Keeping It Straight: Pandemic, Pandemic Phases, Epidemic

What does all the Pandemic hype mean?  How do you stay healthy? I’ve got answers for you!  It’s important for you to know what you are dealing with in common terms.

PANDEMIC: as defined by Wikipedia; an epidemic of infectious disease that spreads through populations across a large region; for instance a continent, or even worldwide.

The World Health Organization has six phases of pandemic alert to assess the potential for a new global flu outbreak.

- Phase 1. There are no viruses circulating in animals that have been reported to cause infections in humans.

- Phase 2. An animal flu virus has caused infections in humans in the past and is considered to be a potential pandemic threat.

- Phase 3. An animal or mixed animal-human virus has caused occasional cases or small clusters of disease, but the virus does not spread easily. The world is currently in phase 3, with H5N1 bird flu viruses sporadically infecting humans and occasionally spreading from human to human.

- Phase 4. The new virus can cause sustained outbreaks and is adapting itself to human spread.

- Phase 5. The virus has spread into at least two countries and is causing even bigger outbreaks.

- Phase 6. More outbreaks in at least two regions of the world; the pandemic is under way.

If the World Health Organization raises its pandemic alert level to 4 or 5, that means that the swine flu virus is spreading between humans. If the level rises to 4 or 5, governments should get their pandemic preparedness plans ready and increase detection systems for potential cases.

The CDC offers the following advice to stay healthy:

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy

• Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
• Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
• Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
  • Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
  • Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
  • Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
  • Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
• Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.

U.S. Human Cases of H1N1 Flu Infection
(As of M

ay

4, 2009, 6:58 PM ET)
Laboratory confirmed cases by State

Alabama 4

Arizona 17

California 30

Colorado 7

Connecticut 2

Delaware 20

Florida 5

Idaho 1

Illinois 8

Indiana 3

Iowa 1

Kansas 2

Kentucky* 1

Louisiana 7

Maryland 4

Massachusetts 6

Michigan 2

Minnesota 1

Missouri 1

Nebraska 1

Nevada 1

New Hampshire 1

New Jersey 7

New Mexico 1

New York 73

North Carolina 1

Ohio 3

Oregon 3

Pennsylvania 1

Rhode Island 1

South Carolina 15

Tennessee 1

Texas 41

Utah 1

Virginia 3

Wisconsin 3

TOTAL (36) 279 cases 1 death