OPTIMISTIC DENIAL
CAN BE DEADLY
At home for five days in Mexico
'We ARE spooked'
So many deaths, after apparently a very short time, worried the Mexican authorities.
"We were spooked," one government official admitted to me. "People seemed to be dying, and we didn't know why."
It takes several days for tests
for swine flu infection to be verified
|
But when those first figures were released, the word "suspected" was crucial.
Mexico was not certain at that stage that 60 people had been killed by swine flu. And it still does not know. It takes several days for tests to be properly verified
experts ARE dealing with so many unknowns at that stage.
What they did know was that the virus was potentially virulent and potentially deadly. Humans had no natural resistance to it.
"About 90% of the patients who have come to the hospital in the last few days have mild respiratory problems, from other causes."
The deluge of suspected cases has made it extremely difficult to tell who has swine flu, and who does not.
H1N1 has had consequences which few would have ever predicted. Something which possibly began in rural communities in Mexico has led to the quarantine of a luxury hotel in Hong Kong, and the slaughter of all the pigs in Egypt.
ed.The Mexican health minister says it is still too early to say. He says that the threat of new viruses should not be under-estimated.
"You can't be too careful," he says.
Excerpts from BBC News
Monday, May 04, 2009 9:30 PM
As of 06:00 GMT, 5 May 2009, 21 countries have officially reported 1124 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 14
Monday, May 04, 2009 11:30 AM
As of 18:00 GMT, 4 May 2009, 21 countries have officially reported 1085 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 13
Monday, May 04, 2009 1:30 AM
As of 06:00 GMT, 4 May 2009, 20 countries have officially reported 985 cases of influenza A (H1N1) infection.
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 12
Sunday, May 03, 2009 11:30 AM
As of 1600 GMT, 3 May 2009, 18 countries have officially reported 898 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 11
Sunday, May 03, 2009 4:30 AM
As of 0600 GMT, 3 May 2009, 17 countries have officially reported 787 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 10
Saturday, May 02, 2009 12:30 PM
The situation continues to evolve. As of 18:00 GMT+1, 2 May 2009, 16 countries have officially reported 658 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Joint FAO/WHO/OIE/WTO Statement on influenza A(H1N1) and the safety of pork
Saturday, May 02, 2009 12:00 PM
02 May 2009 -- Joint statement stressing that pork and pork products, handled in accordance with good hygienic practices recommended by the WHO, FAO, Codex Alimentarius Commission and the OIE, will not be a source of infection with influenza A(H1N1).
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 9
Saturday, May 02, 2009 12:30 AM
The situation continues to evolve. As of 06:00 GMT, 2 May 2009, 15 countries have officially reported 615 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
Influenza A(H1N1) - update 8.1
Friday, May 01, 2009 4:30 PM
The situation continues to evolve. As of 23:30 GMT, 1 May 2009, 13 countries have officially reported 367 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection.
No rationale for travel restrictions
Friday, May 01, 2009 4:48 AM
WHO is not recommending travel restrictions related to the outbreak of the influenza A(H1N1) virus.
