Protect yourself... wear a mask
The World Health Organization will hold an emergency meeting of experts on Thursday 11 June 2009 to discuss the spreading H1N1 flu outbreak, in a sign that the U.N agency may be poised to declare the first pandemic in more than 40 years.
There have been 27,737 cases reported in 74 countries to date, including 141 deaths, according to the WHO's latest tally.
Confirmed community spread in a second region beyond North America would trigger moving phase 6, signifying full-blown pandemic, from the current phase 5 on the WHO’s 6-level pandemic alert.
The above Reuter report sounded urgent ,as already, Hong Kong has reported its first cluster of cases of H1N1 contracted through community spread! And the ICU cases in Australia are severe enough to warrant some kind of fear among the public and heighten global awareness. It seems people are canceling their air travels causing huge losses in the airline and tourism industries. WHO however clarifies that the raising of the full alert (pandemic level) has everything to do with geography (more countries are reporting H1N1 cases) rather than severity of the disease.
Indeed throughout history, humanity is often humbled by the microscopic virus. Some people, perhaps due to certain underlying conditions, seem to get the severe forms of the disease. We have to be overcautious when we are dealing with something new.... see, humans have never encountered this particular "designer" virus before so we have no immunity against it.... we are waiting anxiously for that special vaccine to be produced!
In the meantime, protect yourself by practicing good personal hygiene, cough into a tissue, wash your hands and wear a mask in specific areas.
There have been 27,737 cases reported in 74 countries to date, including 141 deaths, according to the WHO's latest tally.
Confirmed community spread in a second region beyond North America would trigger moving phase 6, signifying full-blown pandemic, from the current phase 5 on the WHO’s 6-level pandemic alert.
The above Reuter report sounded urgent ,as already, Hong Kong has reported its first cluster of cases of H1N1 contracted through community spread! And the ICU cases in Australia are severe enough to warrant some kind of fear among the public and heighten global awareness. It seems people are canceling their air travels causing huge losses in the airline and tourism industries. WHO however clarifies that the raising of the full alert (pandemic level) has everything to do with geography (more countries are reporting H1N1 cases) rather than severity of the disease.
Indeed throughout history, humanity is often humbled by the microscopic virus. Some people, perhaps due to certain underlying conditions, seem to get the severe forms of the disease. We have to be overcautious when we are dealing with something new.... see, humans have never encountered this particular "designer" virus before so we have no immunity against it.... we are waiting anxiously for that special vaccine to be produced!
In the meantime, protect yourself by practicing good personal hygiene, cough into a tissue, wash your hands and wear a mask in specific areas.
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