Preparing for a pandemic

Although Canada's swine flu outbreak has not yet reached the levels expected by public health officials, Canadians are already taking precautions to keep the H1NI influenza A virus, which causes the flu, at bay.

From banning handshakes in churches to instituting pandemic emergency plans in the work place, Canadians are implementing changes to curb the effects of a full-blown outbreak.

The Catholic Archdiocese of Winnipeg, for example, has implemented Stage 1 of a three-stage pandemic prevention plan in all Catholic churches and schools in the city. In order to limit spread of the virus, the church has changed some of its rituals.

The diocese said that during mass, people will substitute the usual shaking of hands during the Rite of Peace with a bow of the head.

During Stage 2 of the church's pandemic plan — which will apply once the flu begins to result in deaths in high-risk populations — communion rituals such as drinking from the chalice and the placing of wafers on the tongue will be suspended.

If the pandemic reaches Stage 3, the point at which the wider population is at risk, the archdiocese will limit parish assemblies or, in a worst-case scenario, even close churches.

The Catholic church is not the only organization taking precautions, however. Many institutions throughout Canada have introduced initiatives to limit the spread of the H1NI virus.

Here's a look at what they're doing: