At the Local Level
All disasters begin and end at the local level. That's also true for swine flu (H1N1). Your local response is critical.
As our hospital's Safety Officer, I'm involved in local planning and also part of our Incident Command System (ICS) structure, created by FEMA to standardize disaster response. ICS training is free and online. You might also hear it called the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS). But the idea is the same: a structure that allows different organizations to talk to each other and do what needs to be done.
Whether a hospital, fire department or school, the ICS structure suggests similar tasks for roles that are called the same thing. ICS is designed to expand to fit the scope of the disaster and works in any situation. If it hasn't been already, expect to see your ICS activated. And while your laboratory isn't caring directly for most of these patients, you should be aware of the big picture.
For instance, your hospital may develop scripts to answer patient questions and concerns of the "worried well." People will naturally turn to healthcare professionals for answers. And we all want to be saying the same thing.
Your local providers may direct patients to an office designated as an influenza center, which can make specimen collection easier to control.
One worry is that a rapid influenza antigen test may be considered diagnostic. We just don't know if these kits can detect H1N1. But if we give out a result of "Influenza A Negative," there's a chance the patient will hear that they don't have the swine flu.
Your success at implementing plans and communicating them will define how you manage the outbreak at your local level. That's where it begins and ends.