Time for a crisis manual for a possible Corona epidemic

The number of infections with the Corona virus (COVID-19) in Europe is increasing. No concrete infections have yet been reported in the Netherlands, but there is a good chance that this will be the case soon. It is illogical to expect that the Netherlands will be spared this.

The effect of the Corona virus on the Dutch economy is also increasing. In addition to the large multinationals, many SMEs are already faced with the fact that parts or materials no longer come from China, that all production in China has come to a standstill or that visitors are canceling events and conferences en masse. They rightly wonder what this means for their company. The government is helping them a little by making it possible for employees, if necessary to apply for a reduction in working hours.

It is striking that in the Netherlands and within Dutch companies we still mainly look at what is happening in the world as an outsider. We follow the news, bring Dutch people back from China and the Far East, but we are not yet really preparing ourselves for what we should do if the virus starts to spread rapidly in the Netherlands.

Within healthcare, people are - logically and rightly - working on this. Be here generic manuals available for identifying and controlling infectious diseases. There are the tasks well distributed.

There is little information available in the media and online about what other organizations and companies do. Perhaps people still rely on the manuals that were created at the beginning of this century in the context of outbreaks of the Mexican flu, Ebola or SARS. However, the situation has changed since then, social media has become more important and the information about what the best approach is may need an update.

What happens if we experience a major outbreak in the Netherlands? What should companies do to prevent them from being completely paralyzed by the Corona virus? How should citizens respond? In WNL on Sunday A week ago, the outgoing director of the NCTV indicated that every Dutch person must prepare to be able to take care of themselves for the first 72 hours during a disaster. Now a Corona epidemic will not reveal itself from one moment to the next, but still. Which company has already properly prepared? How do you deal with employees who come back or want to go on holiday to the Far East? What do you do if an infection is detected in your company or near your company? Do you send your people home immediately? Are you closing your business? Is it possible for everyone to work from home? What do you do with your production and with delivering products to your customers? What do you do in these times of fake news when rumors circulate on social media about a possible infection? And what if they are linked to your company? And what do you do as a supermarket and provider of essential infrastructure: what choices do you make? What do you do when people start hoarding en masse, as has been the case in China? Are you prepared for that? Do you just let the trams and trains continue? Too many questions.

Perhaps it is time - while it is still possible - to dust off the crisis manuals that were created in the past and go through them again and divide tasks. And if there are none, it is wise to create such a handbook now: if you prepare well for it, it will not surprise you in due course. Also make a list of reliable sources – local and national – where you can go for information. Do not only think of the RIVM, the GGD or the government, but also, for example, Novel Coronavirus Information Center from Elsevier.

Let's hope it's not necessary.