In the conference of the Regions the Pandemic plan updated on January 18. The 'National Strategic-Operational Plan for Preparation and Response to an Influenza Pandemic (PanFlu) 2021-2023' is being examined and evaluated. The text states that “the doctor, acting in science and conscience, evaluates the clinical need of the patients case by case according to the clinical criteria of urgency, severity and therapeutic efficacy.
This, in compliance with the standards of ethics and professional ethics. The interventions are based on scientific evidence and are proportionate to the clinical conditions of the patients, whose dignity is protected and their autonomy recognized ". Meanwhile, the virus is running fast from North to South. The Ministry of Health announces that today they are registered 14.078 new positive cases (yesterday 13.571). The swabs carried out are 267.567 (yesterday 279.762) while the discharged healed today are 20.519 (yesterday 25.015). Overall, the positive cases are currently 516.568 (yesterday 523.553). The deaths of the last 24 hours are 512 (yesterday 524).
Pandemic plan and vaccines
Vaccines are the “most effective preventive measures, with a particularly positive risk / benefit ratio. They have not only a health value, but also an intrinsic ethical value of particular importance. Their distribution must meet transparent, motivated and reasonable criteria, and must respect the ethical and constitutional principles of equality and fairness.
Furthermore, direct and indirect risks must be balanced with specific attention to avoiding a negative impact for those who are most vulnerable on a bio-psycho-social level ". This is a very significant passage in the new draft of the Pandemic Plan currently under review.
Social distancing
“As the Australian experience suggests, the measures of distancing physique were able to minimize the impact of seasonal flu. So they could mitigate, at least in part, the course of an influenza pandemic ". The indication is also contained in the new draft of the 2020-2023 Pandemic Plan. It has also been seen that "surgical masks or community masks, when used correctly by everyone, together with other preventive measures - the draft also reads - have a substantial population effect in reducing the transmission of infection".
Also the experience of 2020, is highlighted in the draft of the Plan, "has shown that we can and must be able to mobilize the system to increase the production of masks and personal protective equipment nationwide. As well as increasing the number of beds in intensive care. This, to ensure that there are no inefficiencies in the assistance and care of people affected by ordinary diseases (other than Covid-19) as well as common ".
Training and monitoring
Finally, we talk about the preparation for all pandemic events, even for those due to an unknown respiratory disease. "Continuous training is needed to control respiratory infections and more, in hospitals and communities. Continuous monitoring carried out by the central level on the activities pertaining to the regional health services. Without forgetting, in general, a strengthening of preparation in the area of infection prevention and control ".
