GENEVA, June 11, 2009
Swine Flu Reaches Official Pandemic Label
Virus' Fast, Far-Reaching Spread Makes It 1st Pandemic In 41 Years, Though Most Cases Mild
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A kindergartener wearing mask as precaution against swine flu washes her hands before going into a class at a kindergarten in Hong Kong, June 11, 2009. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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In-Depth Six Stages of Sickness How the World Health Organization rates pandemics
The World Health Organization told its member nations it was declaring a swine flu pandemic Thursday - the first global flu epidemic in 41 years - as infections climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.
In a statement sent to member countries, WHO said it decided to raise the pandemic warning level from phase 5 to 6 - its highest alert - after holding an emergency meeting on swine flu with its experts.
The long-awaited pandemic decision is scientific confirmation that a new flu virus has emerged and is quickly circling the globe.
CBS News correspondent Richard Roth reports the upgraded classification won't materially change much on the ground in the affected countries. A "pandemic" label is not a statement on the severity of the virus, only on its geographical spread.
CBS News medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton explained on The Early Show that the would prompt some lagging countries to mobilize resources.
It may trigger drugmakers to speed up production of a swine flu vaccine and prompt governments to devote more money toward efforts to contain the virus.
"Decisions regarding how much vaccine to make and whether or not to recommend it in the general population have not been made yet," Ashton adds.
"At this early stage, the pandemic can be characterized globally as being moderate in severity," WHO said in the statement, urging nations not to close borders or restrict travel and trade. "(We) remain in close dialogue with influenza vaccine manufacturers."
On Wednesday, WHO said 74 countries had reported nearly 27,737 cases of swine flu, including 141 deaths.
The agency has stressed that most cases are mild and require no treatment, but the fear is that a rash of new infections could overwhelm hospitals and health authorities - especially in poorer countries.
Still, about half of the people who have died from swine flu were previously young and healthy - people who are not usually susceptible to flu.
Swine flu is also continuing to spread during the start of summer in the northern hemisphere. Normally, flu viruses disappear with warm weather, but swine flu is proving to be resilient.
The last pandemic - the Hong Kong flu of 1968 - killed about 1 million people. Ordinary flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people each year.
Many health experts say WHO's pandemic declaration could have come weeks earlier but the agency became bogged down by politics. In May, several countries urged WHO not to declare a pandemic, fearing it would cause social and economic turmoil.
"This is WHO finally catching up with the facts," said Michael Osterholm, a flu expert at the University of Minnesota who has advised the U.S. government on pandemic preparations.
Despite WHO's hopes, raising the epidemic alert to the highest level will almost certainly spark some panic about spread of swine flu.
Fear has already gripped Argentina, where thousands of people worried about swine flu flooded into hospitals this week, bringing emergency health services in the capital of Buenos Aires to the brink of collapse. Last month, a bus arriving in Argentina from Chile was stoned by people who thought a passenger on it had swine flu. Chile has the most swine flu cases in South America.
In Hong Kong on Thursday, the government ordered all kindergartens and primary schools closed for two weeks after a dozen students tested positive for swine flu - a move that some flu experts would consider an overreaction.
In the United States, where there have been more than 13,000 cases and at least 27 deaths from swine flu, officials at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the move would not change how the U.S. tackled swine flu.
"Our actions in the past month have been as if there was a pandemic in this country," Glen Nowak, a CDC spokesman, said Thursday.
The U.S. government has already taken steps like increasing availability of flu-fighting medicines and authorizing $1 billion for the development of a new vaccine against the novel virus. In addition, new cases seem to be declining in many parts of the country, U.S. health officials say, as North America moves out of its traditional winter flu season.
Still, Osterholm said the declaration was a wake-up call for the world.
"I think a lot of people think we're done with swine flu, but you can't fall asleep at the wheel," he said. "We don't know what's going to happen in the next 6 to 12 months."
© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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See all 45 CommentsPosted by janieanddeb at 2:04 PM : Jun 11, 2009
Even if they aren't running a temperature, it doesn't mean they aren't coming down with it. Usually you are contagious up to 2 days before you actually show symptoms.
Is it alright if I start worrying about this next week?! I'm still exhausted over the last 'fear card' that was played! I won't possibly be able to worry about it until then! Sorry!
There were comments that the WHO took the Northern Manitoba cases as part of the reason to increase the level to 6 . The way the virus is acting . It appears to be getting more viralent.
could it be the the living situation is casing the virus to be stronger or do the natives have weaker immune system . Or is it the crowded living situations. TB spreads in crowded living situations and requires more contact with a infected person. Is this the same .
Like living in a apartment and traveling on a crowded subway. will that increase you risk
And the thing about mexico and taking temputures . Hello by the time a person has a fever they are already contagious and exposed everyone at the airport .
Posted by mjm117 at 12:05 PM : Jun 11, 2009
We have been doing pretty good here, but yesterday I heard there were numerous cases in northern Manitoba. It sounded like they were pretty sick.
I'm not saying the WHO or the media should take this swine flu lightly. But for the media to cram information like this down our throats every two seconds when the average person can't do anything about it anyway is ridiculous.
I could see if there was something you and I could do. But there isn't. So to the media, just back off.
