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2A SATURDAY, AUGUST 19, 2006 jJit jlggjijL \ L ...... ww " la ■ -.Jr • J - n ,-■ ■; ...» , ltr< —jii L I, 1 T, |t . j - ■ —“~y iW . x 4| *ft HHll@P 1 ji .^| —ft r -•• J I Mi 1 SBSjmßpc^^pS-r' J- | Submitted Perry Middle School students in Terry Clopton’s Georgia History class spent a couple of days recently brushing up on their geography skills. These students, according to a release, are making sure they remember their cardinal and intermediate directions. Students, from left, are: Michael Bennett, Nick Wood, Altony Hall, Avery Jones, Katylyn Offenberg, Erin Taylor, Rachel Lilja, Reggie Davis, Maite Medina and Catelyn Conway. What should you do in the case of a pandemic flu? By KRISTY WARREN Journal Staff Writer Experts say that in the case of a worldwide flu out break, the most important steps are those taken close to home. To that end, the North Central Health District hosted a Pandemic Flu Summit Thursday at the Goodwill Conference Center in Macon. In attendance were repre sentatives from various com munity organizations and businesses, including hospi tals and schools, including those from Houston County. According to the NCHD, the . summit was planned in order to provide an opportunity ; for the representatives to sit . together to discuss planning ideas specific to their organi zations and allow represen tatives to discuss planning Scenarios for each of the District’s 13 counties. • According to a release, Karen Ebey-Tassendorf, Emergency Preparedness • Coordinator with the NCHD ; said, “A future pandemic ; will have an affect on every one and that is why it is • important for our health dis • trict to encourage planning, not only for the healthcare industry, but also for organi zations such as businesses, civic groups, and schools. If faced with a flu pandemic, we would all have to work together and so it’s criti cal that we plan together as «well.” Currently, the focus is on ' the bird flu as being the next possible pandemic. In Epidemiologist for the Georgia Division of Public Health, Dr. Cherie Drenzek’s speech on the Avian Influenza and Pandemic Influenza at the summit, she said that as of yet, the only occur rences of the bird flu strain in humans have not been in the United States and most of them are the result of direct contact with sick or dead poultry. iMl^——ajji'.-tagWfl—lMMriaMMaHHiKlfflM ■ i'Aa—t H ■ v <,' ,% " j ! ■ I ■ ■ v r H I n|Hj 1 ■* WM I ■ f i m tM? V dlOMpnliffifPpj Journal Kristy Warren More than 225 representatives from various sectors of the community attended the summit. Thirteen counties in the district were represented. Need directions? \ f|'V im.i i->d: n ‘ ' i * Journal/Kristy Warren Dr. Joseph Swartwout, District Health Director, says individual families can prepare for the isolation and interruption of servic es that will result from a pandemic by stocking suf ficient food and water. He also emphasizes the dan gers of panic in the situa tion of an outbreak. The only cases of human to-human transmission has been in the case of a caregiv ers’ contraction of the virus. So far, the spread from per son to person has been con tained within family clus ters. In her speech, she also addressed the reasons why there is so much concern. Five out of six of the precur sors for a pandemic have occurred: the flu is wide spread and spreading in birds, there are continued outbreaks among domestic poultry, there is infection of other mammals such as cats, the virus is evolving and there are sporadic human cases. The sixth item for which we are attempting to pre pare, she said, is the “sus tained and rapid person to person transmission.” Drenzek stressed that preparation on the local level is so important because the federal government has already warned that they will be of no help in the case of an outbreak. No vaccine will be available immediately, as the virus is continuously evolv ing, allowing it to become increasingly susceptible to human transmission. Social distancing measures will need to be in place, limiting medical response and caus ing a devastating economical impact as people will not be able to go to work. In a press release, Dr. Joseph Swartwout, District Health Director for the NCHD, said, “I am pleased with the level of participa tion we have with our coun ties and we look forward to the increased participation that will come as a result of this summit. As