India Swine Flu Death toll: 558
Posted November 26, 2009 – 4:31 am in: 'pandemic potential'The swine flu death toll in India continues to rise.
‘Report of three deaths has been communicated by the health department of Rajasthan,’ the ministry statement said.
With these deaths, the toll in Rajasthan has gone up to 37. In a late surge in influenza A (H1N1), the desert state has been witnessing both infections and deaths off late. Also with 35 fresh cases, the state has so far reported 877 infections.
No Comments | Tags: india death toll, pandemic, swine fluFederal Agencies Make Plans For Swine Flu This Fall
Posted August 26, 2009 – 9:08 pm in: health tips, swine fluIn an effort to plan for contingencies, the federal goverment has started making plans for what to do if large number of employees fall sick this fall if and/or when the swine flu starts taking its toll on the second coming of the virus.
No Comments | Tags: fall swine flu, federal employees, swine fluBill Maher on Swine Flu
Posted May 8, 2009 – 5:42 pm in: mexico outbreak, swine flu No Comments | Tags:Swine Flu Explained : Video
Posted May 6, 2009 – 5:58 pm in: 'pandemic potential', CDC, WHO, health tips, hybrid strain, mexico outbreak, pandemic, scientific analysis, swine flu 1 Comment | Tags:Swine Flu May Be Less Potent Than Original Fears
Posted May 2, 2009 – 10:09 am in: Obama, mexico outbreak, scientific analysis, swine fluPresident Obama noted that the swine flu may turn out to be only as dangerous as the common flu. In New York City swine flu has not spread far beyond cases linked to one Catholic school. In Mexico very few relatives of flu victims seem to have caught it, which indicates (to a certain extent) that the transmission of the virus may be harder than first anticipated.
With that said, however, most experts are indicated that it is still to early to tell. Regardless of how deadly the virus ends up being, the safest course of action is to prepare for the worse and take down this virus as fast as possible. The biggest fear is that (although this version of the virus is not a cause for too much concern), if the virus mutates in the near future, or perhaps next flu season, that we will have something much more dangerous on our hands.
1 Comment | Tags: mutating, new york city, outbreak, president obama, swine fluMexico Raised its Confirmed Swine Flu Death Toll from 15 to 16 on Friday
Posted May 2, 2009 – 10:00 am in: UncategorizedNational Health Secretary Jose Angel Cordova announced the latest numbers late Friday, but added that the measure being taken by the government have been very successful so far at curbing what could have been a much greater number of deaths. The fight against the virus continues in Mexico city, but the residual effects of fear are started to spread to nearby “vacation” cities.
In a few cases in Acapulco, local residents threw stones at cars bearing a Mexico City license plates. Acapulco official are making the message know that Aculpulco is NOT the place for Mexico City residents to visit for respite from the drama of the city. Bars, restaurants, and tour boats are said to be closed.
“Someone who has flu symptoms shouldn’t think they can come to Acapulco for the weather and get better — that some fresh air and tequila and discos are going to make them forget about everything,” Mayor Manuel Anorve said.
No Comments | Tags:Encroaching Pandemic: World Health Organization Raises Alert to Level 5
Posted April 29, 2009 – 2:31 pm in: 'pandemic potential', WHO, pandemic, swine flu, world health organizationThe W.H.O. has raised their Swine Flu warning to level 5, which is the the second highest level, an indication that a full blown pandemic may be imminent. The declaration by the W.H.O. is “a strong signal that a pandemic is imminent,” according to their published guidelines.
The change to a higher phase of alert is a signal to governments [and industry] that certain actions now should be undertaken with increased urgency,” said Dr. Margaret Chan, WHO’s director-general, at a press conference Wednesday. “The biggest question is this how severe will the pandemic be, especially now at the start,” Chan said.
1 Comment | Tags: level 5 who, margaret chan, pandemic swine fluSwine Flu Updates In US and From Across the World
Posted April 29, 2009 – 2:13 pm in: 'pandemic potential', Obama, mexico outbreak, swine fluDeaths: 159 in Mexico, seven confirmed as swine flu, the rest suspected.
Sickened: 2,498 suspected and 19 confirmed in Mexico. Confirmed elsewhere: 91 in U.S.; 13 in Canada; 14 in New Zealand; five in Britain; three in Germany; four in Spain; two in Israel; and one in Austria.
Confirmed U.S. cases by state: 51 in New York, 14 in California, 16 in Texas, two in Kansas, two in Massachusetts, two in Michigan, and one each in Indiana, Ohio, Arizona and Nevada, according to CDC and states.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration issues emergency guidance allowing certain antiviral drugs to be used in broader range of population if needed. Public health emergency declared and roughly 12 million doses of Tamiflu from federal stockpile to be delivered to states.
- Cuba bans flights from Mexico
- Argentina suspends flights from Mexico; U.S., European Union, other countries discourage nonessential travel there
- Mexico suspends all schools until May 6
- In U.S. some schools closed in Illinois, New York City, Texas, California, South Carolina, Connecticut, Minnesota and Ohio; President Barack Obama says more closings may be necessary
- Mexico City hands out surgical masks, closes public venues and cancels public events. President assumed new powers to isolate infected people.
- World Bank loaning Mexico more than $200 million
- and finally, in a very strange move (possibly to appease the masses?) Egypt begins slaughtering nation’s roughly 300,000 pigs as “precaution”
Swine Flu Not Showing Signs of Slowing
Posted April 29, 2009 – 1:52 pm in: 'pandemic potential', scientific analysis, swine fluW.H.O. assistant director-general Keiji Fukuda said scientists on the ground were seeing the infection spread from person-to-person. “It is clear that the virus is spreading and we don’t see evidence of it slowing down at this point,” said Fukuda.
If this it true, it means that the outbreak is moving closer to being classified as a pandemic. According to Fukuda, the W.H.O. is moving closer to raising its pandemic alert to phase 5, indicating widespread human-to-human transmission.
No Comments | Tags: slowing swine flu, spreading swine flu, swine flu mapCDC Statement: ‘Fully expect we will see deaths’
Posted April 28, 2009 – 3:03 pm in: CDC, scientific analysis, swine fluIn a statement designed to share realistic expectations with the public, the CDC announced that they would not be surprised to see some deaths due to the swine flu. It is natural that the flu causes a number of deaths each year, and so a number of the deaths from swine flu would not be surpising.
A U.S. health official said at least five people are hospitalized with swine flu in the United States and deaths are likely. “I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection,” as swine flu cases are investigated, said Richard Besser, acting director of the federal Centers for Disease Control.
“I would say I’m very concerned,” Besser said. “We are dealing with a new strain of influenza, we’re dealing with a strain of influenza that appears to be moving through our community.” He noted that ordinary human flu accounts for about 36,000 deaths every year in the U.S.
No Comments | Tags: CDC, deaths, swine flu