Headlines shouting about pandemic flu have become common in recent months and they are likely to remain in the news for quite some time as worldwide, national and local health agencies plan how to cope with vast numbers of ill people.

This planning is similar to the effort that went into the Y2K scenario when every agency and business was prepared with contingency plans to last months, but, fortunately, nothing happened.

The same may come to pass with the pandemic flu planning effort, but no one can risk ignoring the potential. This is a good point at which to make a vital clarification: the phrase pandemic flu does not refer to a strain of flu. The phrase refers to any new influenza virus that is easily spread among humans and causes widespread illness.

For instance, the H5N1 strain of avian flu, or bird flu, which is currently circulating among wild bird species, has the potential to start a pandemic of influenza if it mutates to infect humans and to have easy, sustained transmission from human to human. If a strain mutates and starts a pandemic, it is impossible to predict which segments of the population would be most affected by it. In the past, pandemics have affected people of all ages.

Rhode Island is ahead of most of the nation in planning for pandemic influenza with the Department of Health appropriately serving as the lead agency. Already it has been determined that should a pandemic flu outbreak occur, hospitals around the state will be responsible for coordinating the healthcare of residents in 10 geographic regions.

The state plan calls for The Westerly Hospital to be responsible for the towns of Charlestown, Hopkinton, and Block Island in addition to Westerly. The Hospital is including residents of Stonington in its plan as well.

A pandemic can last as long as one year; it can come in one or more waves, and each wave could last approximately 8 weeks. Because the number of people who would become ill and seek medical care over the course of a pandemic would probably be very large, healthcare as we know it would be overwhelmed for the duration of the outbreak

What does that mean?

It means that during the peak of the pandemic, each hospital would become one large intensive care unit, using rooms and resources to care only for the sickest patients. Elective surgery and other elective procedures and diagnostic testing likely would be put on hold.

To cope with the anticipated overflow of patients, all towns will identify an alternate care site where patients less severely affected would be treated by physician’s assistants, nurse practitioners and nurses.

In most cases, patients would be referred back to their families for care once they have been stabilized and a physician has determined they do not need clinical care.

This scenario would be hard on everyone, but it would be hardest on those who have dedicated their lives to caring for other people – physicians, nurses and medical technologists. They would be torn between doing the right thing in two places. A percentage of them would get sick and a percentage of their families would likely become ill and need their care. During a pandemic of influenza, hospitals would be seeing more patients than normal with fewer caregivers than normal.

None of this is meant to create fear or panic. It is intended to share with the public the scenarios that are being discussed by first responders, healthcare workers and government leaders. It is our job to be prepared for that which we hope and pray never happens.

The important thing to know is that we are preparing.

Perhaps the best medicine for the public is the knowledge that the most effective ways of protecting yourself and your loved ones from an influenza pandemic are to wash your hands frequently, sneeze into your sleeve rather than your hands, and cover your cough. If you can, you should be prepared to stay at home for at least two weeks, with enough food, fluids and basic medical supplies to treat your loved ones at home.

The Hospital will be here for those truly in need. If a pandemic did arise, you wouldn’t want to be here unless you had to be.

David Tranchida is the Manager of Public Relations at The Westerly Hospital