Cover your cough

Work has been crazy lately. While this is normally my busiest time of year, I get an extra dose of busy this fall because of H1N1 (swine flu). No, I don’t have it (yet), but I sure have learned a lot about it over the past five months—having been tossed into the realm of pandemic planning and communication for the large health care system where I work.

So what have I learned exactly? Well, more than I ever wanted to know about N95 masks, antiviral prophylaxis and nasopharyngeal swabs. I’ve also learned that crisis communications is not really my forte. Sure, it’s an exciting adrenaline rush for the first 14-hour day, but after several weeks of never knowing what the day’s emergency will be—not so exciting anymore.

But most importantly, I’ve learned that we probably don’t have a whole lot to worry about when it comes to this latest outbreak. Even so, our hospitals and clinics have to plan for the worst-case scenario, which is very overwhelming.

I leave you with some sound advice for protecting yourself from the flu this fall. I think Dr. Clarke says it best. Don’t you agree?

(No, Dr. Clarke doesn’t work for my employer, but if he did, I’m pretty sure we’d be good friends.) I’m off to go recruit my own rapping doctor now. Talk about a homerun for my communications plan!