Feb 1 (Reuters) - New guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention categorize disease pandemics much like hurricanes.

They set up a system for ranking a pandemic from Category 1 to Category 5, with recommended actions for communities to take.

-- Category 1: Asking ill persons to remain at home or not go to work until they are no longer contagious, about seven to 10 days. Patients will be treated with antiviral drugs if available.

-- Category 2: Asking household members of ill persons to stay at home for seven days

-- Categories 2-4: Considering dismissal of students from schools and closing child care programs for up to three months for the most severe pandemics, and reducing contact among children and teens in the community.

-- Categories 2-3: Recommending social distancing of adults in the community and at work, which may include closing large public gatherings, changing workplace environments and shifting work schedules without disrupting essential services. This may include teleworking and staggered schedules.

-- Category 5: Recommending all of the above.

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