The 2020 Olympics in Tokyo could be postponed or cancelled if the coronavirus can’t be contained in the next three months, according to a senior member of the International Olympic Committee. The financial stakes are huge. Photo: Jae C. Hong/AP

Schools, warehouses and sports stadiums could be converted to treatment centres and supplies from the government’s vast National Medical Stockpile (NMS) will be deployed if the coronavirus becomes a pandemic situation in Australia.

That’s according to state and federal preparedness plans for an influenza pandemic that could see authorities tap the vast stockpile of drugs, vaccines and protective equipment being held in secret locations around the country to prevent the spread of coronavirus in Australia.

The Australian government has activated its emergency response plan for global pandemics as the coronavirus spreads rapidly outside of China.

The COVID-19 plan published Tuesday outlines a low, moderate and high impact response with the most severe scenario comparable to the extreme 1918 Spanish flu, which infected one third of Australians and killed between 50 to 100 million people globally.

It would lead to intense pressure on health services and heavy prioritisation of cases in hospital. Existing healthcare plans would also be relied on to avoid duplication.

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A NSW Health influenza pandemic plan first published in 2016 and set for review in 2022 states that during a severe pandemic people may be told to remain home or in isolation with preparation that may include building a “home emergency kit” and “emergency pantry list”.

Pandemic Assessment Centres where people can be assessed and treated could be established. Schools, warehouses, convention centres, hotels and sports arenas could be used as alternative sites to hospitals – just as China has done to treat overflow patients in Wuhan.

The agency also warned it could lead to “complex ethical and clinical treatment issues” if a large number of people required critical care “especially when healthcare demand exceeds supply.”

NATIONAL MEDICAL STOCKPILE

The government would also draw on its closely-guarded NMS – a vast reserve of drugs, vaccines, antidotes and protective equipment designed for use in response to a public health crisis.

It was established in 2002 and is stored in secret locations around Australia. It’s designed to ensure the country improves its period of self-sufficiency in an emergency situation such as a pandemic or terror attack. Around $750 million in funding has been allocated to the cause over the last decade with the high cost due to the shelf-life of medicines that must be replaced.

The NMS contains a range of specialised drugs that cannot be obtained through the usual supply system. It’s managed by the Department of Health and Chief Medical Officer of Australia, who are able to authorise deployments to state and territories.

A 2014 audit found it had 42 products and over 110 million items, mostly associated with preparedness for an influenza pandemic.

It was used in the 2009 bird flu outbreak where 900,000 antivirals worth nearly $30 million were deployed, as well as 2.1 million items of personal protective equipment, such as masks, to health workers and border staff.

In January, Health Minister Greg Hunt said there was a stockpile of 12 million masks which would be sent where they were needed after Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy had advised GPs should use them to treat patients in light of the coronavirus threat.

“We will work to make sure that everybody who needs them has them,” Mr Hunt said.

“We want GPs to put a mask on the patient and the staff and the doctor when they are assessing the patient. That’s important advice,” Professor Murphy said.

The Department of Health said the stockpile also contains products like antibiotics “which may become relevant if there are significant numbers of patients with secondary bacterial infections as a result of COVID-19 pneumonia.”

There are no specific antiviral agents or vaccine developed yet for COVID-19 infection.

“Storage sites for the NMS are not made public. Each site has strong security protocols which can be increased at short notice,” the health department said.

On Wednesday, the virus passed a key milestone with more new people infected outside of China than inside, according to the World Health Organisation. More than 80,000 cases have been recorded worldwide.

Italian officials announced a 12th death and a jump in the number of cases to 374 – the most serious outbreak in Europe so far. Other cases in Spain, Croatia and Austria appear to be linked to the Italian epicentre in the northern Lombardy region.

In Australia, an eighth case has been recorded from the virus-hit Diamond Princess cruise ship where former passengers are being held in quarantine in Darwin.

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Meanwhile, a virologist warned Australians to stock up on essentials to prepare for home quarantine.

Associate Professor Ian Mackay from the University of Queensland said he believed a pandemic was inevitable and it was only a matter of time before COVID-19 affected the Australian population.

“Now is the time to buy a few extra things,” he said.

“Think about your pets, think about your parents and grandparents (and) how they’re going to go. Do they need medication? Should you talk to your doctor about getting a few extra prescriptions in the cupboard just in case?

He said people should think about what might happen if their local school is closed and they are “stuck at home with your kids for a while”.

“Are you set up at home to have some stuff for a couple of weeks to keep going, to have stuff to eat (like) canned food, dried food. Do you have (home-based activities) to do? Have you got batteries?”