Definition of Pandemic
Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world.
By contrast:
An epidemic affects more than the expected number of cases of disease occurring in a community or region during a given period of time. A sudden severe outbreak within a region or a group as, for example, AIDS in Africa or AIDS in intravenous drug users.
An endemic is present in a community at all times but in low frequency. An endemic is continuous as in the case of malaria in some areas of the world or as with illicit drugs in some neighborhoods.
The word "pandemic" comes from the Greek "pan-", "all" + "demos", "people or population" = "pandemos" = "all the people." A pandemic affects all (nearly all) of the people. By contrast, "epi-" means "upon." An epidemic is visited upon the people. And "en-" means "in." An endemic is in the people.
Source: MedicineNet.com
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Epidemics and pandemics refer to the spread of infectious diseases among a population. The difference between an epidemic and a pandemic is two-fold. First a pandemic is normally used to indicate a far higher number of people affected than an epidemic, and a pandemic refers to a much larger region affected. In the most extreme case, the global population is affected by a pandemic.
An epidemic is defined by an illness or health-related issue that is showing up in more cases than would be normally expected. However, in the case of a pandemic, even more of the population is affected than in an epidemic.
Let's take a hypothetical example and assume several people contract the same flu-like symptoms in a particular area. Let's further assume that cases show up across the state, but the concentration remains localized in a few original cities. Some cases even turn up elsewhere in the nation, but the illness doesn't catch on elsewhere. In the hubs where it is seen the infection rate remains more than you would expect to normally see. This is a classic example of an epidemic.
Now let's take that same scenario but imagine the rate of infection started growing exponentially so that more and more cases were cropping up locally. When the rate of infection grows very fast it is likely, given favorable circumstances, that the epidemic grows into something more. Now we start seeing cases across the nation and the rate of infection is exceeding even that of an epidemic. It turns out in our hypothetical scenario that most of the population in the nation becomes affected by this flu. This is a pandemic.
To put a finer point on it, if the entire nation was affected but the rate of incidence never rose above that of an epidemic, it would still be considered an epidemic, even though the disease was nationwide.
Conversely, you might have a small population in a remote area of Africa, for example, that is nearly 100% affected by an illness or health problem. Because the incidence is so high, and the area relatively widespread in that it is affecting an entire population, this could be termed pandemic.
You can see with these subtle but significant differences how the terms might be confusing, but normally epidemics that grow out of hand due to the nature of the disease and other factors, turn into pandemics.
A pandemic may be regionally localized if it involves more cases than a simple epidemic; and an epidemic may be widespread if not enough of the population is affected to term it pandemic. Though in this latter case, you might still see it termed pandemic by some, just because the geographical area is so widespread. View Source
Source: WiseGeek.com
Showing posts with label pandemic alert. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pandemic alert. Show all posts
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Swine Not the Killer You Think It Is
May 2nd, 2009 2:06 PM Eastern
DR. MARC SIEGEL: Swine Flu — It’s Not the Killer You Think It Is
By Marc Siegel, M.D.
FOX News Medical Contributor/Associate Professor, NYU School of Medicine/Author, “False Alarm; the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear and Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic”
I was listening to a conference call on Friday, organized by the NYC Health Department about — you guessed it — swine flu (now known as H1N1). The discussion centered around “Influenza-like illness” and it was soon clear to me that…
1) It is a late influenza season this year and some of these illnesses are from the garden-variety mild influenza B.
2) A lot of the so-called “influenza cases” are really just reports by worried people with the sniffles. When all is said and done, it is looking more and more like H1N1 (a designation which describes two proteins on the surface of the flu virus which help it spread) will end up being a mild, over-hyped virus despite the fact that it is new.
In the current swine flu scare the virus is assumed to be a more powerful human killer than it actually is. In reality it appears to losing virulence as it spreads human to human and is not that transmissable, and is NOT becoming widespread.
As I described in my book “False Alarm; the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear,” there is a history of hysterical ovverreaction to health risks in this country especially as evidenced by the swine flu fiasco of 1976, SARS in 2003 and the bird flu scare in 2005.
In each case, Some of this overreaction was due to a distortion of the scientific information about the virus itself. In 1976, when a swine flu virus appeared to kill a military recruit and then be present in the blood of 500 others (who never got sick) this led to a massive hysteria and vaccination program for a pandemic that never occurred. Forty millon Americas were vaccinated and ascending paralysis (also known as Guillain Barre Syndrome) was associated with recipients in close to 1,000 patients.
The fears that prompted the mass vaccination were due to the ghost of the 1918 Spanish Flu, which killed at least 50 million worldwide. In 1976 and 2003 SARS, and again in 2006 with the bird flu, false assumptions were made connecting the memory of 1918 with another potential scourge.
