Posts Tagged ‘Travel Restrictions’
Swine flu epidemic moves closer to a pandemic
Swine flu cases continue to increase. The WHO have upgraded the pandemic level warning to 5, one step short of calling it “imminent”. In Mexico, schools and businesses have closed until at least 6 May. In the US, about 100 schools have closed due to the rise in potential swine flu. In the UK, one school has closed for a week. Businesses in Mexico have suffered due to the shut-downs and travel restrictions. This can only worsen the global recession crisis.
Though a flu pandemic is a potentially serious crisis, the world is more prepared than it has been in the past. So far, the virus appears to be responding to anti-viral therapy. Nevertheless, there is always concern that the virus may mutate, which would make it more virulent.
Are we overreacting to this new strain of the flu? Or, could it be another SARS-like epidemic? Whatever the case, vigilance is necessary, including measures to reduce the spread of the virus. We should be grateful for the fact that the illness is still treatable at this stage.
First swine flu death outside Mexico
The US reported its first casualty from swine flu today. It occurred in a toddler in Texas. It has been expected that eventually there would be mortality from swine flu outside of Mexico.
Though it is not a full blown pandemic as yet, the WHO have declared that is not longer containable. Because of this, travel restrictions are of no use in controlling it. Yet, many people have changed their holiday plans and even some travel agents have cancelled trips to Mexico.
The number of confirmed cases have risen around the world, despite the fact that the actual number of confirmed cases in Mexico have declined. This is because they applied more rigorous testing to the samples. Could it be that it is not swine flu that is causing all the problems?
