• Carmen Amela Heras, Marta Cortes García, and María José Sierra Moros.
• Dirección General Salud Pública y Sanidad Exterior, Ministerio Sanidad y Política Social de España, Madrid, Spain. camela@msps.es
• Rev Esp Salud Publica. 2010 Sep 1; 84 (5): 497-506.

AbstractNonpharmacological public health measures are used to reduce exposure of susceptible persons to an infectious agent. Its use is recommended at the start of a pandemic, when the transmission begins, and the characteristics of the new virus are unknown. The National Plan for Preparedness and Response to Pandemic Influenza included the application of these measures, recommending the establishment of an Advisory Committee for implementation, with a multidisciplinary composition. The mandate at this Committee is to analyze the epidemiological and social context in confronting the pandemic and to propose public health measures according to their evolution. This article describes isolation, quarantine and closure of schools measures, aiming to reduce the spread of the virus in the population. It also reviews the epidemiological parameters that help to understand the impact of its implementation. The public health measures reviewed in this paper reduce transmission of the virus, and they have to be considered in response to an influenza pandemic. The impact on health will depend on how quickly they are taken and how people accept and follow them. Response plans should recommend its use, depending on the severity and characteristics of the new pandemic virus. The data analysis should be considered as part of the response, because the information collection and analysis will be key to advising health authorities on what measures should be adopted.

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