Alert Level 6: Full-blown flu pandemic

Work up this morning, turning on the TV set in my room.. and it was showing a WHO press conference. It's official, the recent Swine flu also known as H1N1 influenza alert level was raise to the highest. Level 6 = A full-blown pandemic.

This crisis has escalated into the world’s first influenza pandemic in 40 years after infecting tens of thousands of people in 74 countries.

WHO director general Margaret Chan said the declaration of a “moderate” pandemic should not spark panic and did not mean the death toll from A(H1N1), which currently stands at 144, would rise sharply.

“Quite on the contrary, many people having mild disease will recover without medicine in some cases, and it is good news, but the tendency to move into complacency is our biggest concern,” she added. This is true compared to the SARS period where it was more deadly virus and Singapore was quite badly affected too.

Sooner or later this H1N1 will 'circulate' itself round the world, so it is better to get it at a later stage, where more knowledge of the virus is known to the researchers and doctors. And by then a vaccine will have been found. Patients getting it will have better access to treatment.