Back in 1976 the prevailing theory was that pigs had been the source of the 1918 Spanish Flu, which was later disproven but served as an impetus for the hysteria at the time. In 2005, the knowledge that the 1918 scary virus was “bird-like” led the fearmongers to point a finger at an equally scary H5N1 virus that was killing millions of birds. But lost in the panic was the knowledge that human pandemics had likely never been caused by an H5 virus before.
In the current swine flu scare the virus is assumed to be a more powerful human killer than it actually is. In reality it appears to losing virulence as it spreads human to human and is not that transmissable, and is NOT becoming widespread.
The vast overreaction to this virus and its potential has severe economic consequences as it did previously in 1976, 2003, and 2006. This time the hysteria may lead to billions of dollars lost to the travel industry, tourism, the Mexican economy, and to closing schools due to hysterical children and overreacting nurses. Vice President Biden’s statement that we should all avoid planes, trains, and crowded places was not at all consistent with the very low prevalence of the virus. It made me think he had become disoriented and suddenly thought he was back in 1918! Even President Obama’s statement that we should wash our hands (of course we should, they are loaded with bacteria and viruses of all kinds) sent the wrong message that there is far more of this particular virus around than there actually is. (The chance that this virus is on your hands as you read this is extremely close to zero).
Despite the fact that you can’t get this virus from eating pork, Egypt is destroying its pigs and several other countries are not importing pigs from the U.S. or Mexico. This is another form of hysteria.
Perhaps the greatest overreaction of all is the new pandemic alert system that the World Health Organization developed in response to the 2005 bird flu scare (an alert system developed in response to a scare??). Though it is reasonable to call a pandemic for an extensive spread of a new strain of killer flu to many parts of the world at once, what is sorely lacking in this alert system is any counting of actual cases or number of deaths before raising the alert level. As a result, we may end up with the first pandemic in history with less than a thousand deaths. Consider that the last pandemic, the 1968 Hong Kong Flu, which was controlled with the help of vaccines, public health measures, and treatments for secondary infections with antibiotics, killed 750,000 worldwide.
It look like H1N1 is another pandemic of mostly of fear — something that is stronger and more infectious than any virus.
Marc Siegel M.D., a FOX Medical Contributor, is the author of “False Alarm; the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear and Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.”
DR. MARC SIEGEL: Swine Flu — It’s Not the Killer You Think It Is
By Marc Siegel, M.D.
FOX News Medical Contributor/Associate Professor, NYU School of Medicine/Author, “False Alarm; the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear and Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic”
I was listening to a conference call on Friday, organized by the NYC Health Department about — you guessed it — swine flu (now known as H1N1). The discussion centered around “Influenza-like illness” and it was soon clear to me that…
1) It is a late influenza season this year and some of these illnesses are from the garden-variety mild influenza B.
2) A lot of the so-called “influenza cases” are really just reports by worried people with the sniffles. When all is said and done, it is looking more and more like H1N1 (a designation which describes two proteins on the surface of the flu virus which help it spread) will end up being a mild, over-hyped virus despite the fact that it is new.
In the current swine flu scare the virus is assumed to be a more powerful human killer than it actually is. In reality it appears to losing virulence as it spreads human to human and is not that transmissable, and is NOT becoming widespread.
As I described in my book “False Alarm; the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear,” there is a history of hysterical ovverreaction to health risks in this country especially as evidenced by the swine flu fiasco of 1976, SARS in 2003 and the bird flu scare in 2005.
In each case, Some of this overreaction was due to a distortion of the scientific information about the virus itself. In 1976, when a swine flu virus appeared to kill a military recruit and then be present in the blood of 500 others (who never got sick) this led to a massive hysteria and vaccination program for a pandemic that never occurred. Forty millon Americas were vaccinated and ascending paralysis (also known as Guillain Barre Syndrome) was associated with recipients in close to 1,000 patients.
The fears that prompted the mass vaccination were due to the ghost of the 1918 Spanish Flu, which killed at least 50 million worldwide. In 1976 and 2003 SARS, and again in 2006 with the bird flu, false assumptions were made connecting the memory of 1918 with another potential scourge.
Back in 1976 the prevailing theory was that pigs had been the source of the 1918 Spanish Flu, which was later disproven but served as an impetus for the hysteria at the time. In 2005, the knowledge that the 1918 scary virus was “bird-like” led the fearmongers to point a finger at an equally scary H5N1 virus that was killing millions of birds. But lost in the panic was the knowledge that human pandemics had likely never been caused by an H5 virus before.
In the current swine flu scare the virus is assumed to be a more powerful human killer than it actually is. In reality it appears to losing virulence as it spreads human to human and is not that transmissable, and is NOT becoming widespread.
