Health Intelligence

The likelihood of a large outbreak of Mpox Clade I or I b is low outside of Africa, but isolated cases or outbreaks are possible. This post provides an early [...]

After a couple of Flu Seasons that were extraordinarily mild, Seasonal Flu is back with a vengeance. It’s starting early and all indications point to a very active Season.  The [...]

The Media, and now TV shows & movies, are representing any response from First Responders (EMS, Fire, Law Enforcement) as at risk for their own overdoses, should they even be [...]

There has been increased concern about both domestic and international terrorism throughout the world. There are also natural disasters and accidental events, such as chemical releases or theft/loss of radioactive [...]

EMS1 article by Pam Farber, RN, EMT-P and Rob Lawrence CDC issues Health Advisory Network Health Advisory, for healthcare workers to be aware of the Ebola outbreak View Article

Uganda announced that they had an outbreak of Ebola, caused by the rarer Sudan viral strain on Sept 20, 2022.  Although the rate of new cases has slowed, there is [...]

Click here go to the permanent posting page for this manual.

Omicron, the latest Variant of Concern, has become dominant in the U.S. and is gaining on the Delta Variant in Canada.  This follows its sudden surge in dominance over other [...]

This document serves as an introduction, or review, for topics related to Seasonal Flu and what can be anticipated in the 2021-22 Flu Season.  It includes a description of Flu, [...]

The CDC EPIC (Emergency Partners Information Connection) Extra contains info on the new Variant of Concern – Omicron - and what can be done to protect against it.  There is [...]

COVID-19 Variants, particularly those named Variants of Concern, are increasingly posing a greater risk to countries throughout the world, including the US and Canada. Currently, the Delta Variant (aka B.1.617.2), [...]

During this interactive session we explored lessons learned, what we should be doing now, and strategies for handling things as they evolve.

After about a 10 day pause in the Johnson and Johnson (Janssen) Vaccine being administered in the US, on April 23, the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practice (APIC), recommended to […]

Seasonal Flu, for both the US and Canada, has pretty much been a no show for the 2020-21 Season.  Even though both countries did more surveillance and Flu tests than […]

There is good news in the DRC regarding Ebola, while the fight against it in Guinea continues.  Both the DRC and Guinea began their 42-day countdowns from their last known […]

Health Canada published an Advisory to warn Canadians (the general public, healthcare professionals and hospitals) to NOT wear face masks that contain Graphene or Biomass Graphene until further notice. The […]

THE FDA & CDC have recommended a pause in administering J&J (Janssen) COVID vaccinations after the VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System) had reports of six (6) women, between the […]

The Johnson & Johnson’s (J&J) Vaccine started distribution this month and has been used at vaccination sites throughout the US. This vaccine is a different type of vaccine, called a […]

The CDC has issued its first Guidance for those who are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19.  The definition of fully vaccinated depends on which vaccine was administered, but is two […]

There are now two separate Ebola Outbreaks in Africa; one is in the DRC and the other is in Guinea. Guinea, in West Africa is where the Ebola Epidemic of […]

A year into the Pandemic, there is lots of information about COVID-19 out there – more and more based on sound science — but not all of it.  We absolutely […]

This list of Resources with links is provides In an attempt to make this updated info available more quickly, this document provides a list, divided into topics, each with links […]

The US DHS has released a Terrorism Advisory Bulletin to alert all people of a need to be aware of their surrounding and report any suspicious information or activity. It […]

The available information about COVID-19 is updating/changing on a daily, if not hourly, basis.  In an attempt to make this updated info available more quickly, this document provides a list, […]

The two mRNA vaccines have been out for more than a month and 4,263,056 individuals have already completed their vaccination series, while millions more await their second shot in the […]

A year into the COVID Pandemic, and the SARS-CoV-2 virus has mutated millions of times as it transmitted between people.  It is what viruses do to survive & thrive.  Several […]

Across Canada, access to appropriate health care is an ongoing challenge, and pressures within our health care system – wait times, hospital overcrowding, patient backlog – have only been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic. To address these challenges, integrated primary health care teams across the country are working to help patients receive the care they need in their homes and communities, where they are often happiest and healthiest.

