EDITORIAL SAFETY GUIDANCE

Global pandemics

If there is an outbreak of a disease like an avian influenza or swine flu that

could become a global pandemic, or which has a high mortality rate like SARS or
MERS, Reuters news personnel should take every precaution to minimize the
risk of infection.

As in all dangerous situations, maintain frequent contact with your supervisor

• No Reuters journalist should visit areas where
the infection is prevalent or where it began,
hospitals where patients are being treated
or farms with sick chickens or pigs, without
the approval of their regional editor, chief
photographer or senior regional TV producer,
and the regional general manager.
• In areas of low risk, such as outside hospitals
where flu patients are being treated or on the
periphery of farms where infected birds are
being culled, it is recommended to wear N95
masks and surgical gloves, to refrain from
touching surfaces, bird feathers or spilled
liquids and to carry out good hand hygiene.
Wear long sleeves and trousers and wash
your clothes in hot water at the end of the
day. Be prepared to dispose of any clothing or
equipment that you think might have become
contaminated.
• If you intend to report from areas where
full personal protective equipment (PPE)
including an isolation suit, goggles and
respirators is required, you must submit a
proposal to your regional general manager
and editor, who should consult the global
editorial safety team. The decision may be
passed up to senior editorial management.
Areas where PPE may be required would
include hospital wards, infected farms,
the homes of infected people and special
treatment centers.
• Be prepared to work from home if your
bureau chief tells you to. Stock up on

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EDITORIAL SAFETY GUIDANCE GLOBAL PANDEMICS
some nonperishable foods, drinking water,
medicines and other necessities in case
local authorities impose restrictions on the
movements of people.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap
and warm water. If soap and water are not
available, use alcohol-based hand gel that
consists at least 60 percent of alcohol.
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue
when coughing or sneezing, and throw away
used tissues.
• If you do not have a tissue, cough or sneeze
into your upper sleeve, not your hands.
• Wash your hands after coughing or sneezing.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth.
• The effectiveness of wearing a mask is not
clear, and they should not be relied on as a
primary defense in a pandemic. But many
experts recommend wearing N95 masks
(which filter out 95 percent of fine particles) or
less effective surgical masks (which filter out
larger particles) so long as this is done as early
as possible when exposed to an ill person and
they are used consistently. N95 respirators
must be fitted properly as any gap could allow
contaminated droplets through. They must be
disposed of by using gloves as soon as they
become damaged or soiled.
• If you come into contact with ill people, also at least 24 hours after the fever is gone
wear tight fitting safety goggles or swimming before resuming close contact with others or
goggles to prevent contaminated droplets traveling.
from getting into your eyes, and wear
disposable gloves.
• Avoid all physical contact with live or dead
birds, including poultry, and live or dead pigs.
• Avoid touching surfaces that may have bird
waste or swine waste on them.
• Be careful when preparing food. Do not eat For more information
dishes containing undercooked bird meat Sam Jamison
or products, including eggs, or undercooked +44 7990 560 355
pork or ham. There is no evidence that the samuel.jamison@thomsonreuters.com
avian or swine flu virus can be transmitted Mike Christie
through well-cooked food products. +1 305 785 4223
• If you think you have come into contact with michael.christie@thomsonreuters.com
an ill person or a dead or sick bird, monitor
your health closely for 7 days.
• If you become ill with a fever, a cough, sore Editorial Security
throat or have trouble breathing, go to a Helping to make dangerous story
doctor immediately and inform your bureau assignments safer
chief.
• Do not travel if you are sick, except to look for editorialsecurity@thomsonreuters.com
medical care in your community.
• If you are sick, limit contact with others as
much as possible by staying at least 6 feet
away from them.
• If you have been sick and get better, wait
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