assuming the Avian Flu pandemic become reality within the next year or two, what preparations should a rational first-world citizen undertake? Let's keep away from debate about whether or not a pandemic can ever occur again, and let's keep away from making fun of those who go all survivalist on us (fallout shelters, tons of ammo, three years' food -- all a little over-the-top for a couple weeks of highly contagious flu).

What precautions can one take when the pandemic is recognized for what it is, what actions can one take should it be identified in one's own city, and what should a person have on hand?