Geneva, SHOC, Friday, 18:10
This is a work of fiction.
Any resemblance to actual events or to real persons, dead or alive is, naturally, strictly coincidental.
36
Geneva, SHOC
Friday, 18:10
Carmel couldn’t remember when she had ever been so anxious and so excited at the same time.
Over the past few hours, the phones in the WHO SHOC had been ringing non-stop. She took as many calls as she could and, together with the two other interns who were brought in to help, they did their best to note down the endless stream of information that was coming in about the new cases identified world-wide. Thirty- two cases in the UK alone, five times as many in other countries across the Middle East and Asia. All detected in the last twenty-four hours.
“Our period of grace is over,” said Dr Wells to the Director General, who came down to see how the SHOC was functioning.
“We’ve been preparing for this event for quite a while now,” said the Director General. “We have an updated Global Influenza Preparedness Plan, and it was designed to give a response in case of an outbreak of a pandemic. It’s time to test our ability to cope with a real crisis. We will raise the level of Pandemic Alert to five — evidence of significant human-to-human transmission. Do you still have any doubt that this virus is airborne, Dr Wells?”
Dr Wells shook his head.
“We still don’t have confirmed lab results,” he said. “But we should definitely act as if it is airborne, given the number of reports that came in over the past hours, and the pattern of geographical spread.”
“Level five it will be then. We’ll recommend cancelling all commercial international flights, effective immediately. We’ll also recommend cancellation of large events and gatherings in public places. Schools should be closed as of tomorrow and all those who are not obliged to leave their homes should remain indoors. We have to contain the spread of this virus,” said Dr Chi, “and this is the only way.”
“Shall I organize a press release, or would you rather have another press conference?” asked Madame Perrier, who accompanied the Director General and was always one step ahead of everyone else. Even when everyone around her showed up in jeans and dishevelled clothes, she wore an elegant suit, a fresh white shirt and a coat of red lipstick. She looked as if she stepped right out of a fashion magazine, every hair in place and her thin, stiletto-healed shoes new and shiny.
“I prefer not to hold a press conference over the weekend,” replied the Director General. “It would give the wrong message and make people panic even more. Let’s give ourselves forty-eight hours to see how things are progressing. If you can ask the Communications department to draft a press release, I’ll look at it as soon as it is available. They should know what to do; we’ve had countless drills.”
“I’ll talk to them right away,” said Madame Perrier and left the SHOC, her footsteps echoing in the tense silence left behind her.
“This is new territory for all of us,” said the Director General to the frightened faces that stared at him over computer terminals. Everyone had stopped working and was listening in to the conversation between Dr Wells and the Director General.
“If we do our job well, we may be able to minimize the damage,” said Dr Wells to the SHOC staff. “We are raising the level of Alert to five. It is only one level short of the full alert at level six, where there is a confirmed world-wide pandemic, like the ones that occurred in the 1900’s. I hope we won’t have to resort to that and that we’ll be able to contain the spread of the virus by taking the proper measures. This means cancelling all commercial international flights, to minimize global spread of the virus. It means cancelling all public events and recommending that all those who can do so, remain at home. Please communicate that to all Health Ministries.”
The Director General nodded in agreement.
“You are all part of a global network that will help protect the world from this threat,” he said. “You can be proud of yourselves and of your work,” he added, and headed for the door. Everyone remained silent until the Director General left the room.
“What about shops and supermarkets?” asked a frightened twenty-something-year old, in a high-pitched voice. Everyone turned to look at Dr Wells, who by now had resumed his position behind his desk. He raised his head from behind the computer terminal, which displayed the world map spotted with dozens of coloured dots. The dots marked all the locations where cases were identified.
“Supermarkets will have to remain open, to avoid panic and to ensure continuous food supply,” said Dr Wells. “They can increase and reinforce their home delivery systems, so those who can do so, will order food online. Governments will have to coordinate this; each country will have to decide how to cope with this new reality. We are here to assist the governments and Health Ministries in making their decisions, but most of them have already developed their pandemic response plans. The WHO cannot replace governments in making decisions for their own citizens.”
“Are there any available antiviral drugs?” asked another young man, his voice slightly shaking. Everyone in the room stared at him. He straightened his back and lowered his eyes.
“The WHO affiliate laboratories and all pharmaceutical companies are working on anti-virals and vaccines,” said Dr Wells. “In the meantime, patients are treated with existing flu antiviral drugs, to ease their symptoms. It is the flu-like symptoms that weaken the body, and then infection is allowed to set in.”
“But there won’t be enough, will there? There will just not be enough for all those who need it!” exclaimed the young woman, the same one who was worried about the grocery shops. “We work for the WHO; shouldn’t we get priority access to these drugs as soon as they’re available? We still have to work, don’t we?”
A few heads in the room nodded in agreement.
“Everyone, please calm down,” said Dr Wells. “This is a stressful situation, and we are all in it together. I can assure you that we’ll take the strictest measures to protect everyone. No one will be put at unnecessary risk, and everyone here will have access to medical treatment, should they need it.”
He looked around the room. No one said a word. They all just stared at him, some clearly frightened, others embarrassed to show how shaky they were. Only one face smiled at him encouragingly, and he smiled back, grateful. It was Carmel Nibuti, still wearing her operator’s headphones. The phone next to her rang and she answered it immediately and talked calmly to the person at the other end, taking notes.
“If there are no other questions, let’s get back to work. I assure you that we’ll take all possible precautions to protect you and everyone else who has to perform their duties in a time like this,” said Dr Wells.
“Please inform all those who call that we’ll be announcing Alert Level Five. The sooner everyone prepares for it, the better,” he added.
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