The Canadian government has issued an advisory warning citizens to prepare for a hypothetical new virus that could lead to disruptions in food and fuel supplies.
The Center for Safety and Health at Work launched a second edition of its Flu and Business Continuity Plan Manual for Infectious Disease Outbreaks.
The guide provides employers with information on what they should prepare for in the event of another pandemic.
In the new edition, published in June, they focus on a “hypothetical virus” that, they warn, could cause more disruption than Covid-19.
He says that “based on trends in previous influenza pandemics, there may be a higher average of illnesses and deaths in different age groups than we typically see during annual influenza seasons.”
People wearing face masks to protect themselves from coronavirus at a grocery store on March 27, 2020 in Markham, Ontario, Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the media during an announcement at the Goodyear Canada Inc tire production plant in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, August 12, 2024.
The guidance also warns that employers should be prepared for a scenario such as a disease outbreak or pandemic that forces people to stay home.
Says: ‘If there is a pandemic, how many people will be out of work? It is impossible to say for sure.
‘Estimates vary because no one will know for sure how sick the new virus will make people, how fast it will spread or how many people will miss work until that happens.’
A future pandemic “will come in two or three waves with an interval of between three and nine months between each outbreak,” he added.
The hypothetical virus could also last in these cycles for up to two years, the report warns.
He adds that people need to prepare for disruptions such as workforce reductions, supply chain issues and shifts in consumer demand.
These disruptions include telecommunications, banking, water, gasoline, medicine and food.
A future pandemic “will come in two or three waves with a separation of three to nine months between each outbreak,” he added.
This comes after US doctor Anthony Fauci recommended that people start wearing masks again due to rising Covid cases.
Infection numbers are rising as part of another summer surge, though hospitalizations and deaths from the virus remain at record lows.
The 83-year-old told people with comorbidities and senior citizens that they “should wear masks” in crowded places.
He also revealed that he had contracted Covid about two weeks ago. It was his third Covid infection and he has been vaccinated and boosted a total of six times.
World Health Organization officials warn that if the virus continues to spread, it could lead to new mutations and severe infections that evade vaccine protection and therapy.
Deaths have been rising since May but began to decline in the week ending July 20. They are now hovering around 500 a week, compared with more than 25,000 in the fall of 2020.
Dr. Fauci’s mask guidelines have long been criticized because people claimed they did not work to prevent the spread of Covid.