The vast overreaction to this virus and its potential has severe economic consequences as it did previously in 1976, 2003, and 2006. This time the hysteria may lead to billions of dollars lost to the travel industry, tourism, the Mexican economy, and to closing schools due to hysterical children and overreacting nurses. Vice President Biden’s statement that we should all avoid planes, trains, and crowded places was not at all consistent with the very low prevalence of the virus. It made me think he had become disoriented and suddenly thought he was back in 1918! Even President Obama’s statement that we should wash our hands (of course we should, they are loaded with bacteria and viruses of all kinds) sent the wrong message that there is far more of this particular virus around than there actually is. (The chance that this virus is on your hands as you read this is extremely close to zero).
Despite the fact that you can’t get this virus from eating pork, Egypt is destroying its pigs and several other countries are not importing pigs from the U.S. or Mexico. This is another form of hysteria.
Perhaps the greatest overreaction of all is the new pandemic alert system that the World Health Organization developed in response to the 2005 bird flu scare (an alert system developed in response to a scare??). Though it is reasonable to call a pandemic for an extensive spread of a new strain of killer flu to many parts of the world at once, what is sorely lacking in this alert system is any counting of actual cases or number of deaths before raising the alert level. As a result, we may end up with the first pandemic in history with less than a thousand deaths. Consider that the last pandemic, the 1968 Hong Kong Flu, which was controlled with the help of vaccines, public health measures, and treatments for secondary infections with antibiotics, killed 750,000 worldwide.
It look like H1N1 is another pandemic of mostly of fear — something that is stronger and more infectious than any virus.
Marc Siegel M.D., a FOX Medical Contributor, is the author of “False Alarm; the Truth About the Epidemic of Fear and Bird Flu: Everything You Need to Know About the Next Pandemic.”
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Get Your Two Week Supply Ready.
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
Community Planning for Swine Flu
April 28, 2009 6:45 PM ET
Script
Health officials are concerned about a new influenza virus of swine origin that’s spreading from person to person. Officials are acting to combat this threat, but the outbreak might grow. So be prepared.
Store a two-week supply of food and water. Have two weeks of your regular prescription drugs at home. Keep health supplies on hand, including pain relievers and cold medicines.
For more details, visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
A message from HHS.
CDC.gov
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Swine Flu website last updated April 30, 2009, 10:30 AM ET
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of April 30, 2009, 10:30 AM ET)
Arizona 1
California 14
Indiana 1
Kansas 2
Massachusetts 2
Michigan 1
Nevada 1
New York 50
Ohio 1
South Carolina 10
Texas 26 cases and 1 death
TOTAL COUNTS 109 cases 1 death (someone visiting from Mexico)
...the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5 on April 29, 2009. A Phase 5 alert is a “strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.”
The United States Government has declared a public health emergency...CDC’s response goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency...
...CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus.
"People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people...
In late March and early April 2009, cases of human infection with swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses were first reported in Southern California and near Guadalupe County, Texas...
No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe...
Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick...
CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms)...
Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods...
...some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent handwashing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces...
...There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu...
...Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Between 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. However, swine flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with swine flu and died 8 days later. A swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in 1976 that caused more than 200 cases with serious illness in several people and one death...
...CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak..."
Community Planning for Swine Flu
April 28, 2009 6:45 PM ET
Script
Health officials are concerned about a new influenza virus of swine origin that’s spreading from person to person. Officials are acting to combat this threat, but the outbreak might grow. So be prepared.
Store a two-week supply of food and water. Have two weeks of your regular prescription drugs at home. Keep health supplies on hand, including pain relievers and cold medicines.
For more details, visit www.cdc.gov/swineflu or call 1-800-CDC-INFO.
A message from HHS.
CDC.gov
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu)
Swine Flu website last updated April 30, 2009, 10:30 AM ET
U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of April 30, 2009, 10:30 AM ET)
Arizona 1
California 14
Indiana 1
Kansas 2
Massachusetts 2
Michigan 1
Nevada 1
New York 50
Ohio 1
South Carolina 10
Texas 26 cases and 1 death
TOTAL COUNTS 109 cases 1 death (someone visiting from Mexico)
...the World Health Organization raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to Phase 5 on April 29, 2009. A Phase 5 alert is a “strong signal that a pandemic is imminent and that the time to finalize the organization, communication, and implementation of the planned mitigation measures is short.”
The United States Government has declared a public health emergency...CDC’s response goals are to reduce transmission and illness severity, and provide information to help health care providers, public health officials and the public address the challenges posed by this emergency...
...CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak. The swine influenza A (H1N1) virus is susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir. In addition, the Federal Government and manufacturers have begun the process of developing a vaccine against this new virus.
