WHO's Dr. Chan Raises H1N1 Flu Pandemic to Phase 5! (Live News Conference)

This afternoon Dr. Chan of the World Health Organization, announced during a live news conference from Geneva, Switzerland, that the H1N1 Swine Flu Virus has reached Phase 5 Pandemic level.

To date there have been more than 100 confirmed cases in the U.S., including the death of an infant in Texas.

Phases 1 - 3 Animal Infections

Phase 4 Animal to Human Infections

Phases 5 - 6 Human to Human Infections



Sources: MSNBC, TIME, Youtube

Janet Napolitano and Robert Gibbs Declares H1N1 Swine Flu Public Health Emergency!

This latest turn of events helps to prove the focus of a post I published yesterday titled, "Could H1N1 Swine Flu Actually Be Biological Warfare Attack?"

With 20+ confirmed cases within the U.S. and possibly more to come, today the Obama Administration basically confirmed an epidemic during a Press Conference on the situation.

This afternoon Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary announced that the White House has declared an H1N1 Swine Flu Public Health Emergency for the United States.

In fact Dr. Besser clearly stated, "We're going to see more severe disease in this country".

Janet Napolitano further commented, "We should think of this as a declaration of Emergency Preparedness."

"Really that's what we're doing right now. We're preparing in an environment where we really don't know ultimately what the size of seriousness of this outbreak is going to be."

Even though all three members of Prez. Obama's cabinet speaking at today's press conference wanted the American people to feel safe by assuring us the White House is doing all it can to reduce spread of the virus, it was obvious they looked worried.

12 million doses of the drug Tamiflu is being freed up and made available for immediate distribution. States that have reported confirmed cases of the Flu (California, Texas, New York, Ohio and Kansas), will be given first priority.

What's that you say?

Texas Governor Rick Perry, "the Secession Guy" is willing to accept help from Obama's administration for his constituents during this outbreak?

Yeah I knew he was just talk.

In the mean time stay away from Pork and if possible try to limit any travel outside of the U.S.

This current Public Health Emergency is one of the reasons why its so important for the Obama Administration to put their Health Care Reform agenda into action and why the Department of Homeland Security should continue to diligently protect our borders. Including use of the new "Secure Communities" program.

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov

Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, Dr. Richard Besser, Acting Chief of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Robert Gibbs, White House Press Secretary declare H1N1 Swine Flu Public Health Emergency.



Sources: Whitehouse.gov, Huffington Post, CNN, CDC, Health Reform.gov, Youtube

Swine Flu Awareness Widgets

If you have a site or a blog and you really want to help educate your readers about this new strain of the Swine Flu virus, no worries the United States Dept of Health & Human Services and Center for Disease & Control has designed a widget for such use.

The widget (shown above) is colorful, provides a graphic with links to Swine Flu information and can be easily removed at a later date.

You can embed it by copying the code from this HHS.gov link.

I'm sure your readers will thank you later.

Sources: HHS.gov, CDC

Could H1N1 Swine Flu Virus Actually Be Biological Warfare Attack??

With news of a dangerous strain of the Swine Flu virus which has already killed 68 people and infected more than 1,000 causing widespread panic, one wonders if this is the result of regular Human illness or another Terrorist attack?

After two more cases of the virus thought to have been transmitted from Mexico, were recently confirmed in Kansas, samples of the H1N1 strain are now being tested by Center for Disease Control personnel.

The CDC is familiar with the H3N2 Swine Flu virus, but unfamiliar with the H1N1 Swine Flu virus strain currently circulating.

By definition the Swine Flu is a strain of the Human Flu virus mixed with Pig and Bird genes.

It can be treated with vaccines however for new strains such as H1N1, the development of an effective vaccine could possibly take months.

Cause for panic surrounding the outbreak is due to how quickly the flu is spreading. The epidemic is spreading so fast CDC officials have admitted its too late for U.S. Medical officials to control it.

The most vulnerable victims of H1N1 are young children and the elderly.

Mexican Government officials are cooperating with White House officials who at the moment are closely monitoring the spread, in efforts to help save lives.

To assist Mexican citizens officials have set up a Hotline, shut down all public events including Tourist attractions and closed schools.

In addition Mexican soldiers and Health Workers are passing out face masks.

Margaret Chan of the World Health Organization, states "the outbreak of the never-before-seen virus has “pandemic potential”, but she said it is still too early to tell if it would become a pandemic".

In 1918 a Spanish Flu strain spread killing more than 40 million people worldwide.

If this type of epidemic doesn't motivate Congress to please immediately begin reforming the American Health Care System, then what?

SYMPTOMS:

Fever, cough and sore throat, though some of the U.S. victims who recovered also experienced vomiting and diarrhea.

One has to wonder where did this unfamiliar strain originate from and how did it spread so rapidly? Could this latest Health Scare give rise for concern regarding another possible Terrorist attack in the form of Biological Warfare?

Let's hope not.



View Larger Map

Sources: TIME, MSNBC, Politico, Washington Post, Reuters, Huffington Post, Google Maps