But deadly virus raises concerns, puts business continuity plans back on corporate agenda
The Ebola virus that is spreading through parts of West Africa is raising concern in Canada — there have already been a few scares that turned out to be false — and has put the issue of pandemic planning back on the corporate agenda.
A lethal disease, the Ebola virus can lead to a painful death within days. Canada will probably have a case sooner or later, according to Francois Audet, a professor at the Université du Québec a Montréal and associate expert at OCCAH (Canadian Research Institute on Humanitarian Crisis and Aid) in Montreal.
"However, it’s important to say that the risks of any kind of massive epidemic here in Canada… are quite limited — it’s not zero but it’s very limited. So it’s important not to panic."
The conditions for this kind of virus to evolve are not found in Canada, including a weak sanitary system or health-care system, along with limited communications within the population, as found in West Africa, he said.
"This is where and this is why the Ebola virus is evolving so fast, unfortunately."
The "horror" in Africa is largely because of the poor public health and health-care system, according to Alison Schofield, a principal in Mercer’s health and benefits business in Toronto, adding a lot of the deaths are from dehydration from the vomiting and diarrhea.
"So if we do have exposure in Canada, it will likely be less lethal."
It’s a disease that doesn’t travel well, she said.
"Avian flu had the potential to be a pandemic and Ebola has been declared by the WHO (World Health Organization) as a ‘public health emergency of international concern.’ That’s the phrasing they use, which is far from pandemic."
Ebola is not as contagious because it’s transmitted through blood or body fluids, not through the air, so there’s less concern of transmission on planes, for example, she said.
"It’s likely not going to hit the threshold of anxiety that avian flu hit when we were concerned about that, or SARS hit," she said. "Really, Ebola comes from direct contact with body fluids… it’s hugely risky for health-care workers and hugely risky in those countries where you have very personal funeral practices, where you wash the body… so that’s where we’re seeing transmission, that kind of thing."
Ebola is also not infectious before symptoms occur, so "it’s a different kind of animal," said Schofield, unlike the flu where people contaminate others before they know they are sick.
And while previously there was a 90-per-cent mortality rate, the current outbreak is at about 50 per cent, she said.
"It’s significantly less lethal than it has been in the past, probably because it’s not as isolated. I think it was in back villages in the Congo previously, and now it’s in cities like in Nigeria, so there is more help," said Schofield. "So when it happens, if it happens in Canada, there are better health management techniques and controls."
Lessons from SARS
Canada’s public security and health-care system are well-prepared to deal with a potential threat, according to Audet, such as putting people into quarantine. Experiences such as SARS and H1N1 were, sadly, helpful.
"We actually are more prepared today than if SARS or H1N1 had (not) happened because the implementation of such policy in a country like Canada, which is a very large country, might take time and we are not quite familiar with tropical disease because it’s an arctic country," he said. "It’s actually something that increased our capacity to respond to future risks like that."
Having said that, there are precautions to take, especially in higher-risk areas such as airports or hospitals, said Audet, and it’s critical to identify potential cases as quickly as possible.
"The importance of the speed that the case is identified will reduce significantly the possibility that someone else will have the Ebola through contact or any kind of fluid exchanges… so this is very important."
Employer best practices
At this point, it’s about monitoring the situation. Employers should look at travel practices, particularly if they have business connections or expatriates in West Africa, and restrict unnecessary travel to the region, said Schofield. If somebody comes back from a trip and becomes sick, he should know the warning signs for the virus, she said.
"The initial symptoms of Ebola are muscle pain, fatigue, vomiting and diarrhea, and you could think you have anything else so… you want to say, ‘If you’ve had any of the symptoms of the flu and you’ve been to West Africa or a close family member has been or someone you know well has been to West Africa, you should be self-isolating yourself and you should be using the telehealth network — don’t go to your doctor’s office… that’s where it gets really dangerous."
Employee communications are important and employers can provide links to knowledgeable sources online, such as the Public Health Agency of Canada, WHO or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
"Because these situations change so much and so rapidly, it probably is better to give a web link to current information," said Schofield. "Rather than trying to summarize somebody else’s materials, where employers aren’t experts in these areas, you’re better to link directly and give employees links to direct, reliable sources."
If the virus does come to Canada, it’s important to keep employees informed and updated, she said.
"It’s a very scary disease so you want to keep some information available to employees so they don’t panic."
Unfortunately, employers are likely to delay preparations until there’s an incident, said Schofield.
"I don’t think we’re going to have much interest from Canadian employers — not interest but action — until there are actually cases in Canada."