"People do not normally get swine flu, but human infections can and do happen. Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, this transmission was limited and not sustained beyond three people...
In late March and early April 2009, cases of human infection with swine influenza A (H1N1) viruses were first reported in Southern California and near Guadalupe County, Texas...
No. Swine influenza viruses are not spread by food. You cannot get swine influenza from eating pork or pork products. Eating properly handled and cooked pork products is safe...
Infected people may be able to infect others beginning 1 day before symptoms develop and up to 7 or more days after becoming sick...
CDC recommends the use of oseltamivir or zanamivir for the treatment and/or prevention of infection with these swine influenza viruses. Antiviral drugs are prescription medicines (pills, liquid or an inhaler) that fight against the flu by keeping flu viruses from reproducing in your body. If you get sick, antiviral drugs can make your illness milder and make you feel better faster. They may also prevent serious flu complications. For treatment, antiviral drugs work best if started soon after getting sick (within 2 days of symptoms)...
Children, especially younger children, might potentially be contagious for longer periods...
...some viruses and bacteria can live 2 hours or longer on surfaces like cafeteria tables, doorknobs, and desks. Frequent handwashing will help you reduce the chance of getting contamination from these common surfaces...
...There is no vaccine available right now to protect against swine flu...
...Like seasonal flu, swine flu in humans can vary in severity from mild to severe. Between 2005 until January 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were detected in the U.S. with no deaths occurring. However, swine flu infection can be serious. In September 1988, a previously healthy 32-year-old pregnant woman in Wisconsin was hospitalized for pneumonia after being infected with swine flu and died 8 days later. A swine flu outbreak in Fort Dix, New Jersey occurred in 1976 that caused more than 200 cases with serious illness in several people and one death...
...CDC’s Division of the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) continues to send antiviral drugs, personal protective equipment, and respiratory protection devices to all 50 states and U.S. territories to help them respond to the outbreak..."
Monday, April 27, 2009
Death Toll Rises in Mexico
Mexico: suspected swine flu deaths climb to 149
April 27th, 2009 @ 11:02am
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico's government is ordering closed schools nationwide as the suspected death toll from swine flu climbed to 149.
Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova says only 20 of the deaths have been confirmed to be from swine flu and the government was awaiting tests results on the rest.
He says 1,995 people have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia since the first case of swine flu was reported on April 13. The government does not yet know how many were swine flu.
Of those hospitalized, 1,070 have been released.
Cordova says school at all levels nationwide are suspended until May 6. Schools had already been suspended in Mexico City and five of Mexico's 32 states.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MEXICO CITY (AP) _ Mexico's government is ordering closed schools nationwide as the suspected death toll from swine flu climbed to 149.
Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova says only 20 of the deaths have been confirmed to be from swine flu and the government was awaiting tests results on the rest.
He says 1,995 people have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia since the first case of swine flu was reported on April 13. The government does not yet know how many were swine flu.
Of those hospitalized, 1,070 have been released.
Cordova says school at all levels nationwide are suspended until May 6. Schools had already been suspended in Mexico City and five of Mexico's 32 states.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
April 27th, 2009 @ 11:02am
MEXICO CITY (AP) - Mexico's government is ordering closed schools nationwide as the suspected death toll from swine flu climbed to 149.
Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova says only 20 of the deaths have been confirmed to be from swine flu and the government was awaiting tests results on the rest.
He says 1,995 people have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia since the first case of swine flu was reported on April 13. The government does not yet know how many were swine flu.
Of those hospitalized, 1,070 have been released.
Cordova says school at all levels nationwide are suspended until May 6. Schools had already been suspended in Mexico City and five of Mexico's 32 states.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
MEXICO CITY (AP) _ Mexico's government is ordering closed schools nationwide as the suspected death toll from swine flu climbed to 149.
Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova says only 20 of the deaths have been confirmed to be from swine flu and the government was awaiting tests results on the rest.
He says 1,995 people have been hospitalized with serious cases of pneumonia since the first case of swine flu was reported on April 13. The government does not yet know how many were swine flu.
Of those hospitalized, 1,070 have been released.
Cordova says school at all levels nationwide are suspended until May 6. Schools had already been suspended in Mexico City and five of Mexico's 32 states.
(Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
Sit and wait for the spread
Spread of Swine Flu in U.S. Likely to Be Under-reported
Spread of Swine Flu in U.S. Likely to Be Under-reported. EIN News Offers Comprehensive Coverage of the Swine Flu Emergency
WASHINGTON, April 27 - /EIN NEWS/ As the aggressively spreading swine flu makes its way to U.S. soil, states are scrambling to judge the full extent of how susceptible the population is to infection. But some states are having no problem with reporting the impact: That's because they don't have the means to effectively investigate illness complaints.
