The World Health Organization has declared swine flu an official pandemic and the alert level was raised from Phase 5 to 6 on Thursday.
Phase 6 is WHO’s highest alert level and means that a swine flu pandemic is under way but there is no need to panic as most cases are mild and require no treatment.
This is the first global flu epidemic in 41 years and infections have climbed in the United States, Europe, Australia, South America and elsewhere.
No mutations have been detected in the virus to show it is getting more deadly, so the fear is that new infections could overwhelm hospitals and health authorities, especially in poorer countries.
WHO reported 27,737 cases including 141 deaths so far!!!
The last pandemic, the Hong Kong flu of 1968, killed about 1 million people and the average flu kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people each year.
In May, several countries pushed the World Health Organization not to declare a pandemic because they feared it would spark mass panic.
Pharmaceutical companies need to hurry up with the vaccine while not trying to price gauge the poor!!!!
We hope everyone remains healthy!
[Image via WENN.]
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