SARS-CoV-2 Vaccinations to protect against COVID-19 have begun in the United States.  This article supplies some FAQs with subsequent discussion intended to help each individual come to their own personal […]

The CDC published Guidelines intended to help individuals & families make the best and safest choices for themselves while celebrating the upcoming holidays. Most of the guidance is applicable to […]

With COVID levels at record highs it’s time to double down on protecting yourself, those you are responsible for and/or care about, from getting it. This paper answers vital questions […]

The HHS/CDC has reposted their Interim Vaccination Plan for the SARS-CoV-2 virus to prevent COVID-19.  This is a rapid rollout plan that is identified as interim because not all the […]

New York City was the epicenter for COVID-19 during March and April 2020.  Amid the overwhelming case load and mortality associated with COVID burdening our health system leaders and frontline providers in EMS were forced to make life and death decisions, often with too little time and too little information.  Dr. Redlener discussed the challenges faced and how we can be better prepared should we face another pandemic surge.

As the 2020/21 Flu Season approaches, COVID-19 is still circulating in most states throughout the U.S. with many states again on the rise.  Since the Southern Hemisphere had their Flu […]

Since the onset of the disease that would be named COVID-19, there have been questions about how it’s transmitted & how to decrease person-to-person transmission. More and more evidence has […]

Since the onset of the disease that would be named COVID-19, there have been questions about how it’s transmitted & how to decrease direct and indirect transmission. Fecal transmission is […]

Most Public Safety & First Responders, especially EMS and Fire that work around COVID often, are keen to decrease its transmission to themselves or others.  And, recent studies and articles […]

There are a lot of recently published scientific & observational studies, editorials, viewpoints, and more about both medical and lay person PPE. This includes predominantly masks & respirators, but also […]

Montreal was one of the regions hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in Canada. As the situation progressed, Urgences-santé had to adapt and innovate in order to face this new reality. With the shut down of several links in the prehospital survival chain, the paramedics were left alone to face this invisible enemy.

The Ebola outbreak in the DRC Equateur Province in Mbandaka continues to produce new cases with a total of 74 known cases and 32 deaths.  There was only one new case reported on August 3 and no new deaths, but one new case and one new death reported on August 5 by the WHO African Regional Office.  

There is an ongoing and escalating issue with hand sanitizers manufactured in some factories in Mexico, and sold in stores throughout the U.S, that pose a danger to those who use them.  This is due to either methanol being added or substituted for ethyl or isopropyl alcohols, or subpotent percentages of appropriate alcohols in them. 

JEMS Editor Emeritus A.J. Heightman talks with EMS visionary, researcher and educator extraordinaire Mike Taigman about living with stress and stress management in EMS, accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic.

There are very few positives that have come from this COVID-19 Pandemic, but there is one that has made it easier for scientists, health care providers, and anyone who wants […]

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During this month’s interactive webinar, which was the 14th COVID-19 Webinar of our series, we provided an update on COVID-19 with an emphasis on what’s changed and how it relates to paramedic services.

EMS1 article by Mike Taigman – 5 ways for fire and EMS professionals to support our colleagues in public health as they battle COVID-19

EMS1 article by Jay Arthur, Scott Dorsey, and Mike Taigman – Tracking COVID-19 cases, PPE supply and ambulance turnaround times to inform EMS response

There is plenty of information about COVID-19 available for anyone who searches and clicks on a computer or turns on a TV or radio to catch up on the news. […]

During this week’s interactive webinar, which is the 13th COVID-19 Webinar of our series, we summarized the timeline and progression of this pandemic, reviewed the information shared in our previous webinars, and lessons learned to date.

Executive Summary: On 6/1/20, the WHO announced a new outbreak of Ebola in the Northwestern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the same area that had a […]

GOAL:  Awareness of the Syndrome, early identification of its signs that can be recognized by parents/caregivers, EMS systems, and other first responders, with transport to an appropriate hospital for further […]

United States: CDC Health Advisory from the Health Alert Network: https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/2020/han00432.asp CDC MIS-C for Parents: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/children/mis-c.html CDC COVID and MIC-C Information for Healthcare Providers: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/pediatric-hcp.html#anchor_1589580133375 Medscape Video & Article on […]

A new syndrome, now named MIS-C, has been identified in multiple countries in the past few weeks which seems to be associated with COVID-19 infection, even if COVID was asymptomatic or unrecognized. It manifests itself as a Kawasaki-like illness and/or as Toxic Shock-Like Syndrome.

