Preparing for a Pandemic

Many people are concerned about what they can and should do to prepare for the most recent potential medical emergency threatening the world today. Though the timeline of this threat to our safety is not known we can and should prepare for it. These preparations consist of being informed of what it is and what you need to do. There are several sites that can be accessed to help you to know what is happening. The main CDC web site is: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/.

BYU-Idaho is prepared by stockpiling a few materials that we normally did not consider for other emergency situations, i.e. N95 masks. We encourage all students, faculty, staff, and visitors to this site, to prepare by putting together a 72 or 96 hour kit that can be accessed in the event of any emergency. A student kit need only be the bare essentials and can cost less than $20.

Many people are concerned about what they can and should do to prepare for the most recent potential medical emergency threatening the world today. Though the timeline of this threat to our safety is not known we can and should prepare for it. These preparations consist of being informed of what it is and what you need to do. There are several sites that can be accessed to help you to know what is happening. The main website is www.flu.gov/pandemic/index.html.

Communicable diseases may be a potential health problem for the university community. As with any community, students studying and functioning in close proximity to one another are susceptible to communicable diseases. This policy is implemented for communicable diseases commonly found in the college population and which can be transmitted by air, object, or through casual contact.

OHSA provides guidance for employers and healthcare workers in the event that a pandemic occurs.

Dr. Dane Dickson, MD, put together a packet of materials to aid in our understanding and preparation. It is titled "Preparing for an Influenza Pandemic".

District Seven Health Department in Idaho Falls, Idaho, has put together an informative pamphlet on the subject.

The CDC has information on controlling the flu virus and stopping the spread of germs at home and in public places.

The Pandemic of 1918

The Department of Health and Human Services has put together a web page on the Pandemic of 1918. It contains the facts on the pandemic; the lifestyle of the day; how the states were affected; along with records provided by those who were there. It is very interesting as well as educational. Discover more about the Pandemic of 1918.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way people interacted with each other and resulted in creating new hybrid work environments. Learn more about the history of COVID-19 at the CDC Museum.