Influenza A(H1N1) possible pandemic

WHO likely to declare swine flu pandemic

1 hour ago

GENEVA (AP)-Officials say the World Health Organization is likely to declare the first flu pandemic in 41 years as swine flu infections continued to climb in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.

Scottish Health Secretary Nicola Sturgeon said the declaration of a pandemic-a global epidemic-would probably come after a WHO emergency meeting Thursday.

WHO spokesman Thomas Abraham said the emergency meeting would begin at noon (1000 GMT, 6 a.m.) in Geneva and WHO member nations would be informed of the result.

Officials at U.N. missions in Geneva also said they expected the announcement of a pandemic.

The declaration of a pandemic would push drugmakers to fast-track production of a swine flu vaccine.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jTkkEKE5LtPih_5Jcc-3MpD0gOYQD98ODB481

So far nothing on WHO site.

http://www.who.int/en/

hope the vaccines will soon be availabe in my country..:wink2::wink2::wink2:

If we're lucky and things go perfectly, the vaccine will be ready in October. But I have no idea how many will be available and where they'll go.

Personally, I'd rather catch a mild case now than wait to see what it does in the winter if it comes back.

What really disturbes me about this is the downsizing health care institutions have been doing the last 6 months. They are only interested in the next financial quarter. They seem blind to the coming pandemic. I am not the only one saying this. I have read several prominent people that have sounded alarm over lack of surge capacity.

[indigo girl]

That disturbs me as well. They have been downsizing for years now.

That, and the fact that my hospital has yet to implement those guidelines for protecting HCW. I am very worried about this.

Watch the news. It is inevitable that more pregnant women will be affected. A real effort must be made to educate and protect them.

Yes, it is a risk management issue in our health care facilities.

We will be dealing with this virus for the next year or two.

https://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-forum/evidence-swine-flu-399332.html#post3677682

[indigo girl]

Turn your TV on at noon EST. This is an historic event. MSNBC will cover the press conference.

My computer at work won't show video or webcasts and I don't have a television, unfortunately, but I did see the article that WHO has declared a pandemic. The first in 41 years.

I agree with you both also about lack of ability to manage the surge. I read that report saying it's great we're prepared, but public health agencies and hospitals both, have been cutting back and will very quickly become overwhelmed should this turn into something worse.

It's a pandemic, recently declared.

[indigo girl]

WHO Webcast

Here is the webcast of Dr. Chan declaring that we are at Phase 6. I think that the first link is audio and the 2d is video, but I may have that reversed. She also takes questions from the press at the end. There were some very good questions asked.

It takes about 30 minutes or so to watch.

Hopefully, we never see anything again like this in our lifetimes.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/multimedia/swineflupressbriefings/en/index.html

[lamazeteacher]

hope the vaccines will soon be availabe in my country..:wink2::wink2::wink2:

If it can afford to buy the vaccine, which Novartis in Switzerland will produce in as large quantities as possible after getting the regular flu vaccine manufactured to fill all the orders for it in the fall, it will be available - and if countries can afford it (and charge twice as much as they paid for it, to their consumers of it (if their insurance will pay that) - you'll get it. That will serve you well, as the next wave of it is expected to have more dire complications, especially in high risk and 20 - 40 year old people.

[lamazeteacher]

that disturbs me as well. they have been downsizing for years now.

that, and the fact that my hospital has yet to implement those guidelines for protecting hcw. i am very worried about this. cdc and osha will have those guidelines, which will be available through jhaco. it's very important that hospitals stick to those guidelines, rather than set up their own, different ones. your infection control nurse should get that information very soon.

watch the news. it is inevitable that more pregnant women will be affected. a real effort must be made to educate and protect them. the new vaccine should be safe for them

yes, it is a risk management issue in our health care facilities. and especially in ships at sea, another reason to support my theory that armed forces hcws and medical facilities should be combined with the civilian ones in the not too distant future. that would augment civilian staff, add beds, and the money for that would come out of their budgets...... creating more affordability for health care.

we will be dealing with this virus for the next year or two. or more, if there's more than one more wave of it...

https://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-forum/evidence-swine-flu-399332.html#post3677682

the iwo jimo ship left new york city after fleet week for its last trip, and 49 sailors on it developed proven h1n1 flu. that may be the first time a group of people have been exposed and tested for it when some became ill. i have no idea how many sailors were on that ship; and i wish the navy would disclose that, as those stats could give a more accurate idea of the real incidence of h1n1 in a given number of people..... right now, those figures come from educated conjecture.

sixteen sailors still had symptoms when the ship docked in norfolk today, and they aren't going to be able to leave the ship until 48 hours after their symptoms subside. while the sailors are on leave or wherever they go, i sure hope the sailors who develop s/s of possible h1n1, will be counted. it's sure to follow them on shore.

[RedWeasel, RN]

what disturbs me is that we aren't testing people who have fevers etc and sore throat/cough/vomit/diarrhea at our facility. Our state has below 100 cases and two states surrounding us are near 2000 and 3000. We can't not have just as many. If they aren't testing, that means we aren't isolating these patients or protecting ourselves with PPE. That angers me very much. People just shake their heads at me--like why are you so worried. Uh hello, people in their prime of life are dying, who may have simple allergies or seasonal asthma. I have that. Almost everyone I know has an 'underlying med prob." People aren't taking this serious. I don't want them to have to say later, to me, in ICU that they should have done more. The time is now.