In this installment, we had a follow-up discussion with Deputy Chief Shaughn Maxwell on the editable COVID-19 Procedure Manual used by South County Fire in Snohomish County, Washington. In our previous session on April 30th, Dr. Richard Campbell covered their approach to PPE Conservation, and gave a quick overview of their entire manual which received input from NASA and other experts on various subjects, including Human Factors, to enhance adoption and usability.

A new syndrome, now named MIS-C, has been identified in multiple countries in the past few weeks which seems to be associated with COVID-19 infection, even if COVID was asymptomatic […]

Podcast with IAED – Annals of Emergency Dispatch & Response, hosted by Becca Barrus. Todd Stout, president and founder of FirstWatch, discusses the role of FirstWatch in COVID-19 surveillance, lessons learned from the Ebola virus outbreak, and the importance of emergency dispatchers increasing their resilience.

Continuing forward from our reoccurring COVID-19 Webinars, “A National Conversation” where we gather brief “snapshots” of current provincial and/or national states on a variety of pressing topics related to COVID-19. [...]

Continuing forward from our reoccurring COVID-19 Webinars, “A National Conversation” where we gather brief “snapshots” of current provincial and/or national states on a variety of pressing topics related to COVID-19. The focus in this webinar was on “Community Paramedics during a Pandemic.”

Police, Fire, EMS, and Corrections personnel (my apologies if I missed anyone) are all taught and practice situational awareness.  This practice is what allows so many First Responders to go [...]

There is a lot of available information for Health Care Workers and EMS, but not very much for Law Enforcement who have several roles as part of their work that puts them at increased risk for being infected by COVID-19.  This document raises the awareness of that risk and offers a clearinghouse of resources specifically for Law Enforcement, First Responders/Public Safety.

EMS1 article by Mike Taigman – Leaders from Montgomery County Fire & Rescue Service and Snohomish County Fire District detail how they’re monitoring the COVID-19 surge and preparing for the worst-case scenario.

Continuing forward from our recent COVID-19 Webinars, “A National Conversation” where we gather brief “snapshots” of current provincial and/or national states on a variety of pressing topics related to COVID-19. The focus of this webinar was on “Supporting Staff during a Pandemic.”

Continuing forward from our recent COVID-19 Webinars, “A National Conversation” where we gathered a brief “snapshot” of current provincial and/or national states on a variety of pressing topics. The focus of this webinar was on Patient Management including IAED Protocol 36 and other topics.

Before beginning a shift for the day, what is something those working in law enforcement can do to prepare themselves, knowing they are risking exposure to COVID-19?

For those working in a leadership role, what is important for them to keep in mind?

This pandemic has the potential to drag on for a long time, what are the possible effects of long-term heightened stress on first responders?

Can you explain the concept of crisis rehearsal and how that could be beneficial for law enforcement at this time? and more!

Any time there is a novel virus, regardless of what it is or where it came from, there is a learning curve for virologists, infectious disease doctors, epidemiologists, other health […]

How to take care of yourself and your family during this crisis Coronavirus transformed our lives nearly overnight. Suddenly, we’re bombarded with messages: Stay home, shelter in place, avoid sick [...]

Continuing forward from our most recent COVID-19 Webinar, “A National Conversation” where we gathered a brief “snapshot” of current provincial and/or national states on a variety of pressing topics, join us for this next installment delving into a few specific topics more specifically.

A new COVID-19 resource page on EMS.gov provides easy to find links to the most relevant and up-to-date information from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), NHTSA [...]

This is an overview of the new features and training session on using them, as well as existing Academy Analytics features, to monitor your calls taken using the MPDS EIDS tool and/or Protocol 36. Geared toward those who have Academy Analytics, but is open to all.

Executive Summary: For those Public Safety Agencies reporting an employee’s possible exposure, and expecting notification of a positive COVID-19 disease result from the hospital or public health officer, the expanded [...]

Emerging Disease Surveillance and Triage using the MPDS ProQA software Click here to view the recording. Click here for a pdf of the slides. Mentioned during webinar: Link to Academy Analytics COVID-19 features, click [...]

FirstWatch Medical Director, Silvia Verdugo Puts COVID-19 in Perspective in JEMS Interview

With new funding from Congress, the NIH has launched a website with training and educational resources for workers confronting COVID-19 in the workplace, including emergency first responders, hospital workers, and [...]