Because of a lack of resources, the exact extent to which the population is at risk for disease is never really known. Whereas some states, such as Minnesota and Washington, lead the nation in reporting outbreaks and communicating the risks to their residents. Others have no resources, or minimal resources, to do so.
According to the New York Times, "Congress and the Obama administration have said that more inspections and new food production rules are needed to prevent food-related diseases, but far less attention has been paid to fixing the fractured system by which officials detect and stop ongoing outbreaks."
Turn to EIN News for continuing coverage of the swine flu that is spreading across North America and find out the stories that the mainstream media - let alone the states - is not reporting:
-- Latest news from Healthcare Industry Today - http://health.einnews.com
-- Latest swine flu pandemic news - http://health.einnews.com/news/swine-flu-pandemic
-- Latest H1N1 flu virus news - http://health.einnews.com/news/h1n1-flu-virus
-- Latest Mexico flu news - http://health.einnews.com/news/mexico-flu
As reported by Reuters, "The U.S. food supply system has been hit by a series of big food recalls since 2006, leading to vociferous calls by lawmakers, consumer groups and most recently the Obama administration for reform. Several bills have been introduced in Congress to modernize the system." Yet, here the country sits and waits again for enough people to get sick - across the entire nation - before the alarm is sounded.
Are some states doing the job of the FDA while the department rests on its laurels? EIN News keeps you up to date with this story and more, spanning the globe to deliver to you the full story from the world's top news sources.
Used by governments and institutions the world over, EIN News is a worldwide leader in news monitoring, indexing more than 35,000 news sources daily and offering more than 200,000 news feeds on a multitude of topics. Sign up for EIN News's free trial to discover a week's worth of the most important stories that you can have delivered to your inbox, iPhone, Blackberry or other mobile device. In addition to coverage of more than 80 critical industries, the world's top headlines are available 24/7 at http://www.einnews.com .
Pandemic...Swine Flu
Plan in place to deal with swine flu in Utah
April 26th, 2009 @ 9:38pm
By John Hollenhorst
(AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Churches are closed, events have been canceled, and the entire world is on alert as a contagious and possibly deadly disease is spreading throughout the globe.
The swine flu was first detected in Mexico and has since crept into the U.S. and other countries. The unique type of flu has now been diagnosed in five different states. New York has the most confirmed cases with eight, followed closely by California with seven. Kansas and Texas both have two, and Ohio has reported a single case, bringing the total to 20 in America.
While the disease is a growing medical mystery, health officials emphasize all the detected case here are minor. Still, they are taking every precaution to prevent an epidemic.
Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, said, "I wish we could call it a declaration of emergency preparedness, because that's really what it is in this context."
Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, said, "We do think this will continue to spread, but we are taking aggressive actions to minimize the impact on peoples' health."
In the wake of the emergency declaration, Utah's top health officials gathered in a rare Sunday conference. They started fine-tuning an existing plan to keep Utahns safe, just in case the disease makes its way here.
Bear in mind, there are no reported cases in Utah so far, and the cases in other states have been mild. So one important message is: Don't panic if you get a cough or a runny nose!
At University Hospital, the declaration of a national emergency may have changed the atmosphere but not the staffing.
University Hospital spokesman Chris Nelson said, "It makes us a little more vigilant. One of the things I would say is that all hospitals, including University Hospital, have been practicing for this scenario for a long time."
State health officials huddled in telephone conferences with national health experts. They say the basic playbook was adopted two years ago.
Dr. David Sundwall, executive director for the Utah Department of Health, said, "Do we close the schools and when? How do we distribute these anti-viral medications? We're not starting from scratch. I'm really glad that we did that planning."
Some experts say Mexico was late in closing down schools and public events, but it's not even being considered yet in the U.S.
"This is just a menu of things that you'd consider if you start seeing clusters of illness crop up, but we're not anywhere close to that now," Dr. Sundwall said.
Infectious disease experts at the U did retrain emergency room staff over the weekend on handling patients with flu-like symptoms.
"You know, they're put into an isolated room with negative pressure. We don the proper masks and gloves and protocols," Nelson said.
They're asking people with respiratory symptoms to stay at home but to go to a doctor if they have the serious hallmarks of flu -- like a fever, muscle aches, exhaustion, chills, sweats and headaches --not just a cold.
"Well, I think you have to use common sense. You know we're subject to colds, to respiratory illnesses all the time. I think though, if I were running a fever, had muscle aches and felt unusually tired along with a respiratory illness, yeah, I'd go to the doctor," Dr. Sundwall said.
