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WHO Declares Swine Flu Pandemic

H1N1 has spread to 74 countries, but may be milder than first thought

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 11, 2009 10:20 AM CDT
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(Newser) – The World Health Organization has declared the first influenza pandemic since 1968, Reuters reports. Although the current outbreak has caused mostly mild cases of the illness, today's official declaration that the outbreak has hit phase 6, the highest level, means heightened prevention measures in 193 countries. The designation refers to the geographical spread of the disease, not the severity.

"Pandemic means global, but it doesn't have any connotation of severity or mildness," said one WHO official. "This event is really a moderate event for the time being, because the numbers are high but the disease is overwhelmingly mild." To date, 27,737 people have been infected with swine flu in 74 countries, but only 141 have died, mostly in Mexico.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon listens to Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO, during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, May 19, 2009.
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon listens to Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO, during a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Tuesday, May 19, 2009.   (AP Photo/Keystone/Salvatore Di Nolfi)
US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks as she sits next to Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO.
US Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius speaks as she sits next to Margaret Chan, director general of the WHO.   (AP Photo/Keystone, Laurent Gillieron)
Wearing masks as precaution against swine flu, two Thai boys wait for their mother after coming out of St. Gabriel's school, Thursday, June 11, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Wearing masks as precaution against swine flu, two Thai boys wait for their mother after coming out of St. Gabriel's school, Thursday, June 11, 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand.   (AP Photo/Apichart Weerawong)
A kindergartner wearing mask as precaution against swine flu washes her hands before going into a class at a kindergarten in Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2009.
A kindergartner wearing mask as precaution against swine flu washes her hands before going into a class at a kindergarten in Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
A kindergartener wearing mask as precaution against swine flu washes her hands before going into a class at a kindergarten in Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2009.
A kindergartener wearing mask as precaution against swine flu washes her hands before going into a class at a kindergarten in Hong Kong Thursday, June 11, 2009.   (AP Photo/Kin Cheung)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
Robert_Dada
Jun 11, 2009 5:20 AM CDT
Wow Citrix that was a very insipid response; even for you.
Sayyiduna
Jun 11, 2009 4:22 AM CDT
The world "only" isn't supposed to be demeaning to the human lives lost, it's supposed to highlight the relatively low statistical probability of dying from Swine Flu. In most cases this is a measure to prevent a massive panic not dissimilar to the one when the first outbreaks were recorded. The problem you are describing is simply a side-effect of a culture in which global communication is instantaneous. It's rather silly to assume that we should be devastated by the loss of every human life we hear/see is lost. As a matter of fact, if it mattered that much, society would collapse as we know it (everyone would be simply too depressed.) In a time like this it's difficult to remember that there was always death and loss of human life. What a lot of people fail to realize is that same communication that you think is making us desensitized to death is the same communication that has prevented or at least severely hindered many genocides and other crimes against humanity. A recent example is Darfur.. If the world hadn't been aware of what was going on with our ability to instantly broadcast death and massacre it's highly unlikely any of the dozens of aid agencies working in that area would have responded (or known where to respond, respectively.)
Alexandria
Jun 11, 2009 3:50 AM CDT
I hated the panic that happened with swine flu when more people die due to the common cold. And those surgical masks do nothing for you except not spread the germs the wearer has.

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public health • epidemic • World Health Organization • epidemiology • influenza • flu • pandemic • swine flu • WHO • H1N1 virus

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