Canadian Paramedic Services National Conversation led by Darren Sandbeck, Senior Provincial Director & Chief Paramedic, Alberta Health Services Emergency Medical Services This conversation was in the tradition originally started with a [...]

EMS1 article – Our friend Catherine Counts PhD from Seattle shares data visualization resources to help manage the response to our pandemic.

EMS1 article by Rob Lawrence – Communication, PPE and decontamination strategies highlighted the 4th FirstWatch and Paramedic Chiefs of Canada COVID-19 webinar

This joint webinar of PCC, AIMHI, IAED, NAEMT, CAA, and FirstWatch was the 4th in a series. We were proud to see that over 1,300 people registered for it. With Matt Zavadsky from MedStar moderating, our presenters for Solano County, California were Dr. [...]

EMS1 article by Mike Taigman – Coronavirus spread in an already busy flu season calls staffing contingency plans and a commitment to hygiene and PPE

The intention of the COVID-19 Process/Policy Template is to provide agencies, medical directors, or others who want to utilize it, an outline/template on which to build an agency-specific policy/protocol to […]

Executive Summary:  Although the flu season is hopefully going to continue to decline over the next month, it is still something to watch closely.  Flu activity decreased with hospitalizations for […]

WSB-TV – Article and Video: Two dozen emergency workers in Washington state are off the job as they are being monitored for possible exposure to the coronavirus. (KIRO7.com)

Executive Summary: A revised Criteria to Guide Evaluation of PUI for COVID-19 and Footnotes have been developed by the CDC to better define what currently makes a person fall into […]

Executive Summary: The COVID-19 outbreak is rapidly evolving into a global event which potentially puts people all over the world at risk for being infected by it.  Although it not […]

Executive Summary: The CDC considers this COVID-19 outbreak to be, “an emerging, rapidly evolving situation.  The CDC/NIOSH have published a webpage with links to resources for the protection of workers […]

Executive Summary:  Although eyes are still focused on COVID-19, Flu activity remains a far greater threat to North America at this time.  Flu activity decreased with hospitalizations for children & […]

This Paramedic Chiefs of Canada (PCC) webinar is presented in conjunction with the International Academies of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), and FirstWatch. View Webinar Recording View Webinar Slides (PDF Format) Additional […]

Executive Summary: Although most eyes are laser-focused on the COVID-19, Flu activity remains a far greater threat to North America and other countries outside the China region at this time.  […]

This list of URLs provides current, as of 2/12/20, URL links to both Canadian (PHAC) and American (CDC) COVID-19 Case Definitions, including a rapid use CDC Flowchart for ID and […]

Executive Summary: Although most eyes are laser-focused on the 2019-nCoV, Flu activity remains a far greater threat to North America and other countries outside the China region at this time.  […]

2nd PCC Webcast in a Series: 2019-nCoV “Coronavirus” – Feb-13-2020 View Webinar Recording View Webinar Slides (PDF format) Download Webinar Slides (PowerPoint format, for your teaching purposes) Additional Resources Mentioned […]

IN THE NEWS Executive Summary: The CDC and NIOSH have reported counterfeit respirators being sold on the open market with various methods of NIOSH Approval misrepresentation in the way of […]

EMS1 Article by Rob Lawrence. Snohomish County, Washington, officials describe the EMS transport of the first confirmed 2019-nCoV patient in the U.S.

PCC Webcast: 2019-nCoV “Coronavirus” – Emerging Infectious Disease – Feb-3-2020 View Webinar Recording View Webinar Slides Additional Resources Mentioned During the Webinar: Novel Coronavirus 2019-nCoV – What Public Safety/First Responders […]

What First Responders Can Do Feb-3-2020: The information in the attached PDF is designed to assist EMS and other First Responders, but may contain information not complete or applicable to […]

Coronavirus Resource URLs for Public Safety Organizations: Link to the IAED EIDS Tool for 2019-nCoV: https://www.emergencydispatch.org/coronavirus-2019-nCoV OSHA Recommendations for 2019-nCoV: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/novel_coronavirus/ FEMA on 2019-nCoV: https://www.usfa.fema.gov/operations/infograms/012320.html NAEMSP Recommendations for 2019-nCoV: https://naemsp.org/home/news/ems-considerations-for-coronavirus/ […]

