After much hemming and hawing, today the World Health Organization finally declared the swine (H1N1) flu an official stage-6 pandemic. That indicates that H1N1 is a novel virus, for which most people have little or no immunity, and has reached sustained person-to-person transmission in multiple parts of the world, including at least 74 countries.
The WHO declaration had no practical implications for the U.S., because “for all intents and purposes, the U.S. government has been in phase 6 of the pandemic for some time now,” said Thomas Freiden, M.D., M.P.H., the new director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “The pandemic declaration does not suggest that there's been any change in the behavior of the virus, only that it is spreading in more parts of the world” said Freiden.
Margaret Chan, M.D., the director general of the WHO, said the stage-6 designation means that countries with few or no cases should maintain continued vigilance, while those where cases may have peaked should prepare for a second wave of the flu.
There had been some discussion that the WHO might hold off on the designation for the swine flu, despite sustained transmission in many countries, because the virus does not carry the same severity as previous pandemic flu viruses, or the H5N1 bird flu virus for which the pandemic alert system was developed. In the end however, the WHO decided to move forward with the declaration, adding that this flu, at least in these early days, was only moderately severe.
Moderate severity, according to the WHO, indicates that most people recover from the swine flu without the need for hospitalization or medical care; that incidents of severe illness appear to be similar to seasonal flu; and that hospitals and health care systems have overall been able to cope with the number of people seeking care. The WHO remains concerned about the pattern of severe cases and deaths primarily concentrated among young people, those with preexisting conditions, and pregnant women.
Americans should continue to take preventative measures, such as coughing into a tissue, or your elbow; washing hands frequently for at least 20 seconds or using an alcohol-based sanitizer; and staying home from school or work when sick, health officials said.
Those with underlying conditions, such as asthma, heart disease, diabetes and others with compromised immune systems, as well as seniors, pregnant women and young children, should see a physician quickly if they have a fever over 100.4 degrees F. (38 degrees C.), along with other flu symptoms, like a cough or sore throat. And everyone should watch out for emergency symptoms. Neither the WHO or the CDC have recommended any travel restrictions in light of the pandemic declaration.
—Kevin McCarthy, associate editor
Find out how to plan for an emergency, and keep up to date with our swine flu coverage and recommendations.
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