That's AS I SEE IT. I'm Mike "Mainer Mike" Brown.
Posted by erasmus111 at 11:52 AM : Jun 11, 2009
I just got back from a trip to Mexico...they are doing a good job down there. Every person about to board a plane gets their temperature taken and a form needs to be filled out. Granite, I'm sure people aren't 100% on the form...but they are recording temperatures.
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hahahaha....good luck with that one.
You're not going to be catching me letting the WHO shoot me up with any "flu vaccine".
Posted by GeorgeWHoover at 11:37 AM : Jun 11, 2009
Calm down George...one of my customers happens to be the company slated with producing this vaccine. They are well into production...
Yes, a lot of people think that. I think that's because the media has slowed down in reporting it. In the U.S. they did get a little carried away. But the fact remains that it is still here. And I think people are going to be in for a big surprise. They were whining about the media reporting it, and they are going to be whining more when they find out that it's still here, getting worse, and the media hasn't informed them. : )
There are now cases where people are getting very sick, and not just in Mexico.
I wonder.
If we did nothing and tens of thousands died then everyone would say, after the fact, we did not react enough. If we react with great panic and nothing happens then we shouldn't have done what we did.
The pandemic of 1918 killed hundreds of thousands of people. This current problem is not over. If it does end without killing a lot of people then that's great. Just hope that the people that die isn't you or someone you love.
Another pandemic will come and depending on what we do or what we don't do will dictate the severity of it.
So lets all second guess everything hide our heads in the sand and do nothing......it will just all go away anyway right?.......
As for the media pumping this.....yes they do. It's the American way.....do anything you can to make a buck. You can see it on the forums that have been posted at CBS.com. As I post this there are people posting their thoughts. From fear to calm thought.......from people staying on the subject at hand to the people that always make it the fault of the political parties......and as we do this the Host of the forum, CBS, reading our posts and trying to figure out a way to raise the level more........the more posts they have the better ratings they have.
I know that I have been very sarcastic here and I apologies for that. It becomes very difficult when so many people do not keep their eye on the ball. With time you will experience the loss of someone and there is no stopping that. To lose some one ...never to see them smile...never to hear their voice....never to walk beside them simply because there are people who will not be careful enough or do not take it seriously enough is beyond me.
Just remember.....people have died and will die because of the H1N1 virus .......that is NOT speculation......wash your hands and keep your hands away from your face.......do things to help prevent catching it.....if you do catch the flu.......cover your mouth when you cough, don't shake peoples hands, limit your contact with people until your over it....to help prevent spreading it.
May god be with you, yours and all of us during all of hard times and good times of our walk through life.
Glen
I'm not saying that the World Health Organization shouldn't be concerned about the swine flu.
But why do they have to make the rest of us worried about it, when there's nothing the citizens of the world can do about it, except wash our hands, and use common sense?
That's AS I SEE IT. I'm Mike "Mainer Mike" Brown.
The media consistently rams down our throats how awful the economy is, and the swine flu epidemic. This is unacceptable.
Granted, if I came down with the swine flu, I'd be nervous. I am a little neurotic, after all.
However, most that get this flu don't die from it.
Heck, more have died from cancer this morning than any flu.
So, to the media, give it a rest. We're all aware that the swine flu exists. We don't need constant reports about it.
That's AS I SEE IT. I'm Mike "Mainer Mike" Brown.
Yes tens of thousands die every year of the flu and other virus but
this one is a new virus with no immunity and it may mutate,to a more virulent virus
We are not that smart to out smart a virus . We really dont have trhe science down pat we only can improve someones chances of surving the flu
do you seriously expect the who to wait til the deaths rate is so high that it is like looking out the window to tell if it is raining .
The WHO is supposed to be a early warning and yes that means they take chances.
I personlay think they have been so critized for being too early in their statements that this time they are late in their recomendations,
most countries do not want the WHO to post a warning . Its scares people away from traveling it effects how they spend money .
The flue happen every hundred years or so
'We have never fgund a real cure for virus or we would of cured aids
its our weakness
Were is the concern when SCORES OF THOUSANDS die every year from the flu in general - the answer - that a flu without a catchy name is not news worthy.
While I understand the need for the medical community to follow these things closely - the reporting by the media was completely out of control creating unnecessary concern on the part of the public. I thought they were suppose to REPORT the news - in this case they created it.
You read the book .
What was the mortality percentage 5 percent
Still it killed millions
Second who is saying how the deaths occur in this flu. there are no accounts from survivor families .
very little is said from the survivors . I read one account of a guy who survived it and he said it was five days of extreeme pain . His case was mild
They are saying this virus is killing the healthy
and the sick
Has the deaths been listed as healthy or preexisting health conditions young old
Where are thoses details stated.
Death is never pretty
l
All virus mutate . some mutate milder. some worse. That why we cant get just one vacine for the flu . every year its a guess.
sometimes the flu shot they give out is the wronge one as a different virus mutated not the one they were watching.
What people are not getting is no one can really say for sure til its hear. The fall will tell
Posted by mrs_trepidatious at 7:50 AM : Jun 11, 2009
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Oh really!!! Who has brainwashed you?
Posted by dg441-2009
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Brainwashed? Me? I am not a liberal who drinks the Obama kool aid.
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