Executive Summary: The CDC has announced that U.S. Travel Alert Status in now at Level 3 – All non-essential travel to China should be avoided.  The CDC has also expanded […]

Executive Summary: The CDC issued a health advisory, HAN 00425, on Jan 10 warning of elevated flu activity with Influenza B/Victoria and A(H1N1)pdm09 viruses dominating. Children have taken the worse […]

IN THE NEWS The 2019-nCoV situation is a rapidly changing one with almost constant news media reports, situation reports, revised information and guidelines, travel bans and recommendations, and more.  Reports […]

IN THE NEWS
Toronto Health Officials have announced the first case of 2019-nCoV in Canada. The patient travelled from Wuhan City and arrived in Toronto on January 22nd and was transported by our customer, Toronto Paramedic Services.

IN THE NEWS The emergence of a novel disease is always a rapidly changing situation and FirstWatch will attempt to be your clearinghouse of important information for planning and on-going […]

IN THE NEWS The CDC and the State of Washington Department of Health in coordination with the Snohomish Health District posted news releases of the first U.S. case of the […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #52 — Week Ending 12-28-19 The CDC reported that flu activity (diagnosed flu and ILI outpatient visits) is high in all regions of the US […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #50 — Week Ending 12-14-19 The CDC reported that flu season is in full swing, with all regions of the US having elevated ILI and […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #49 — Week Ending 12-7-19 The CDC reported that seasonal flu is in full swing, with all regions of the US having elevated ILI and […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #48 — Week Ending 11-30-19 The CDC reported that seasonal flu activity continued to increase over the previous week; from a national perspective, ILI has […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #47 — Week Ending 11-23-19 The CDC reported that seasonal flu activity continued to increase over the previous week but the level of activity and […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #45  Week Ending 11-9-19 The CDC reported that seasonal flu activity increased over the previous week with more states reporting increased levels of Flu and […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #44  Week Ending 11-2-19 The CDC reported that seasonal flu activity is low, but increased some from the previous week.  These lower levels are expected […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #43  Week Ending 10-26-19 The CDC reported that seasonal flu activity is low, but had increased a little from the previous week. These levels are […]

The Eastern DRC Outbreak of Ebola began in August of 2018. Just over a year later, cases continue to be identified but the rate of new cases appear to have […]

As of September 19, 2019, the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean reported only one (1) new case so far in September; August had a total of six (6) […]

The CDC has recently published a new document called Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations Guidance for Measles in Healthcare Settings (7/19).  It is a comprehensive document aimed at a […]

The WHO, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Health Minister, and the Ugandan Health Minister have all announced that there have been confirmed cases of Ebola (EVD) in Uganda.  […]

According to the CDC, another measles milestone has been reached and, as of 6/6/19, there were 1,022 confirmed cases of measles in 28 of the 50 states.  This is the […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #22 — Week Ending June 1, 2019  The CDC reported Flu & ILI activity remained low throughout the nation during Week #22. This year’s Flu […]

Note:  There have been previous posts on Ebola to the Health Intelligence Page.  Please see those articles for background, as well as more detailed information on EVD.  You can find […]

The Data:* According to the CDC, from January 1st through May 24, 2019, there have been 940 confirmed cases of measles in 26 states within the U.S.A. (compared to 127 […]

For week #20 (ending 5-18-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), stayed low throughout the nation during Week #20, as this […]

For week #18 (ending 5-4-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), continued to decline during Week #18, as this year’s Flu […]

For week #16 & 17 (ending 4-20 & 4-27-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), continued to decline during Weeks #16 […]

For week #15 (ending 4-13-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), decreased again but was still elevated during Week #15, particularly […]

For week #14 (ending 4-6-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), decreased again but was still elevated during Week #14, particularly […]

For week #13 (ending 3-30-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), decreased but was still elevated during Week #13.  The percentage […]

For week #12 (ending 3-23-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), decreased but was still elevated during Week #12.  The percentage […]

For week #11 (ending 3-16-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), was elevated during Week #11.  The percentage of respiratory specimens […]

For week #10 (ending 3-9-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), remained widespread during Week #10.  The percentage of respiratory specimens […]

For week #09 (ending 3-2-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), remained widespread during Week #9.  The percentage of respiratory specimens […]

For week #08 (ending 2-23-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), remained widespread during Week #8.  The percentage of respiratory specimens […]

