Resources Pandemic Health Protection Response Protocol

Goal

To preserve the health and safety of the Marlboro College community in the event of a national pandemic.

Objectives

1. Prevent the emergence of any infectious clusters on campus.
2. To facilitate the return of students to their homes or other locations.

Abbreviations and Definitions

• EOC Emergency Operations Center (Dan Cotter's office, Plant and Operations Building)
• DP The Marlboro College Disaster Plan
• HAN Health Alert Network, a national system for issuing health alerts from the CDC.
• Home Quarantine Students should return to or stay in their permanent homes away from campus. Faculty and staff should stay in their homes.
• H-to-H Sustained Human-to-Human transmission indicating the virus is now easily transmissible in the human population.
• ILI Influenza-like Illness
• N95s Respirator masks that filter out 95 percent of particles that measure about 0.3 micrometers, or thousandths of a meter, in diameter.
• VDH Vermont Department of Health
• Essential Personnel Individuals identified in the Emergency Operations Plan as the only individuals to remain on campus in an epidemic emergency.

Notes and Assumptions

• The following are guidelines for implementing health protective actions. A more comprehensive plan for continuing academic and business operations are currently being devised.
• These are minimum guidelines. The Incident Commander should heighten the level of response as appropriate.
• The situation levels (below) will be determined through announcements from the World Health Organization, CDC, and the Vermont Department of Health.

Marlboro College Pandemic Alert Levels:

Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5	Level 6
Isolated Human Cases Abroad	Isolated Cases in US	Clusters (more than 1) of sustained H-to-H Transmission Abroad	Cluster (1 or more) of sustained H-to-H Transmission in North America	Suspected Cases Locally/ On Campus	Pandemic in the Area/ On Campus

• It is possible that a pandemic could be contained at Levels 1 or 2. It is less likely to be contained once clusters emerge.
• Situation Level 1 would likely progress to Level 3 without the events of Level 2.
• The emergence of cases in the U.S. (Level 2) without prior emergence elsewhere would pose a more direct threat to the health and safety of the campus than would emergence of clusters abroad. The situation could move quickly from 2 to Level 4, without Level 3.
• It is extremely unlikely that pandemic influenza would emerge in Vermont (Levels 5 and 6) without prior emergence of clusters elsewhere in the world. If this occurs, move immediately to closure and evacuation of the campus.
• Students will be required to complete a personal evacuation plan with two evacuation destinations and transportation plans in advance.

Response Protocol

For each level, the appropriate public health protection actions are listed. The actions fall into six categories: Community Restrictions; Health Education; Infection Control; Isolation/ Quarantine; Surveillance and Screening; and Vaccination/Medication Distribution. The Department chiefly responsible for that category of activity is indicated in parentheses. The department will receive direction from the listed Incident Commander. The Emergency Operations Center is activated at Level 3. The campus is closed at Level 4.

Pandemic Situation	Level 1	Level 2	Level 3	Level 4	Level 5	Level 6
	Isolated Human Cases Abroad	Isolated Cases in US	Clusters (more than 1) of sustained H-to-H Transmission Abroad	Cluster (1 or more) of sustained H-to-H Transmission in North America	Suspected Cases Locally/ On Campus	Pandemic in the Area/ On Campus
Incident Commander	N/A	Medical Services Director	Medical Services Director	College President	College President	College President
EOC	Closed	Closed	Activated	Activated	Activated	Activated
Community Restrictions (President's Office)	None	Cancel sponsored travel to affected areas.	Advise campus of impending closure.	Cancel sponsored travel to affected areas. Postpone arrival of visitors from affected areas. Advise campus of impending closure. Relax sick leave policies.	Cancel events and close campus.	Campus closed.
Health Education (Health Center)	Verify HAN system is operational. Widely distribute relevant advisories. Promote preparedness and self-protection.	Same as Level 1.	Level 2, plus: Review Standard/ Droplet/ Airborne Precautions with relevant staff. Reinforce cough etiquette campus-wide.	Advise campus to implement personal preparedness plans/ evacuate campus. Reinforce cough etiquette campus-wide. Advise essential personnel per VDH guidelines.	Same as Level 4.	Advise essential personnel as needed.
Infection Control (Health Center)	Stockpile N95s, gloves, and disinfectant. Fit-test essential medical personnel. Require clearance before returning to campus.	Level 1, plus: Distribute disinfectant across campus. Heighten sanitation of cooking and eating areas.	Level 2, plus: Distribute N95s to essential personnel. Establish phone triage system for health center visits. Ask individuals with ILI and possible exposure not to enter health center.	Same as Level 3.	Arrange transport of affected persons to local hospitals. If not feasible, implement isolation. Follow VDH guidance.	Follow VDH guidance.
Isolation/ Quarantine (Health Center and Dean of Students)	Coordinate with VDH and Area Hospitals	Level 1, plus: Implement home quarantine for individuals returning from affected areas.	Same as Level 2.	Same as Level 2.	Follow VDH guidance.	Refer to Isolation Plan.
Surveillance and Screening (Health Center)	Encourage self-monitoring of symptoms for individuals returning from affected areas.	Level 1, plus: If registration is occurring, implement screening of arrivals.	Level 2, plus: Implement any required VDH or CDC surveillance.	Same as Level 3.	Implement any required VDH or CDC surveillance.	Follow VDH guidance.
Vaccination/Medication Distribution (Health Center)	Verify expectations and point of contact with VDH.	Same as Level 1.	Level 2, plus: Seek prophylaxis for essential personnel.	Same as Level 3.	Follow VDH guidance.	Follow VDH guidance.

Ongoing Work

• Comprehensive plan for continuing academic and business operations
• Preparing for reopening

This protocol adopted with gracious permission from a similar document published by Middlebury College, 3/15/07.