The Canadian government has warned citizens to prepare for a hypothetical new virus that could lead to food and fuel shortages.
The Center for Occupational Health and Safety has released a second edition of their Flu and Handbook for the business continuity plan for infectious disease outbreaks.
The guide provides employers with information on what they can prepare for in the event of a new pandemic.
In the new edition, published in June, they focus on a “hypothetical virus” that they warn could cause even more disruption than Covid-19.
It says that ‘based on trends from previous influenza pandemics, there may be higher average numbers of cases and deaths across age groups than we typically see during annual influenza seasons.’
People wearing face masks to protect themselves from the coronavirus at a grocery store on March 27, 2020 in Markham, Ontario, Canada
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau speaks to the media during an announcement at the Goodyear Canada Inc tire manufacturing plant in Napanee, Ontario, Canada, August 12, 2024
The guide also warns employers to be prepared for situations such as a disease outbreak or pandemic, which forces people to stay home.
It says: ‘If there is a pandemic, how many people will not be working? It is impossible to say for sure.
“Estimates vary because no one knows for sure how sick the new virus will make people, how quickly it will spread, or how many people will miss work until it happens.”
A future pandemic “will occur in two or three waves, with each outbreak approximately three to nine months apart,” the report said.
The hypothetical virus could also persist in these cycles for up to two years, the report warns.
It also says people should prepare for disruptions such as labor shortages, supply chain issues and shifts in consumer demand.
Disruptions include telecommunications, banking, water, gasoline, medicine and food.
A future pandemic “will come in two or three waves, with intervals of about three to nine months,” it adds
This comes after US doctor Anthony Fauci recommended that people start wearing face masks again due to the increase in the number of Covid cases.
The number of infections is increasing due to a new summer peak, even though the number of hospital admissions and deaths from the virus are still at historically low levels.
The 83-year-old told people with comorbidities and the elderly to “wear a mask” in crowded places.
He also indicated that he had contracted Covid about two weeks ago. It was his third Covid infection and he has been vaccinated and boostered six times in total.
World Health Organization officials warn that if the virus continues to spread, it could lead to new mutations and severe infections that evade vaccine protection and therapeutic measures.
Deaths have generally been rising since May, but began to decline in the week ending July 20. They are currently hovering around 500 per week, compared with more than 25,000 in the fall of 2020.
Dr. Fauci’s guidelines for wearing face masks have long been criticized, with people claiming they did nothing to prevent the spread of Covid.