The CDC released a new update of confirmed cases and PUIs (persons under investigation) for AFM through 2/18/19.  With five (5) new confirmed cases reported for 2018 included, it brings […]

For week #07 (ending 2-16-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), continued to increase during week #7.  The percentage of respiratory […]

Although Measles was declared eradicated in 2000 within the United States, there have been individual cases of measles reported in most years, mostly as outbreaks (3 or more confirmed cases […]

For week #06 (ending 2-9-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), continued to increase with all of the markers increased during […]

For week #05 (ending 2-2-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), continued to increase with almost all of the severity markers […]

For week #04 (ending 1-26-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), increased again.  The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for […]

For week #03 (ending 1-19-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), increased.  The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu […]

For week #02 (ending 1-12-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), remained elevated.  The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for […]

For week #01 (ending 1-5-19) the CDC reported that Influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), remained elevated.  The percentage of respiratory specimens testing positive for […]

For week #52 (ending 12-29-18) the CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness), continued to increase.  The percentage of respiratory specimens testing […]

For week #51 (ending 12-22-18) the CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness) continued to increase.  The percentage of respiratory specimens testing […]

For week #50 (ending 12-15-18) the CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness) increased and the threshold has been reached met to […]

For week #49 (ending 12-8-18) the CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, which includes diagnosed flu as well as ILI (Influenza-Like-Illness) was still slightly elevated. The percentage of respiratory specimens […]

Check out this PoliceOne article “How biosurveillance turns opioids-related data into actionable intelligence” by By Rob Lawrence, P1 Contributor. See how a customer agency, in Richmond, Virginia, is utilizing the […]

The CDC continues to investigate a surge in cases of a rare syndrome (one in one million), called AFM, which causes inflammation in spinal cord and results in the sudden […]

The CDC is investigating a surge in cases of a rare syndrome, called AFM, which causes inflammation in spinal cord and results in the sudden onset of a weakened limb […]

A patient who normally lives in the Middle East, but traveled to England on Saudi Arabian Airlines Flight# SV123, on August 16, 2018, has been diagnosed with MERS-CoV infection after […]

Very hot temperatures seem to be a frequent topic in the news and as people discuss the weather.    Everyone who feels these temperatures can readily identify them and, when they […]

For those who have seen the tragedy of first responder suicide up close, or heard about it, they know that suicide needs to be prevented at all costs. And, to prevent it, an agency and its individuals – all of them – need to be aware of the increased risks in this population, the causes, the early signs of an issue, and how to quickly intercede and get help for that individual(s).

There have been recent reports, from new agencies and other organizations, about Zika cases in the United States for 2018.  It seemed important to clarify exactly what those reports mean […]

CDC / NIOSH Emergency Responders Resources including: • Safety Management • Bloodborne Infectious Disease • Personal Protective Equipment • Traumatic Incident Stress https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/emres/responders.html Safety Management: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/emergencypreparedness/index.html Bloodborne Infectious Disease: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/bloodbornepathogens/ […]

Although this subject is outside the usual scope of FirstWatch’s focus, it’s recognized that working service dogs that assist local, state and federal law enforcement and other agency partners (FBI, […]

Information on the 2018 Ebola outbreak

As you are no doubt aware from the media, there is an outbreak of Ebola in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  There are no cases in the United States […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #20 Week Ending 5-19-18 FLU and ILI news continued to improve and, although there were still Flu and ILI cases, as well as hospitalizations and […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #19 Week Ending 5-12-18 FLU and ILI news continued to get better although there were still two indicators that have not normalized, specifically, hospitalizations and […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #18 Week Ending 5-5-18 Continued good news about Flu but two indicators still have not abated.  Specifically, the rate of hospitalizations from flu continued to […]

Typically, pandemics are caused by novel viruses or variant strains of known viruses since few, if any, people have been exposed or developed antibodies to the virus. Since there is […]

Executive Summary First responders have a critical role in prehospital emergency care and must continue to provide this essential service and fill the many emergency response roles in a community. […]

Purpose This document provides interim planning guidance for State, territorial, tribal, and local communities that focuses on several measures other than vaccination and drug treatment that might be useful during […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #17 Week Ending 4-28-18 Continued good news about Flu but two indicators still haven’t shown any sign of abating.  Specifically, the rate of hospitalizations from […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #16 Week Ending 4-21-18 Continued good news about Flu but there are still a couple of indicators that have yet to fall, namely, the rate […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #15 Week Ending 4-14-18 Good news about Flu!!  For the second time in-a-row since the third week in November, influenza activity was below the national […]

This is a collection of resources, developed by experts and stakeholder groups, to help identify, mitigate, and manage the risk for First Responders. The documents contain tools, recommendations, charts, and other pertinent information for knowledge as well as the development of Best Practice Policies for First Responder agencies in dealing with synthetic opioids.

