Pandemic contingency plan advises business as usual strategy for UK

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and outbreaks of swine flu and other virulent diseases cause not closing borders or isolation of patients, says the document

Britain would remain a "business as usual" standing in the case of a global flu epidemic, no closures, prohibition of mass gatherings or transit restrictions under the new national plan ( pdf) pandemic.

also closing schools would not be a general or public use of antiviral drugs to prevent disease in the strategy published by the four health departments in the UK on Thursday.

Although the NHS is told to prepare for a 210000-315 additional 000 deaths over 15 weeks during a pandemic, updating the plan calls for a "proportionate" response to an emergency and is distinguished for the first time between measurements of low impact, moderate and high, depending on the severity and spread of the virus.

ministers seem determined to prove what they see as more measured, but not satisfied, the planning assumptions after the UK fled some fears about the H5N1 avian influenza in 1997 and 2003 and the first pandemic of the 21st century, the spread of swine flu H1NI in 2009.

In the UK, most people who contracted the H1N1 developed relatively mild illnesses. Their impact also varies, with London, West Midlands and Glasgow is experiencing strong pressure on local health services before the parts of northwest England and Northern Ireland had no case.

The same measures of health do-it-yourself business during outbreaks of the flu season can reduce the spread of infection and to treat mild to moderate symptoms, the report said. This includes hand washing, stay home, keep warm, drink plenty of fluids and use over against the cold and flu medications.

However, identifying the exact strain of virus could be problematic and take time with the production of specific vaccines that are four to six months. The estimate of the potential economic impact is also difficult, given the lack of specific prior information.

• But if 50% of employees were absent from work for an average of 1.5 weeks, could be a loss of 28 billion pounds in GDP. Pandemic widespread and severe, 15 to 20% of staff could be absent on a given day. Additional absences may be caused by the staff to take time off to care for sick or caring for dependent children if schools were closed. From pre-planning could mitigate this.

health workers can have masks and respirators to treat patients, but this team is not distributed to the public - who can not use them correctly, change them regularly or dispose of them appropriate

closing airports, ports and international rail stations only delay, not stop, the arrival of a pandemic, causing problems for food, medicines and other supplies. Thermal detection of passengers would also be a loss. Time, money and staff

Limit transport and major events will also be avoided. The focus would be on people feel bad to be responsible and stay home. Each school or those watersheds of a few, could be closed to reduce the initial spread of the infection locally, but there was a danger to children of mixed school anyway, to overcome these closures. Once a virus is established in the country, the policy would be contrary to the closure. Disabling schools could mean less health care and social workers available to treat patients because they were caring for their own children.