At the height of the H1N1 flu virus outbreak in the spring, WNET.ORG Special Correspondent Rafael Pi Roman went to the streets to document how the “swine flu” affected everyday New Yorkers. Watch his report now.

As we approach the onset of the fall flu season, how is the latest H1N1 outbreak affecting you? What do you think of how the federal government and the city are handling the crisis? Give us your comments … More …

• On October 23, President Obama declared the H1N1 “swine flu” outbreak a national emergency, allowing hospitals and local governments to set up alternate sites for treatment to handle new patients. Federal officials emphasized that Mr. Obama’s declaration did not mean that the outbreak of the H1N1 flu nationwide has gotten worse.

 

• The New York City Department of Health is monitoring both seasonal and unique H1N1 influenza activity during the 2009-2010 flu season. Daily and weekly updates (posted every Friday) track trends in influenza-like illness and show which influenza viruses are currently circulating in the city.

Correspondent Rafael Pi Roman speaks with New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley about the expected return of the H1N1 virus during the normal flu season.
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WNET.ORG Special Correspondent Rafael Pi Roman speaks with Dr. Philip Alcabes, an infectious-disease expert at Hunter College, about the reclassification of the swine flu as a pandemic, and what that means for New York.
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WNET.ORG Special Correspondent Rafael Pi Roman goes all over the city to document the impact of the H1N1 virus, talking to doctors, parents, politicians and regular New Yorkers about how they’re coping during the flu outbreak.

In response the growing list of school closures in New York City, the city’s Department of Education has begun posting daily school attendance records on their website. Schools Chancellor Joel Klein sent the following letter to parents, describing the decision-making process behind the school closings, and how schools are monitoring their students:
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Worldfocus’ special report on the H1N1 flu traces the evolution of an epidemic around the world, from the first days in Mexico to the far reaches of the globe. Scientists are racing to learn more about H1N1. It may not be a mass killer now — but what does the future hold?

Worldfocus examines how governments around the world responded, for better or worse, and diagnoses how the media covered the story — the fine line between public service and spreading panic.

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