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #13 Week Ending 3-31-18 Although Flu and ILI was still elevated above the national baseline, they each continued to decrease last week.  Week #13 was […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #12 Week Ending 3-24-18 Although Flu and ILI remained elevated above the national baseline respectively, they each continued to decrease last week.  Week #12 was […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #11 Week Ending 3-17-18 Although Flu and ILI is still fairly widespread and above the national baseline, respectively, Week #11 was the fifth week with […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #10 Week Ending 3-10-18 Although Flu and ILI is still fairly widespread and above the national baseline, respectively, Week #10 was the fourth week with […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #9 Week Ending 3-3-18 Although Flu and ILI are still fairly widespread and above the national baseline, respectively, Week #9 was the third week with […]

Influenza (FLU) Update for Week #7 Week Ending 2-17-18 The CDC reported that although there were multiple indicators suggesting that the flu season has hopefully peaked, flu activity is still […]

Download the below information in PDF form MERS is considered an emerging disease, caused by a novel virus (one that has not been identified before), that was first identified in […]

Week ending 2-3-18 The CDC reported that influenza activity (diagnosed flu and Influenza-Like-Illness) increased once again.  Levels have met or exceeded flu and ILI markers from flu seasons over the last […]

Week ending 1-27-18 The CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, including diagnosed flu and Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI), increased again;  there was no indication that flu/ILI was waning.  All but two states, Hawaii […]

Week ending 1-20-18 TThe CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, including diagnosed flu and Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI), increased again. All states reported widespread flu activity except for Hawaii, and ILI levels […]

Week #56 (ending 1-13-18) The CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, including diagnosed flu and Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI), increased again. All states reported widespread flu activity except for Hawaii and ILI […]

Week #55 (ending 1-6-18) The CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, including diagnosed flu as well as Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI), increased again and all states reported widespread activity except for Hawaii. […]

We have put together a running list of top Influenza resources for you to make use of during the flu season. Download the Full Resource List

Week #52 (ending 12-30-17) the CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, including diagnosed flu as well as Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI) sharply increased for this week. The dominating flu subtype continued to […]

CDC has released a Health Advisory from their Health Alert Network:https://emergency.cdc.gov/han/han00409.asp Due to the rapid rise in cases of flu and recent past history when the predominantly circulating flu strain […]

Week #52 (ending 12-30-17) the CDC reported that influenza (Flu) activity, including diagnosed flu as well as Influenza-Like-Illness (ILI) sharply increased for this week. The dominating flu subtype continued to […]

Earlier in this flu season, the CDC posted an expectation that this flu season (2017-18) would likely start early and be more severe (as it was last year) than previous […]

What a great session at the Pinnacle 2017 conference. For those of you that were unable to attend, you can find the information regarding the conference below, as well as […]

1. A new area with local transmission by mosquitos has been identified in Miami, Florida for a portion of South Beach. 2. A non-travel case of Zika has been identified […]

FirstWatch likes to provide surveillance and early warning for many different threats to our clients – that was, in fact, the initial reason for starting the company. So, it makes […]

There are currently three scenarios in which the Zika virus is spreading: areas where local mosquito transmission is occurring, areas that have the potential for having local mosquito transmission (have […]

Download the below information in PDF form Influenza 2015-2016 On Feb 1, 2016, the CDC published a notice that the Influenza (Flu) season had begun and that severe cases of […]

Download the below information in PDF form Current Assessment The largest outbreak of the Zika virus continues with active circulation (local transmission) in many countries in South and Central America […]

Download the below information in PDF form Update Since my last writing on Zika, there have been new developments. Multiple cases of Zika have been diagnosed in the United States, […]

Download the below information in PDF form Current Assessment The largest outbreak of the Zika virus is occurring in Central and South America with fear that the virus will become […]