The most basic advice is what you're always advised to do. "Hand washing, hand washing is always key. Whether you go into a hospital, or a daycare or a restaurant," Nelson said.
The state did begin ordering anti-viral medications today. Still, officials emphasize that it's not a time for alarm, just alertness.
One other thing, health officials emphasized today that swine flu is not spread by eating meat, so feel free to eat all the pork you want.
Travel requirements by airline
Because of the outbreak in Mexico, health authorities in that country have started to implement flu prevention measures.
As travelers arrive at various airports in the country, they are handed surgical masks with the hope of containing the disease. Millions of masks have been handed out so far.
For those wanting to change their travel plans to Mexico, many airlines are making it a little easier. American, United, Continental and US Airways are allowing people to change their reservations without penalties; however, they all have different policies.
American Airlines: Waive its usual penalty for changing reservations for anyone traveling to, from or through Mexico from Saturday through May 6. Tickets must be purchased before Saturday.
United Airlines: Passengers who purchased tickets on or before Sunday for travel through April 30 may change their plans without penalty.
Continental Airlines: Offering to waive change fees for passengers traveling to, from or through Mexico City, Puebla and Toluca, Mexico between today and April 28.
US Airways: Waiving the standard change fee, advance reservation and ticketing requirements for customers with Mexico City travel plans through April 30.
Mexicana International: Passengers traveling to Mexico City, or those who are required to catch connecting flights at the Mexico City airport, may reschedule their flights and/or travel dates at no extra charge.
US declares public health emergency for swine flu
April 26th, 2009 @ 2:58pm
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday to deal with the emerging new swine flu, much like the government does to prepare for approaching hurricanes.
Officials reported 20 U.S. cases of swine flu in five states so far, with the latest in Ohio and New York. Unlike in Mexico where the same strain appears to be killing dozens of people, cases in the United State have been mild _ and U.S. health authorities can't yet explain why.
"As we continue to look for cases, we are going to see a broader spectrum of disease," predicted Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're going to see more severe disease in this country."
At a White House news conference, Besser and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to assure Americans that health officials are taking all appropriate steps to minimize the impact of the outbreak.
Top among those is declaring the public health emergency. As part of that, Napolitano said roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu will be moved from a federal stockpile to places where states can quickly get their share if they decide they need it. Priority will be given to the five states with known cases so far: California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas.
Napolitano called the emergency declaration standard operating procedure _ one was declared recently for the inauguration and for flooding. She urged people to think of it as a "declaration of emergency preparedness."
"Really that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size of seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."
Swine flu outbreak raises global alert
Posted: April 27, 2009 09:49 AM MDT
Hundreds of cases of a deadly flu outbreak is causing fears of the threat of a pandemic and public panic.
The swine flu virus is suspected in up to 103 deaths in Mexico. Spain has reported its first confirmed case Monday and says another 17 people are suspected of having it. In the United States, about 20 cases have been reported.
Of the confirmed cases of this new swine flu outbreak in United States, the greatest concentration has turned up at a school in New York City. Eight students from Saint Francis Prep in Queens apparently brought back the virus after spending a week in Mexico. School officials closed St. Francis Prep on Monday so a cleaning crew could come in and disinfect the building. There is so far no evidence that the sickness has spread beyond those students.
President Barack Obama told Americans not to panic while he spoke Monday morning at the National Academy of Sciences meeting.
"If there was ever a day that reminded us of our shared stake in science and research, it's today," Obama said, "We are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States. This is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert, but it is not a cause for alarm."
President Obama says the Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency as a precaution.
The swine flu is a virus that primarily infects pigs. People do not normally acquire swine flu, but human infections can occur and sometimes from person to person.
Just like regular influenza, the best way to protect against the swine variation is to cover nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, washing hands frequently and avoiding close contact with sick people.
April 26th, 2009 @ 9:38pm
By John Hollenhorst
(AP Photo/Guillermo Arias)
SALT LAKE CITY -- Churches are closed, events have been canceled, and the entire world is on alert as a contagious and possibly deadly disease is spreading throughout the globe.
The swine flu was first detected in Mexico and has since crept into the U.S. and other countries. The unique type of flu has now been diagnosed in five different states. New York has the most confirmed cases with eight, followed closely by California with seven. Kansas and Texas both have two, and Ohio has reported a single case, bringing the total to 20 in America.
While the disease is a growing medical mystery, health officials emphasize all the detected case here are minor. Still, they are taking every precaution to prevent an epidemic.
Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Secretary, said, "I wish we could call it a declaration of emergency preparedness, because that's really what it is in this context."
Richard Besser, acting director of the CDC, said, "We do think this will continue to spread, but we are taking aggressive actions to minimize the impact on peoples' health."
