Pandemics Outbreaks: Have We Developed Effective Combating Tools Yet?

Humanity has a long history of pandemics, making infectious diseases the number one killer of human beings. We have been battling viruses before our species had even evolved in the modern form that we are in. For some types of the most horrific diseases, vaccines and antiviral drugs made it possible for us to stop infections from spreading widely, and have also helped a lot of infected people recover. One quick example is the smallpox disease, which we were able to eradicate it and save the entire world population from getting infected. 

In recent years, various viruses have made their way from animals to humans and have triggered unthinkable and sizable outbreaks, vanishing thousands of human lives. Ebola outbreak in West Africa, for instance, kills up to 90% of the people it infects, making it the most deadly member of the Ebola family. 

Other types of viruses, such as the one that we are dealing with currently, the coronavirus (COVID-19), which is taking over the whole world population quite rapidly, have lower fatality rates, yet, they pose a highly serious threat to the worldwide public health for the sole reason of not having the means to combat it yet. Besides permanently damaging our health, these types of pandemics are seriously damaging our social life, economy, and the whole everyday life-cycle. 

If we cannot predict these types of pandemics, can we at least minimize their calamitous effects?  

What will it take to steer this crisis, now that our “traditional” tools and expectations have been rendered irrelevant?

As times change, ways through which we can fight and try to diminish risks for such pandemics have progressed as well. If we turn our caps from the scientific standpoint in the direction of a professional one, we can see that there are available detailed techniques through which we can, at the very least, minimize operational business disruptions.

The public and private sectors around the world are doing their best to slow the spread of the illness and try to find ways on how to maintain their business operation continuity without getting interrupted. While the full economic consequences of COVID-19 are still unknown, what we know for sure is the drastic measures that are being taken by organizations worldwide to contain it.

A Comprehensive Business Continuity Plan

When it comes to implementing good practices, be that hygiene protocol advice, personal protective equipment, or behavioral changes, organizations of all sizes have a very significant role to play, especially in situations such as the COVID-19 outbreak. Some of these best practices can be found in the ISO 22301 ꟷ Business Continuity Management System standard, which describes requirements for implementing, maintaining, and improving a management system to protect against, reduce the likelihood of the occurrence of, prepare for, respond to and recover from disruptions when they arise. This sleek requirements document is accompanied by a rich guidance document, ISO 22313, which offers practical information on the use of ISO 22301. The COVID-19 developments are unfolding at an accelerated pace and organizations may have a lot of gaps to fill in their business continuity plan(s). Factors such as operational agility and employee morale are just some of the main points at play.

In organizations, the team that is responsible in putting to action the business continuity plan can design various proactive strategies to try and take control of the virus within their organizational premises. The organization must also ensure that the management team and team leaders are aware of the organization’s priorities, such as the people, key products, and services as well as the minimum staff arrangements that need to be made.

This type of crucial information can be found in some of the key ISO 22301 documentation, including, but not limited to: business continuity policy, business continuity strategies, and business continuity plans. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ardian Berisha is a Senior Product Marketing Manager for ISR at PECB. He is in charge of conducting market research while developing and providing information related to ISO standards. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact him: marketing.ism@pecb.com.