Wednesday
Apr292009
Bacon Won’t Close Borders
Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 10:26AM
By Suzia van Swol, University of New Mexico, Talk Radio News Service
Wed, April 29, 2009
The death of a 23-month-old in Texas marks the first confirmed swine flu death in the U.S.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has implemented its emergency response and has determined that the flu contains genetic pieces from four different virus sources, one of which is
swine flu. The CDC continues to evaluate information to determine the potential impact of an outbreak on an international level.
President Obama has asked for an additional $1.5 billion to combat the disease.
Today, U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CO) said that “this swine flu is moving very quickly and harmfully.” Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue
On Sunday the flu was declared to be a public health emergency and the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to phase four.
United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that the U.S. has 50 million courses of anti-viral medication and 25 percent of the stockpiled courses are being released with priority given to
states with confirmed cases and border states. By May 3rd all states will ultimately get resources. Work has also begun towards developing a vaccine since the currently flu shot doesn’t protect against the
swine flu. “This will be a marathon, and not a sprint,” said Napolitano.
Warnings have been issued for non-essential travel to Mexico but closing borders “has not been merited by the facts” said Napolitano, and would have “very very little marginal benefit in terms of containing the actual outbreak of virus within our own country.”
Napolitano affirmed that although named “swine flu,” no signs of this newly identified H1N1 virus have been detected in our nation’s swine, no illnesses have been attributed to handling or consuming pork, and
that there is no evidence that one can get the virus from eating pork or pork products. The virus is actually spread from human to human, similar to a seasonal influenza.
RADM, Anne Schuchat, M.D., said that “we are dealing with a novel virus, we don’t know yet all of the characteristics of how it will behave in human populations.”
While 36,000 people die every year from regular seasonal flu, the new virus brings risk for a future pandemic since “the general population doesn’t have immunity to this virus,” said Schuchat.
According to Lieberman, in Mexico more than 2,000 people have been hospitalized and 149 people have died from the flu. In the United States there are 66 confirmed cases in six states; New York, California, Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana. Globally there are 39 confirmed cases in six other countries including New Zealand, Spain, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, and Israel.
“This is a case in which our government was prepared for the crisis, as best one can be prepared for a swine flu outbreak whose course is not clear,” said Lieberman.
Wed, April 29, 2009
The death of a 23-month-old in Texas marks the first confirmed swine flu death in the U.S.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has implemented its emergency response and has determined that the flu contains genetic pieces from four different virus sources, one of which is
swine flu. The CDC continues to evaluate information to determine the potential impact of an outbreak on an international level.
President Obama has asked for an additional $1.5 billion to combat the disease.
Today, U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman (I-CO) said that “this swine flu is moving very quickly and harmfully.” Symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headaches, chills and fatigue
On Sunday the flu was declared to be a public health emergency and the World Health Organization raised its pandemic alert to phase four.
United States Secretary of Homeland Security Janet Napolitano said that the U.S. has 50 million courses of anti-viral medication and 25 percent of the stockpiled courses are being released with priority given to
states with confirmed cases and border states. By May 3rd all states will ultimately get resources. Work has also begun towards developing a vaccine since the currently flu shot doesn’t protect against the
swine flu. “This will be a marathon, and not a sprint,” said Napolitano.
Warnings have been issued for non-essential travel to Mexico but closing borders “has not been merited by the facts” said Napolitano, and would have “very very little marginal benefit in terms of containing the actual outbreak of virus within our own country.”
Napolitano affirmed that although named “swine flu,” no signs of this newly identified H1N1 virus have been detected in our nation’s swine, no illnesses have been attributed to handling or consuming pork, and
that there is no evidence that one can get the virus from eating pork or pork products. The virus is actually spread from human to human, similar to a seasonal influenza.
RADM, Anne Schuchat, M.D., said that “we are dealing with a novel virus, we don’t know yet all of the characteristics of how it will behave in human populations.”
While 36,000 people die every year from regular seasonal flu, the new virus brings risk for a future pandemic since “the general population doesn’t have immunity to this virus,” said Schuchat.
According to Lieberman, in Mexico more than 2,000 people have been hospitalized and 149 people have died from the flu. In the United States there are 66 confirmed cases in six states; New York, California, Texas, Kansas, Ohio, Indiana. Globally there are 39 confirmed cases in six other countries including New Zealand, Spain, Great Britain, Germany, Canada, and Israel.
“This is a case in which our government was prepared for the crisis, as best one can be prepared for a swine flu outbreak whose course is not clear,” said Lieberman.
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