Video: The Flu Pandemic Grows
Thursday, June 18th, 2009
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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if there’s no accurate definition of a pandemic, then why has the WHO called H1N1 a pandemic? what change occured that made the WHO decided to change the level name?
I did not find this report very helpful, and perhaps even a little misleading. I just recovered from a bad flu, presumably H1N1. I’m otherwise healthy, and it felt much more powerful than seasonal flu. I developed pneumonia and went to the ER, where I was not even tested for H1N1. I have a close family member who is an ID specialist at Harvard, and was informed that most labs are overwhelmed. The fact is, this is an unstable virus that can be mutating, and has become extremely widespread in a short time. The upcoming winter flu season should concern us all.
Today Hungary announced its first H1N1-related death (preconditions existed) and said by October they will have over 4M shots ready for their citizens - easy for them, they started their trials back in May.
See http://www.portfolio.hu/en/cikkek.tdp?cCheck=1&k=2&i=18097
Now I watch Worldfocus and there’s not a single world about their vaccine, moreover there was some funny claims about “world’s first vaccine” and its trials…
…it’s interesting how selective our “receptors” become suddenly when it comes to issues where others beat us by a long shot, despite all of our usual chestbeatings.