Flu pandemic? U.S. has been there for weeks | U.S. | Reuters
Thu Jun 11, 2009 3:50pm EDT
By Maggie Fox, Health and Science EditorWASHINGTON (Reuters) – The World Health Organization may have just declared a pandemic of the H1N1 flu virus, but the United States has been acting as if a pandemic was under way for weeks, health officials said on Thursday.
The new swine flu virus was first identified in two U.S. children in April and by the time the news was out, it had already begun spreading. CDC experts estimate that hundreds of thousands of people are likely infected in every state.
Although most had mild symptoms, there have been at least 27 deaths and 1,000 people have been sick enough to be hospitalized.
Dr. Thomas Frieden, who has been in his job as CDC director for just four days, told a news conference the WHO declaration did not come as a surprise. “There are no practical implications for most state and local governments,” he added.
“Here in the United States, the basic declaration isn’t going to change our day-to-day activities,” added the CDC’s Dr. Anne Schuchat.
WHO raised its pandemic flu alert to phase 6 on a six-point scale, indicating the first influenza pandemic since 1968 is under way.
Flu pandemic? U.S. has been there for weeks | U.S. | Reuters.
Related posts:
