H1N1 Virus May Move to Level 6
In the latest news, the World Health Organization announced Tuesday it's considering increasing the alert level to phase 6 because of increasing prevalence of the H1N1 virus (or swine flu) worldwide, according to CNN.
What does phase 6 mean? It is the highest of the WHO pandemic alert system. In other words, global pandemic.
This does not necessarily mean it's time to panic.
As the WHO is reminding everyone, a level 6 does not reflect how severe the virus is, only how widespread it is.
According to Dr. Keiji Fukuda, WHO's Assistant Director General, there have been nearly 19,000 cases of H1N1 virus reported in 64 countries. The flu has resulted in 117 deaths to date.
"Our overall assessment of severity is moderate," said Fukuda, in the CNN article, "because although the overall number of serious and fatal cases is relatively limited ... we really don't have a full handle on the number of people with serious illness."
This change in pandemic level doesn't necessarily have concrete impact on normal citizens' lives, but it could have economic impact for countries with a high level of the flu.
The flu's already had quite an impact on travelers. For instance, China has been quarantining incoming travelers suspected of carrying the flu.
While this is a necessary safety precaution to limit the spread of the flu, it has put a damper on more than one group's vacation plans. Spending a week quarantined in a Beijing hotel room isn't the way anyone wants to spend their vacation.
As for the severity of the flu, it's still being reported that the symptoms are similar to those of the regular flu: sore throat, fatigue, fever (in some case), and all the rest. The symptoms are also not very severe in most cases, as shown in the limited number of deaths compared to the total number of people that have the flu (117 deaths out of 19,000 reported cases).
What does have some health officials on alert is the rapid spread of the flu, and the fact that it seems to kill young, healthy people in abnormal proportions compared to traditional viruses, which tend to target the sick and weak.
As with any other flu, staying healthy involves frequently washing hands and avoiding contact with the germs as much as possible. And that's not anything to sneeze at.
Source: CNN article
Published by Wynn Murray
I am an aspiring reporter who loves writing and exploring the world. I especially like writing about current events, health, finance, and beauty. View profile
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