Small Businesses Need to Contain the Spread of Swine Flu

We Work in Close Quarters

The U.S. has declared a public health emergency to facilitate the shipment of approximately 12 million doses of flu  medications from a federal stockpile to states in case they may be eventually needed. Thankfully, that does not yet appear necessary. As Mexico has reported 86 people died as a result of the swine flu, possible swine flu cases have surfaced from as far away as New Zealand. Canada has confirmed six cases of swine flu and the U.S. confirmed 20 cases in 5 states, all with mild symptoms, who are recovering easily. In both the U.S. and Canada, the confirmed cases appear to have originated with students who had recently visited Mexico.

As the cases of swine flu reported outside of Mexico appear to be mild and have not resulted in any fatalities, public health officials do not consider the flu to be a pandemic threat. Nevertheless, the public should take precautions to contain the spread of the flu virus.  I had the opportunity to discuss this topic, in the context of the SARS threat, when working in Beijing not long ago. Many factories in mainland China experience significant workforce absenteeism owing to SARS-related illnesses. Working remotely is not an option for assembly line workers, but for other factory employees, such as office staff, it might be. Preparing for remote operations, or telecommuting from home, is a precaution that you should take in dealing with less severe threats. If employees don’t have to come to work, where they will be in close contact with other, possibly contagious people, in public transport or in the work place, allowing them to work from home may slow the spread of the illness. Some employees may have to work from home if they are caring for sick relatives.

I wish I had done that this past week. I spent the week in a newsroom where people work in very close proximity to one another. All week long, I had people coughing around me, but I felt great. Of course, this being the ideal weekend for outdoor activities with beautiful weather, I became ill on Friday within a few hours of coming home. I spent the weekend in bed, drinking lots of fluids and taking over-the-counter remedies. I think I have something more mundane than the flu, but it was unpleasant. I should take my own advice. For more information on how small businesses may prepare for public health risks, please see the attached article from New York Times Small Business feature. Reporter Patricia Olsen interviewed me in connection with a SARS-type threat, but the lessons remain applicable.