Swine Flu in New York, Kansas

New York public health officials are confirming around 200 cases in Queens* centered around a school and CNN has reported cases in Kansas. Texas Department of State Health Services is closing certain schools around San Antonio and recommending people avoid public gatherings in those areas.

This is a great case for Twitter. Go sign up and follow @BreakingNews, @Veratect, and @CDCEmergency for some really bleeding-edge coverage.

I sent a memo up my chain of command this morning recommending a few actions.

1. Locate and inspect our previously issued N95 HEPA masks
2. Consider writing a standing order, to be issued later, ordering company officers and battalion chiefs to relieve from duty any members reporting sick (our guys hate using sick leave for actual sickness!)
3. Send someone to the store to stock up on Purell now (the City buys this, but they probably don't have a lot of reserves in the warehouse)
4. Issue a standing order directing members to wear their N95's when treating dyspnea patients and to wash hands after every EMS call, regardless of actual patient contact
5. Issue a standing order banning members from lingering in public places until further notice
6. Suspend all public ed and PR events until further notice

Don't hang out close to a patient if you don't have to, wash your hands frequently and thoroughly (or use alcohol-based sanitizer), and, if your patient is not on a NRB and has a respiratory problem then put a surgical or dust mask on his/her face.

This is the sort of thing that can push this teetering economy into a depression as business' continuity of operations begin to strain. That will definitely include fire departments, since this appears to be something that disproportionately affects healthy adults (vice kids and the elderly and infirm).

Oh, one other thing. When you sneeze, sneeze in the crook of your arm and not your hands (that actually is a CDC recommendation!). Sneezing on your hands just transfers that crap to doorknobs, keyboards, mice, and light switches

* (UPDATE at 15:20 on 4/26): That number has come down significantly, with under 20 being confirmed but others suspected.