Puerto Rico Earthquakes 2019 - 2020
Traditionally,
immediately after a disaster there has been a focus on trying to
locate and rescue survivors; identify which buildings can be
re-entered, need to be repaired or must eventually be demolished; and
to restore services. Typically, there is little or no planning to
avoid post-disaster epidemics of opportunistic diseases. It is more
than a little frustrating when people survive a massive earthquake and
then die a month later from influenza. Plans need to be in place to
provide clean water, properly prepared food and sanitation to prevent
outbreaks of ancient enemies like typhus, dysentery, dengue, cholera,
influenza and malaria as well as more contemporary killers like AIDS,
Zika and hemorrhagic fevers like Ebola. The communicability of
the diseases is often enhanced after a disaster as people usually
have to move and mingle much more than they might ordinarily.
It
is frequently the case that after a disaster extreme measures have to
be used to deal with extraordinary numbers of dead humans and animals.
There is a wide spectrum of religious beliefs and cultural
sensibilities. We recommend collection of personal effects, a DNA
sample (swab the mouth or an alternative), photo, and
description of
burial process and location. A modern disaster demographic data store
would include next of kin to notify and any religious preferences by
the deceased. The latter implies having clergy from multiple faiths on
call.
Recommendations - Post-disaster
epidemics and burials