El Paso Prepares For Pandemic

The influenza virus killed millions of people in the 1900's, and it could kill again.

"And the fear is that if the current virus that's affecting birds all over the world, if it were to mutate and start affecting people," said Community Health Preparedness coordinator David Lujan.

Representatives from area hospitals, schools, law enforcement and emergency services were part of a tabletop drill to facilitate a response to a pandemic.

"The good thing about it is to get all these people who need to be involved together in the same place, at the same time and run through what we know and what we suspect," said Dr. Mark Harris, the chief of preventative medicine at William Beaumont Medical Center.

Part of the drill was to go over an overseas pandemic scenario. Each group had to come up with a plan on how to handle the situation.

The impact of the Spanish Influenza on El Paso in 1918 affected about 1 percent of the population. Out of 75,000 El Pasoans, there were 600 deaths. A number like that is what community leaders want to avoid.

"Then try to figure out how El Paso can best protect the lives of their citizens, whether military or civilian, and do it ahead of time," said Harris.

Medical experts say when a pandemic happens, it's going to involve everybody.

The elderly, children and those with existing cardiopulmonary problems are expected to be the most heavily impacted.

But anyone can be a potential victim and that could cripple the U.S workforce. And that can affect essential services to sustain daily life.

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