In the wake of the emergency declaration, Utah's top health officials gathered in a rare Sunday conference. They started fine-tuning an existing plan to keep Utahns safe, just in case the disease makes its way here.
Bear in mind, there are no reported cases in Utah so far, and the cases in other states have been mild. So one important message is: Don't panic if you get a cough or a runny nose!
At University Hospital, the declaration of a national emergency may have changed the atmosphere but not the staffing.
University Hospital spokesman Chris Nelson said, "It makes us a little more vigilant. One of the things I would say is that all hospitals, including University Hospital, have been practicing for this scenario for a long time."
State health officials huddled in telephone conferences with national health experts. They say the basic playbook was adopted two years ago.
Dr. David Sundwall, executive director for the Utah Department of Health, said, "Do we close the schools and when? How do we distribute these anti-viral medications? We're not starting from scratch. I'm really glad that we did that planning."
Some experts say Mexico was late in closing down schools and public events, but it's not even being considered yet in the U.S.
"This is just a menu of things that you'd consider if you start seeing clusters of illness crop up, but we're not anywhere close to that now," Dr. Sundwall said.
Infectious disease experts at the U did retrain emergency room staff over the weekend on handling patients with flu-like symptoms.
"You know, they're put into an isolated room with negative pressure. We don the proper masks and gloves and protocols," Nelson said.
They're asking people with respiratory symptoms to stay at home but to go to a doctor if they have the serious hallmarks of flu -- like a fever, muscle aches, exhaustion, chills, sweats and headaches --not just a cold.
"Well, I think you have to use common sense. You know we're subject to colds, to respiratory illnesses all the time. I think though, if I were running a fever, had muscle aches and felt unusually tired along with a respiratory illness, yeah, I'd go to the doctor," Dr. Sundwall said.
The most basic advice is what you're always advised to do. "Hand washing, hand washing is always key. Whether you go into a hospital, or a daycare or a restaurant," Nelson said.
The state did begin ordering anti-viral medications today. Still, officials emphasize that it's not a time for alarm, just alertness.
One other thing, health officials emphasized today that swine flu is not spread by eating meat, so feel free to eat all the pork you want.
Travel requirements by airline
Because of the outbreak in Mexico, health authorities in that country have started to implement flu prevention measures.
As travelers arrive at various airports in the country, they are handed surgical masks with the hope of containing the disease. Millions of masks have been handed out so far.
For those wanting to change their travel plans to Mexico, many airlines are making it a little easier. American, United, Continental and US Airways are allowing people to change their reservations without penalties; however, they all have different policies.
American Airlines: Waive its usual penalty for changing reservations for anyone traveling to, from or through Mexico from Saturday through May 6. Tickets must be purchased before Saturday.
United Airlines: Passengers who purchased tickets on or before Sunday for travel through April 30 may change their plans without penalty.
Continental Airlines: Offering to waive change fees for passengers traveling to, from or through Mexico City, Puebla and Toluca, Mexico between today and April 28.
US Airways: Waiving the standard change fee, advance reservation and ticketing requirements for customers with Mexico City travel plans through April 30.
Mexicana International: Passengers traveling to Mexico City, or those who are required to catch connecting flights at the Mexico City airport, may reschedule their flights and/or travel dates at no extra charge.
US declares public health emergency for swine flu
April 26th, 2009 @ 2:58pm
WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. declared a public health emergency Sunday to deal with the emerging new swine flu, much like the government does to prepare for approaching hurricanes.
Officials reported 20 U.S. cases of swine flu in five states so far, with the latest in Ohio and New York. Unlike in Mexico where the same strain appears to be killing dozens of people, cases in the United State have been mild _ and U.S. health authorities can't yet explain why.
"As we continue to look for cases, we are going to see a broader spectrum of disease," predicted Dr. Richard Besser, acting chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We're going to see more severe disease in this country."
At a White House news conference, Besser and Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano sought to assure Americans that health officials are taking all appropriate steps to minimize the impact of the outbreak.
Top among those is declaring the public health emergency. As part of that, Napolitano said roughly 12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu will be moved from a federal stockpile to places where states can quickly get their share if they decide they need it. Priority will be given to the five states with known cases so far: California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas.
Napolitano called the emergency declaration standard operating procedure _ one was declared recently for the inauguration and for flooding. She urged people to think of it as a "declaration of emergency preparedness."
"Really that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size of seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."
Swine flu outbreak raises global alert
Posted: April 27, 2009 09:49 AM MDT
Hundreds of cases of a deadly flu outbreak is causing fears of the threat of a pandemic and public panic.
The swine flu virus is suspected in up to 103 deaths in Mexico. Spain has reported its first confirmed case Monday and says another 17 people are suspected of having it. In the United States, about 20 cases have been reported.
