The WHO has raised the threat level of possible pandemic by one level. A level four pandemic level means that people are now spreading it between each other in one country for a sustained period of time.
The number of cases has doubled in the last 24 hours. There are now 2000 cases of severe flu in Mexico and 20 swine flu cases reported in the US. This is very concerning if this rate of spread is maintained.
The disease is still mild outside of Mexico with no deaths reported outside that country. This is encouraging in that the disease may not have any lasting power to cause severe morbidity or mortality.
The CDC needs to start making a vaccine now. They haven’t decided whether to interrupt ongoing flu vaccine manufacture. This is foolhardy. This current crop of disease may cool down as the spring and summer temperatures warm up. But this quiescence can easily reverse itself next fall and winter with a resurgence of the disease at pandemic levels. Vaccine manufacture takes months and needs to be the top priority of the pharmaceutical companies and government.
My personal advice…cancel any travel plans you might have for Mexico in the upcoming weeks. Our government may not want to restrict travel, but health conscious individuals should in my opinion restrict their own travel voluntarily.
And in today’s display of government ignorance, several countries have banned the importation of US pork. You can’t get swine flu from eating pork, people!
And at home our CDC has suggested sending your friends and family a hand-washing e-greeting card. Makes one proud to see the genius behind our government disease experts at work, doesn’t it. Here’s the link for any of you who don’t believe this is real. http://is.gd/uL0Z
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