Alcohol-based hand rub: an alcohol-containing preparation designed for application to the hands for reducing the number of living microorganisms on the hands. In the United States, hand gels usually contain 60%--95% ethanol or isopropanol. These are waterless antiseptic agents that disinfect without the use of water. After applying such an agent, the hands are rubbed together until the agent has dried. Keep alcohol-based hand rubs out of the reach of children.
Antiseptic: a germicide that is used on the skin or living tissue for the purpose of inhibiting or destroying microorganisms. Examples include alcohols, chlorhexidine, chlorine, hexachlorophene, iodine, chloroxylenol (PCMX), quaternary ammonium compounds, and triclosan.
Antiviral medications: Medications presumed to be effective against potential pandemic influenza virus strains and which may prove useful for treatment of influence-infected persons or for prophylactic treatment of persons exposed to influenza to prevent them from becoming ill. These antiviral medications include the neuraminidase inhibitors Tamiflu® and Relenza®.
Clinically ill: Those persons who are infected with pandemic influenza and show signs and symptoms of illness.
Critical infrastructure: Systems and assets, whether physical or virtual, so vital to the United States that the incapacitation of destruction of such systems and assets would have a debilitating impact on national security, economy, or public health and/or safety, either along or in any combination.
Epidemic: A widespread, but contained, disease outbreak.
Endemic: The level of a disease present in a community at any given time.
Face mask: Disposable surgical or procedure mask covering the nose and mouth of the wearer and designed to prevent the transmission of large respiratory droplets that may contain infectious material.
Generation time: Average number of days taken for an ill person to transmit the infection to another person.
Incubation period: The interval (in house, days, or weeks) between the initial, effective exposure to an infectious organism and the first appearance of symptoms of the infection.
Infection control: Hygiene and protective measures to reduce the risk of transmission of an infectious agent from an infected person to uninfected persons (e.g., hand hygiene, cough etiquette, use of person protective equipment, such as face masks and respirators, and disinfection.)
Influence pandemic: a worldwide epidemic caused by the emergence of a new or novel influenza strain to which humans have little or no immunity and which develops the ability to infect and be transmitted efficiently and sustainably between humans.
Isolation: Separation or restriction of movement of persons who are ill with an infectious disease in order to prevent transmission to others.
Latex gloves: Latex gloves have proved effective in preventing transmission of many infectious diseases to health care workers. Use of disposable gloves should be considered for any direct contact with the body fluids of a patient with possible or known influenza. Immediately after gloves are removed, they should be discarded and hand hygiene should be performed. Gloves must never be washed or reused. Gloves are not intended to replace proper hand hygiene.
Pandemic vaccine: Vaccine for a specific influenza virus strain that has evolved the capacity for sustained and efficient human-to-human transmission. This vaccine can only be developed once the pandemic strain emerges.
Personal protective equipment (PPE): PPE is any type of clothing, equipment, or respiratory protection device (respirators) used to protect workers against hazard they encounter while doing their jobs. PPE can include protections for eyes, face, head, torso, and extremities. Gowns, face shields, gloves, face masks, and respirators are examples of PPE commonly used within healthcare facilities. When PPE is used in a workplace setting to protect workers against workplace hazards, its use must be consistent with regulations issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Quarantine: A restraint upon the activities or communication (e.g., physical separation or restriction of movement within the community/work setting) of an individual(s) who has been exposed to an infection but is not yet ill, to prevent the spread of disease; quarantine may be applied voluntarily (preferred) or on compulsory basis dependent on legal authority.
Rapid diagnostic test: Medical test for rapidly confirming the presence of infection with a specific influenza strain.
Respirator: A device that supplies oxygen or a mixture or oxygen and carbon dioxide for breathing. Also called a ventilator.
Seasonal influenza: Influenza virus infections in familiar annual patterns.
Social distancing: Measures to increase the space between people and decrease the frequency of contact among people.
Surge capacity: Refers to the ability to expand provision of services beyond normal capacity to meet transient increases in demand. Surge capacity within a medical context includes the ability of healthcare or laboratory facilities to provide care or services above their usual capacity and to expand manufacturing capacity of essential medical materiel (e.g., vaccine) to meet increased demand.
Surgical mask: Disposable face masks that cover the mouth and nose and comes in two basic types. The first type is affixed to the heat with two ties and typically has a flexible adjustment for the nose bridge. They type of surgical mask may be flat/pleated or duck-billed in shape. The second type of surgical mask is pre-molded, or cub shaped, and adheres to the head with a single elastic strap and usually has a flexible adjustment for the nose bridge. Surgical masks are used to prevent the transmission of large particles.
Transmission: The conveyance of disease from one person to another.
Ventilator: A device that supplies oxygen or a mixture or oxygen and carbon dioxide for breathing. Also called a respirator.
Viral shedding: Discharge of virus from an infected person.
Virulence: The ability of the pathogen to produce disease; or the factors associated with the pathogen to affect the severity of diseases in the host.
Sources Interim Pre-pandemic Planning Guidance: Community Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Mitigation in the United States, U.S. Department of Health and human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, February 2007.
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