Keystone Health Preparedness Digest
October 15, 2024
Volume 13, Issue 20
Supply Chains Revisited: In Stock, Out of Stock, Recalled, Part 2
Take advantage of your blue-sky days before the storms arrive
A few years back, I wrote a blog discussing the uncertainty and instability within the supply chain. With today’s current events and the impact Hurricane Helene, the supply chain is again a top priority.
Read the new blog post by Matt Linse, HAP manager, emergency management.
HAP’s Emergency Management team helps Pennsylvania's hospitals and health systems prepare for public health emergencies and serves as a national model for best practices. Learn more about HAPevolve's Emergency Preparedness Solutions.
HOT TOPICS
Hurricane Helene Updates and Resources
National Preparedness News and Updates
COVID-19
U.S. COVID levels drop with few flu detections, CIDRAP: CDC wastewater tracking shows SARS-CoV-2 detections are now at the low level nationally.
COVID-19 hospitalization remains higher among older adults, CIDRAP: CDC researchers found that adults 65 and older continue to be hospitalized for COVID at much higher rates than other age groups, yet antivirals remain underused in this age group.
Study links COVID infection to heart attacks, strokes, CIDRAP: Patients with COVID-19 had a 21 percent greater risk of heart attack, stroke, and death than people with cardiovascular disease without COVID-19 infection.
Early Flu Antiviral Treatment Decreases Risk of Death, CDC: A new CDC study suggests that starting antiviral treatment early reduces the risk of death in adults hospitalized with flu. The study, published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases, looked at data for more than 26,000 patients collected over seven flu seasons (2012–2019) by the Influenza Hospitalization Surveillance Network (FluSurv-NET), a population-based surveillance network sponsored by CDC. The results of this study are consistent with other published studies, including a 2016 meta-analysis of observational studies co-authored by CDC researchers that showed that early antiviral treatment versus later treatment in patients hospitalized with influenza-related pneumonia reduced the likelihood of death and the need for breathing support.
INFECTIOUS DISEASES
H5N1 Avian Flu
CDC A(H5N1) Bird Flu Response Update: CDC continues to respond to the public health challenge posed by a multistate outbreak of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus, or "H5N1 bird flu," in dairy cows, poultry, and other animals in the United States. CDC is working in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the FDA, ASPR, state public health and animal health officials, and other partners using a One Health approach.
Since April 2024, 14 human cases of avian influenza A(H5) virus infection have been reported in the United States. Four of these cases were associated with exposure to sick dairy cows and nine were associated with exposure to avian influenza A(H5N1) virus-infected poultry.
On the animal health side, USDA is reporting that 238 dairy herds in 14 U.S. states have confirmed cases of avian influenza A(H5N1) virus infections in dairy cows as the number of infected herds continues to grow. USDA reports that, since April 2024, there have been A(H5) detections in 36 commercial flocks and 23 backyard flocks, for a total of 18.75 million birds affected.
H5N1 infects second farm worker in California as feds bolster vaccine supply, CIDRAP: Along with updates on recent human infections, federal officials detailed new awards for H5 vaccines, which will double the doses slated for the national stockpile.
Emerging Disease
CDC ups travel advisory for Marburg in Rwanda, announces traveler screening, CIDRAP: The steps are part of a broader U.S. response, which has included assistance from the CDC's office in Rwanda and support for vaccination.
Connecticut reports first human Rickettsia parkeri case, CIDRAP: The disease is similar to Rocky Mountain spotted fever.
WHO reports new MERS case in Saudi Arabia, CIDRAP: The case is the fifth reported in Saudi Arabia this year.
SUPPLY CHAIN
Baxter IV Manufacturing Plant impacted by Hurricane Helene, NBC News: Hospitals nationwide are conserving IV fluid supplies after the hurricane struck a critical Baxter manufacturing plant.
CYBERSECURITY AND PHYSICAL SECURITY
Cybersecurity
The latest CISA Vulnerability Bulletin provides a summary of new vulnerabilities that have been recorded by the NIST National Vulnerability Database (NVD) in the past week. In some cases, the vulnerabilities in the bulletin may not yet have been assigned CVSS scores. Please visit NVD for updated vulnerability entries, which include CVSS scores once they are available.
Free Cybersecurity Services and Tools: As part of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency's (CISA) continuing mission to reduce cybersecurity risk across U.S. critical infrastructure partners and state, local, tribal, and territorial governments, CISA has compiled a list of free cybersecurity tools and services to help organizations further advance their security capabilities. This living repository includes cybersecurity services provided by CISA, widely used open-source tools, and free tools and services offered by private and public sector organizations across the cybersecurity community. Any reference to specific commercial products, processes, or services by service mark, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not constitute or imply their endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by CISA.
