The Canadian government has alerted its citizens to prepare for a potential new virus that could cause severe disruptions to food and fuel supplies.
The Centre for Occupational Health and Safety has released the second edition of its Flu and Infectious Disease Outbreaks Business Continuity Plan Handbook. This updated guide, which came out in June, offers employers guidance on preparing for another pandemic.
In this edition, the focus is on a ‘hypothetical virus’ that could lead to disruptions exceeding those of COVID-19.
The guide notes that, based on historical trends, such a virus might result in a higher average number of illnesses and deaths in different age groups compared to typical annual flu seasons.
The handbook also advises employers to plan for scenarios where a disease outbreak or pandemic forces people to stay home. It highlights that predicting how many employees will be absent is challenging due to uncertainties about the virus’s severity, spread, and impact on workforce availability.
The report anticipates that a future pandemic could occur in two or three waves, with each outbreak separated by three to nine months, and may last up to two years.
It warns of potential disruptions in labor, supply chains, and consumer demand, affecting essential services such as telecommunications, banking, water, gasoline, medicine, and food.
