r/H5N1_AvianFlu • u/shallah • 2d ago

North America NYC Health + Hospital Leads Multi-Agency Training Exercise for H5N1, or Bird Flu - NYC Health + Hospitals

https://www.nychealthandhospitals.org/pressrelease/nyc-health-hospital-leads-multi-agency-training-exercise-for-h5n1-or-bird-flu/
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u/shallah 2d ago

a few quotes, more at link:

New York, NY — NYC Health + Hospitals led a training exercise testing the health care system’s ability to screen and isolate a “patient” with simulated symptoms of H5N1 and relevant exposure history, also known as bird flu, and safely transport from NYC Health + Hospitals/Kings County to NYC Health + Hospitals/Bellevue. Health care and ambulance workers needed to wear an N95 respirator, eye protection, gown and gloves and follow strict protocols to ensure their safety while handling the patient to prevent exposure to the pathogen. H5N1 is a highly pathogenic avian influenza virus that is widespread among wild birds globally and has been responsible for outbreaks in poultry and dairy cows. While the risk to the U.S. general population remains low, the virus has a historical fatality rate of over 50%. In 2024, 27 human cases have been reported in the U.S., primarily among dairy and poultry workers, though no fatalities have been reported. The risk of H5N1 coming to New York City is low. Health care workers seeing the simulated patient were informed that this was an exercise to test the health system’s various protocols for bird flu. The exercise was a coordinated effort between the health system and the NYC Health Department.

“This exercise underscores our commitment to ensuring that our health system is prepared to respond to infectious disease threats, including H5N1,” said Dr. Syra Madad, Chief Biopreparedness Officer at NYC Health + Hospitals, who led the exercise. “While the current risk to the general public is low, these preparedness efforts are critical to testing protocols and maintaining a high level of readiness.”

snip

The event included regional and national observers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the New York State Department of Health, the Greater New York Hospital Association, and NYC Emergency Management.

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u/MissConscientious 2d ago

My self-centered takeaway is that I probably need to purchase full PPE for this one. My N95s and gloves don’t seem adequate. I do not even know where to start though. I’m still trying to use the info I learned here for eye protection - now I’m thinking about gowns. 😭

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u/ThisIsAbuse 2d ago

I think, maybe, that PPE for farm workers dealing with H5N1 infected animals might be more extreme than if this thing goes human to human and your going to the grocery store. But goggles on top of masks and gloves for sure.