a health district, we will continue to assist and support localized planning efforts.” For Lisa Harris, Infection Control Practitioner for Houston Health Care, the summit has been an oppor tunity to meet with different sectors. She has been “involved in planning in the hospital for an influx of infectious patients.” But, she said, “it’s not going to be just hospi tals.” The community, Houston County and district partners will all have “to be ready to work together.” Guest speakers at the sum mit included Drenzek, Doug Langley, Director of Security Strategy & Planning for the Bell South Corporation and Buzz Weiss, Public Affairs Officer for the Georgia Emergency Management Agency. The United States has not experienced a flu pandemic for the last four decades. According to a release from the NCHD, the most infa mous pandemic breakout, the Spanish Flu of 1918, killed over 500,000 people in the U.S. and millions world wide. Many public health experts predict that the LOCAL world may experience a flu pandemic in the future. The North Central Health District, in coordination with local health departments, provides services to protect the health of residents in the counties of Baldwin, Bibb, Crawford, Hancock, Houston, Jasper, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Putnam, Twiggs, Washington and Wilkinson. For more information on how your organization can be planning for the pandem ic influenza, call 751-3029. Sleepy Time \U% Off 2 lU’<* I NW>W eSseS , mF. mm mm JF ■ . mm mm mm mm ■ mm mm mm mm mm mm m - Ar m** m . m mkSfc ~ • v ‘ ; -' - *?xi• • *~~~ - ' L*.-. ‘ • _ ji,ii i !->■!! i* ■ mth extra thick mattress slatting at $399 .. . We Don't 'WrWsieep Until You Dol 4025 WATSON BLVO., SUITS 200 ■ WARNER ROBINS, SA (Next door to Tuesday Morning) 478-9?l-iOr6, Community Events ■ HORSE SHOW - Horseman’s Quarter Horse Association Futurity will be held today at the Reaves Arena Covered Horse Arena Horse Barn and Beef/Dairy Barn at 8 a.m. For more information, call 770-227-2159. ■ MEETING - The Warner Robins City Council will meet Monday at 6:30 p.m. in the council cham ber, Warner Robins City Hall, 800 Watson Blvd. A preliminary meeting is scheduled for 5 p.m. in the upstairs conference room. ■CARDIAC SUPPORT - The quarterly cardi ac luncheon will be held Monday at noon at the Health Connections. Lynn Cochran, RN, CDE, will present the program “Rein in Your Risk of Stroke.” Must pre-register by call ing 923-9771. ■ BREAST CANCER SUPPORT -Session will be held Monday at 7 p.m. at the Health Connections. ■ STRESS MANAGEMENT- Burton Carriker, Program Administrator for Houston Healthcare Behavioral Services and a licensed health counselor, will lead Howto Submit ■ To submit your event for the Community Calendar, fax the details to (478) 988-1181, e-mail to cperkins@evansnewspapers. com or mail to Houston Daily Journal, PO. Box 1910, Perry, GA 31069 MYEAlg^^ ■ Aug., 1956 - Tharpe Memorial Baptist Church hosted revivial Rev. Joe Holden was guest speaker for a revivial series at the Tharpe Memorial Baptist Church. The program opened with a homecoming service and included Joel Land performing as song leader for the services. Rev. Jack Thomas, former pastor of the church, preached the homecoming sermon. Holden preached the remaining services, ! QUEEN SIZE MATTRESS "Super Pillontop" «hyw {% * In rile event w* inn atlt, we i ‘H> reofilei for sale Jill. t. jnl li llthllril time only ’ HOUSTON DAILY JOURNAL a class to help understand and deed with stress on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Houston Health Pavilion EduCare Center. Call 923- 9771 to pre-register. ■ ALZHEIMER’S SUPPORT - Group for families, caregiv ers and friends dealing with Alzheimer’s dis ease and related disor ders meets Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Houston Health Pavilion EduCare Center. Sponsored by the Alzheimer’s Association- Central Georgia Chapter. ■ BLOOD DRIVE -An American Red Cross blood drive will be held at First Baptist Church- Perry, 1105 Main Street, Room 223, Wednesday from 3:30-7:45 p.m. ■ CRITICAL CONDITIONS - This program will educate and engage you in planning for health care at the end of life and is held Wednesday from 2-3 p.m. at the Houston Health Pavilion EduCare Center. You will receive a copy of the legal document that combines durable medical power of attorney and the living will. Call 923-9771 to pre register. IL-.. tei 37116