Swine Flu – Pandemic Alert level Raised To 5
April 29, 2009 by national
Filed under National Interest
The World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to 5, its second-highest level Wednesday, indicating the outbreak of swine flu that originated in Mexico is nearing widespread human infection.
Dr. Margaret Chan, the U.N. agency’s director-general, said the decision means that all countries should “immediately” activate pandemic preparedness plans.
“This change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments, to ministries of health and other ministries, to the pharm industry and the business community that certain actions now should be taken with increased urgency and at an accelerated pace,” Chan said.
The announcement came as the number of people infected with swine flu increased rapidly across the world, and health officials scrambled to get more information about the virus — which has no vaccine.
Phase 5 alert means there is sustained human to human spread in at least two countries. It also signals that efforts to produce a vaccine will be ramped up.
What is the evidence held to claim that the outbreak originated in Mexico?
Certainly Mexico is the hardest hit uptodate and could sound reasonable to rise the hypothesis that the virus originated in Mexico. But until this is proven by tracking back the events getting to patient “Zero” it should be just a hypothesis. There could be others equally reasonable.
Flavio Valdés
This is due to the “same strain” death that happened involving the child. When I first read the news reports this child was “sent” here from Mexico for treatment now were told he was just visiting and contracted it… hmmm.
He is not an American but the media still says he was an American death. This may be political play at work to constitute to the WHO level 5, to raise a level five you must have the same strain of deaths in two countries. Kind of interesting if you ask me since everyone that actually contracted it in America still has not died yet, so we just imported a death.
H1N1 is a big threat right now. People aren’t taking it nearly as seriously as they should. Vaccines will not be available until september, and that is a long time for it to spread. Just because we have only had 1 death doesn’t mean we need to ignore it. We need to do more research and acquire a vaccine sooner and to test everyone coming or leaving “Infected areas”. Pandemic as it is said, and pandemic it shall be.