Of the confirmed cases of this new swine flu outbreak in United States, the greatest concentration has turned up at a school in New York City. Eight students from Saint Francis Prep in Queens apparently brought back the virus after spending a week in Mexico. School officials closed St. Francis Prep on Monday so a cleaning crew could come in and disinfect the building. There is so far no evidence that the sickness has spread beyond those students.
President Barack Obama told Americans not to panic while he spoke Monday morning at the National Academy of Sciences meeting.
"If there was ever a day that reminded us of our shared stake in science and research, it's today," Obama said, "We are closely monitoring the emerging cases of swine flu in the United States. This is obviously a cause for concern and requires a heightened state of alert, but it is not a cause for alarm."
President Obama says the Department of Health and Human Services has declared a public health emergency as a precaution.
The swine flu is a virus that primarily infects pigs. People do not normally acquire swine flu, but human infections can occur and sometimes from person to person.
Just like regular influenza, the best way to protect against the swine variation is to cover nose and mouth with a tissue when coughing or sneezing, washing hands frequently and avoiding close contact with sick people.
Swine Flu...CDC and WHO
Swine flu leads to more schools closures
Reported by: WPTV staff
Contributor: Associated Press
UNDATED (AP) -- Concerns about a deadly swine flu have now led to several school closures across the country, including an entire school district in south Texas.
There have been a total of 20 confirmed cases in the U.S.: in New York, California, Kansas, Texas and Ohio. Health officials in Michigan are looking into one suspected case.
All American victims have recovered or are recovering. Still, the U.S. government has declared a public health emergency.
In New York, St. Francis Preparatory is closed for several days after reports of eight confirmed cases among students and possibly more. Testing continues on dozens of other students.
An elementary school in Ohio is closed for the week after a student was found with the virus after a family trip to Mexico. Authorities say he has a mild case and is recovering at home.
A school in South Carolina is also closed, after some students returned from Mexico with flu-like symptoms. There have been no confirmed cases in the state.
The outbreak has some people on edge. The mother of a St. Francis student admits she might be driving her son crazy "taking his temperature in the middle of the night."
From the CDC...
Swine Influenza (Flu)
Swine Flu website last updated Monday, April 27, 2009 10:15 AM ET
U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
(As of April 26, 2009 9:00 AM ET)
California 7 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 8 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 20 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization
Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection also have been identified internationally. The current U.S. case count is provided below.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with swine influenza viruses.
CDC is working very closely with officials in states where human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been identified, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. This includes deploying staff domestically and internationally to provide guidance and technical support. CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate this investigation.
Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir and has issued interim guidance for the use of these drugs to treat and prevent infection with swine influenza viruses. CDC also has prepared interim guidance on how to care for people who are sick and interim guidance on the use of face masks in a community setting where spread of this swine flu virus has been detected. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide new information as it becomes available.
Reported by: WPTV staff
Contributor: Associated Press
UNDATED (AP) -- Concerns about a deadly swine flu have now led to several school closures across the country, including an entire school district in south Texas.
There have been a total of 20 confirmed cases in the U.S.: in New York, California, Kansas, Texas and Ohio. Health officials in Michigan are looking into one suspected case.
All American victims have recovered or are recovering. Still, the U.S. government has declared a public health emergency.
In New York, St. Francis Preparatory is closed for several days after reports of eight confirmed cases among students and possibly more. Testing continues on dozens of other students.
An elementary school in Ohio is closed for the week after a student was found with the virus after a family trip to Mexico. Authorities say he has a mild case and is recovering at home.
A school in South Carolina is also closed, after some students returned from Mexico with flu-like symptoms. There have been no confirmed cases in the state.
The outbreak has some people on edge. The mother of a St. Francis student admits she might be driving her son crazy "taking his temperature in the middle of the night."
From the CDC...
Swine Influenza (Flu)
Swine Flu website last updated Monday, April 27, 2009 10:15 AM ET
U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
(As of April 26, 2009 9:00 AM ET)
California 7 cases
Kansas 2 cases
New York City 8 cases
Ohio 1 case
Texas 2 cases
TOTAL COUNT 20 cases
International Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
See: World Health Organization
Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection also have been identified internationally. The current U.S. case count is provided below.
Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with swine influenza viruses.
CDC is working very closely with officials in states where human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been identified, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. This includes deploying staff domestically and internationally to provide guidance and technical support. CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate this investigation.
Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir and has issued interim guidance for the use of these drugs to treat and prevent infection with swine influenza viruses. CDC also has prepared interim guidance on how to care for people who are sick and interim guidance on the use of face masks in a community setting where spread of this swine flu virus has been detected. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide new information as it becomes available.
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