• The epidemiology of the strain. If the virus has a longer incubation period than seasonal influenza viruses, the Peterborough County-City Health Unit (PCCHU) will have more time to identify and isolate cases before the virus spreads to others.
• The timing of the measures. For individual public health measures, such as case and contact management, to be effective, they must be used aggressively at the early stages of the pandemic to follow up on confirmed or suspected cases. Once a significant number of people are infected, the PCCHU will shift the focus to community measures such as public education and social distancing.
• Public compliance with the measures. Past experience with influenza pandemics indicates that people generally comply with personal protective measures at the beginning of the pandemic. However, as more people become ill, compliance wanes. To slow the spread of the virus, the PCCHU will endeavor to keep the public engaged and encourage compliance.
• Concurrent use of other public health measures. Any single public health measure is unlikely to be effective on its own; measures are more effective when used together as part of a comprehensive approach that includes both individual and community measures. Public health measures are also more effective when used with vaccines and a targeted antiviral strategy. Measuring the effectiveness and impact of public health and social measures