As we prepare for what the World Health Organization refers to as the "second wave" of the H1N1 influenza, there are a few things to keep in mind to minimize the disruptions in your life.

The H1N1 virus is now the dominant viral strain seen around the globe. If you or someone you know becomes sick with a flu-like illness, it is most likely to be H1N1. Although this illness can be severe in rare cases, it has proven to be similar to the seasonal flu—not much different than what we have all endured and recovered from in the past. There are certain individuals that have a higher risk of severe illness, including pregnant women and those suffering from diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, chronic cardiac diseases, and the immunosuppressed (but not HIV).

Now that schools are in session in the Northern Hemisphere, we can expect that they will amplify the spread of this virus. Decisions to close schools will be based upon local considerations and represent something of a double edged sword. On one hand, closing a school with high infection rates may slow the spread of infections and buy some time. On the other hand, the closing of schools may take as many as 16% of the work force away from work due to child care, and will similarly impact the numbers of health care workers that can respond to this threat.

It is almost a certainty that you will encounter family members and coworkers who have the flu. Sources such as the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) have recommendations for caring for ill persons in the home. Although this virus is infectious, it seems to be less so than many viruses. Some measure of isolation of the ill person combined with controlling coughs and sneezes and hand washing can successfully keep other household members from becoming infected. In the workplace, encourage coworkers and colleagues to remain at home if they are ill. Try to maintain a distance of at least 1-2 meters from anyone who is obviously ill until he or she can go home. Simple face masks can reduce the number of respiratory droplets that may cause the virus to spread. More expensive and technical respirators are reserved for health care workers working with directly with sick patients.

An important fact to keep in mind is that this is not a dread disease and unless you have an underlying condition that would put you at high risk of severe illness, this flu will be more of an inconvenience than a life threatening event. Complete recovery continues to be the rule in more than 99% of the cases.

The seasonal influenza vaccine is now available and everyone that can should have this vaccination. Later in the fall, the vaccine for the H1N1 strain will be available. Initially it was thought that two doses of this vaccine were going to be needed, but recent data suggests that a single dose will be sufficient. This will effectively double the amount of available vaccines.

There is an explosion of information about this pandemic event. AllOne Health recommends sources such as the CDC in the U.S. and similar public health agencies in other countries to get accurate information. The general media tends to inflame fear and be less informative.

AllOne Health will continue to keep you updated on this situation at its website, http://www.allonehealth.com/. As experts in pandemic flu preparedness, AllOne Health can assist you with any questions you have about preparing your organization for a pandemic.