The WHO has announced its intention to redefine how the organization responds to health threats, with the result that swine flu will never be defined as a full-scale epidemic, as it has thus far shown itself to be a relatively benign infection.
The current system was created in response to the avian flu in 2005, but many countries have complained that the point-system encourages undue panic.
According to the current system, which uses 6-points, swine flu is a level 5 threat - there has not yet been continental spread, as the spread of the disease has been due to travelers. Authorities also suspect that the movement of a pig from North America to Eurasia contributed to the current landscape of infection.
While the WHO attempts to maintain a balance between complacency and paranoia, the organization recognizes that there is little opportunity to evaluate the disease's threat, independent of a large-scale outbreak.
Elaine Su
No comments:
Post a Comment