Download the below information in PDF form The World Health Organization is reporting an outbreak of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome caused by the Corona Virus, otherwise known as MERS-CoV. On […]

The CDC is awarding a total of $145 million in supplemental funding to the current 62 Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement awardees to support accelerated Ebola public health […]

Download PDF  Predictions and early indications from the CDC point to a bad influenza season. There are a couple of reasons why they are worried about this year being particularly […]

We recognize that Ebola is still an issue across the world, however it seems to be generally contained to the few suffering countries for now. As a result, we held […]

The eighth webinar held on Thursday, December 18th included featured guest speaker Dr. Ed Racht, Chief Medical Officer at AMR, who discussed their comprehensive approach to transporting Ebola patients in […]

Download PDF  The CDC sent out a health advisory on December 3, 2014 regarding the potential for a poor match between the circulating influenza strain and the vaccine. The CDC […]

The sixth webinar held on Thursday November 20th included special guest presenter Dr. Richard Alcorta, acting Co-Executive Director and State EMS Medical Director at MEIMSS, who spoke to Maryland’s statewide […]

The fifth webinar held on Thursday November 6th included special guests Peter Simpson, Clinical Operations Manager, East of England Ambulance Trust, Norwich, United Kingdom and Catherine Jackson-Cole, Ambulance Coordinator, Pharmacist […]

The seventh webinar held on Thursday November 4th included featured guest speakers, Battalion Chief Edward Bergamini and Captain Paul Miano of FDNY who shared with us their experience transporting Dr. […]

The fourth webinar held on Thursday October 30th included special guest Russell MacDonald, MD, MPH, FRCPC, Associate Professor and Co-Director of Emergency Medicine at the University of Toronto, Medical Director […]

The third webinar held on Thursday October 23rd included special guests Alexander Isakov, MD, MPH, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Director, Section of Prehospital and Disaster Medicine at the […]

The second webinar held on Thursday October 16th included special guests Dr. Jeff Clawson and Dr. Conrad Fivaz of IAED, who explained the newly updated ProQA Emerging Infectious Disease tool, […]

This weeks webinar features special guest Chief Normal Seals, EMS Chief at the Dallas Fire Department who spoke to his agency’s experience with Ebola and fielded questions. With growing attention […]

Download PDF  Since first reported in August, Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) has spread from the Midwest to the majority of the United States. The CDC now reports that over 32 states […]

Download PDF  The CDC recently released a report stating that if there is no action on tackling the Ebola virus, their models predict 1.4 million persons will become infected by […]

Download PDF  The CDC has released an early report on a cluster of children with severe respiratory complaints in the Midwest. The Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, MO and […]

The CDC has posted interim guidance for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Systems and 9-1-1 Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) for management of patients with known or suspected Ebola Virus Disease […]

Download PDF  The CDC has posted recommendations for Hospitalized patients suspected or known to have the Ebola virus. View recommendations.

Download PDF The largest outbreak of the Ebola virus is occurring on the African continent with fear that the deadly disease will spread to other countries. So far, there have […]

Download PDF Today the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a second case of MERS-CoV. The second case was identified in Orange County Florida in a healthcare worker who was […]

Two British passengers who flew into Heathrow next to a man who has been diagnosed with Mers-Cov are being tracked down by Public Health England. Read full story

Download PDF  The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is reporting the first case of Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome caused by the Corona Virus, otherwise known as MERS-CoV. The CDC […]

Download PDF FirstWatch has recently developed our first MERS-CoV near-real-time triggers. Earlier this week, Dr. Neal Richmond, Chief Executive Officer and Medical Director for Louisville Metro EMS in Kentucky asked […]

Mers and Cylospora Update: As of July 26, 2013, CDC has been notified of 353 cases of Cyclospora infection from the following 15 health departments: Iowa , Texas , Nebraska , Florida, Wisconsin , Illinois, New York City, Georgia, Missouri, Arkansas, Connecticut, Kansas, Minnesota, New Jersey, and Ohio

Download PDF The Obama administration has declared MERS-CoV a significant potential for a public health emergency that may lead to affects on national security or the health and security of […]

Download PDF The Beijing Center for disease control announced yesterday they had found an additional case of H7N9 in a six-year-old boy. Saudi Arabia announced that they had identified five […]

Download PDF The GlobalTimes reported today that China has downgraded the response to H7N9. There continues to be no evidence of human-to-human transmission. Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus has […]