Swine Flu spinoff

**frugalfranny** · 06-11-2009, 03:22 PM

One of my news headlines (on computer) this A.M. was that WHO has now called this a pandemic.

Anyone have more info to add? Can any nurse out there tell me a little more about what this might mean?

**savvy_sniper** · 06-11-2009, 03:27 PM

Definition

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a pandemic can start when three conditions have been met:[1]

* Emergence of a disease new to a population.
* Agents infect humans, causing serious illness.
* Agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.

A disease or condition is not a pandemic merely because it is widespread or kills many people; it must also be infectious. For instance, cancer is responsible for many deaths but is not considered a pandemic, because the disease is not infectious or contagious.

Current pandemics

2009 H1N1 outbreak
Main article: 2009 swine flu outbreak
This section documents a current event. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses.

The 2009 outbreak of a new strain of Influenza A virus subtype H1N1 created concerns that a new pandemic was occurring. In the latter half of April, 2009, the World Health Organization's pandemic alert level was sequentially increased from three to five until the announcement on 11 June 2009 that the pandemic level had been raised to its highest level, level six. [2] This was the first pandemic on this level since 1968. Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), gave a statement on 11 June 2009 confirming that the H1N1 strain was indeed a pandemic, having nearly 30,000 confirmed cases worldwide.

Notes

1. ^ "Avian influenza frequently asked questions" (in en). World Health Organization. December 5, 2005. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian...avian_faqs/en/. Retrieved on 2009-02-13. "A pandemic can start when three conditions have been met: a new influenza virus subtype emerges; it infects humans, causing serious illness; and it spreads easily and sustainably among humans."
2. ^ "AWHO 'declares swine flu pandemic'". BBC News. June 11, 2009.

**Contrary Housewife** · 06-11-2009, 04:30 PM

We've been in pandemic status in the US for a while now. The WHO raised it to level six today indicating that the flu has spread very widely to all continents.

"Officials note that declaring a pandemic does not mean the disease has become more severe, but that there is an increasing number of infections in different geographical locations."

Pandemic status is a management term, kind of like "disaster area". We know it's bad, but once it is officially declared to be so then certain relief efforts can get under way. For example they have stepped up vaccine production because it is so widespread.