Cybersecurity updates: Subscribe to the weekly Healthcare and Public Health Sector Cybersecurity Bulletin.
Recommended by LinkedIn
AI IN HEALTH CARE
4 ways to help nurses make friends with algorithms, AI in Healthcare: Nurses tend to feel optimistic if not exactly excited about AI’s advances into their profession. Those who hold back tend to share a common concern—sacrificing care quality for the sake of tech-enabled efficiency. Market analysts at McKinsey name this among the top findings to shake out o f a survey of more than 7,000 nurses conducted in partnership with the American Nurses Foundation. The project report suggests some steps that nursing and hospital leaders can take toward melding nurses’ irreplaceable contributions with AI’s promising applications. Market analysts at McKinsey name this among the top findings to shake out of a survey of more than 7,000 nurses conducted in partnership with the American Nurses Foundation. The project report suggests some steps that nursing and hospital leaders can take toward melding nurses’ irreplaceable contributions with AI’s promising applications:
HEALTH SYSTEM PREPAREDNESS
Back-to-Back Hurricanes Have Left Medical Disaster in Their Wake, MEDPage Today: Some poignant thoughts for responders and leadership, from a physician in the South Carolina Community.
EDUCATION
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
CISA Active Shooter Guidance 2024
October 16, 2024, 10:30 am – 12 pm ET
Please join the Region 2 National Preparedness Division in partnership with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) for a condensed webinar on steps that participants and their employees can take during an active shooter event.
Preparing employees for a potential active shooter incident is an integral component of an organization’s incident response planning. Because active shooter incidents are unpredictable and evolve quickly, preparing for and knowing what to do in an active shooter situation can be the difference between life and death.
Who should attend? The whole community, workplace management, federal, state and local agencies, community and faith-based organizations.
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Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)
Navigating the Evolving Cyber Threat Landscape
October 23, 2024, 1 to 2:30 pm ET
Please join the Region 2 Individual and Community Preparedness Program and the NJ Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell (NJCCIC) for a look at the current cyber threat environment.
The cyber threat environment, including the tactics and techniques used, is constantly evolving. New lures and scams are developed to target individuals, business, and organizations with the goal of siphoning funds, accessing accounts, and stealing information. This presentation will cover those prevalent threats and tactics, ways to identify them, and how to protect ourselves from becoming victims of cybercrime.
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National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC)
This streaming webinar provides an overview of the National Special Pathogen System (NSPS), a nationwide system for preparing for and responding to special pathogens. Learn about the history, mission, and vision of the NSPS, as well as the minimum capabilities required for health care facilities in the tiered system of care. Also hear from representatives of different U.S. Department of Health and Human Services regions who will share their experiences and best practices for implementing the NSPS in their regions.
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National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference
December 10–12, 2024
Orlando, Florida
The 2024 National Healthcare Coalition Preparedness Conference theme is Visions of Progress: Sustainable Strategies for Emergency Preparedness and Resilience. By learning from the local-level triumphs and challenges of America's health care coalitions, we can adapt these successes into long-term, dynamic solutions that will benefit fellow coalitions across the country. Although our coalitions are each unique and diverse, as a whole we have the same ultimate purpose—to improve the health and safety of the communities we serve.
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ITEMS OF INTEREST
New/Updated Resources from ASPR TRACIE
The latest issue of The ASPR Express highlights the following new and updated resources:
Risk Identification and Site Criticality (RISC) Toolkit is an objective, data-driven all-hazards risk assessment that can be used by public and private organizations within the Healthcare and Public Health Sector to inform emergency preparedness planning, risk management activities, and resource investments. The RISC Toolkit provides owners/operators in the HPH Sector with nationally recognized standards-based evaluation criteria in an easy-to-follow, guided format. It can be utilized by a wide variety of HPH stakeholders including but not limited to hospitals, long-term care facilities, community health centers, health care coalitions, and public health agencies. The RISC Toolkit contains three self-assessment modules. These allow users to identify external threats and internal hazards specific to their site by using objective national-level data; assess the vulnerability of their site based on industry standards and guidance; and evaluate the criticality of and consequences to their site in the event of an incident. The RISC Toolkit compares multiple facilities across systems, coalitions, and regions to identify dependencies and interdependencies in a consistent and repeatable method to help create a more resilient healthcare system.
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