Practical Pandemic Preparedness Applied To Ebola

Many employers may be familiar with pandemic preparedness, having dealt with several serious influenza outbreaks and H1H1 virus over the past several years. Ebola virus, however, presents a different type of challenge for employers. For one, based on current medical evidence, Ebola appears to be much more deadly (some sources reporting at least a 70% mortality rate) than other viruses to which employees are commonly exposed. Coupled with extensive media coverage of the Ebola outbreaks in the United States (two confirmed transmissions in Dallas to date), employers around the country are currently dealing with how to handle employee and customer questions and concerns about the spread of Ebola.