WHO To Review Pandemic Status Tomorrow

 

 

# 4611

 

 

On June 1st the World Health Organization will convene a special teleconference with their influenza advisory committee to decide on the current status of the pandemic.   We should have some word later in the day as to what they decide.

 

Here is the Reuters report.

 

Experts to review status of flu pandemic on Tuesday

GENEVA

Mon May 31, 2010 2:23pm BST

GENEVA (Reuters) - An expert panel that advises the World Health Organization on pandemics will meet Tuesday to decide whether to declare the H1N1 flu outbreak over.

 

The WHO said in a statement Monday that its emergency committee will begin a teleconference at 1200 GMT Tuesday and results will be posted later in the day on its website.

 

Earlier this month, a WHO spokesman said the committee would consider three main options.

 

These would be to conclude that the pandemic was still in force and retain the WHO's current phase 6 on its 6-level pandemic scale; state that pandemic had moved into a transitional "post-peak" phase; or declare that the pandemic was over.

 

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WHO To Review Pandemic Status

 

 

# 4560

 

 

A month shy of 1 year since the WHO (World Health Organization) raised the world’s pandemic alert level to phase 6, experts are waiting to see if the virus has peaked and the pandemic can be declared over, or is perhaps in a `post-peak’ phase.

 

 

The most recent numbers from the WHO continue to indicate a steep drop-off of flu cases around the world, with the peak activity recorded last October.

 

 

Although flu activity has remained low in the Southern Hemisphere, officials would like a little more time to see if that begins to rise before changing the alert phase.

 

None of this means that we are done with novel H1N1.

It appears to have largely (but not completely) replaced the existing seasonal A strains, and will likely circulate as our new `seasonal’ flu for years to come.  

 

Over time, it may drift antigenically, and could become either more or less virulent or perhaps change its host preferences and begin to affect the elderly more.  

 

Influenza viruses are notoriously unpredictable.

 

This from Reuters.

 

 

 

WHO panel to review H1N1 pandemic status in coming weeks

GENEVA

Tue May 11, 2010 7:14am EDT

GENEVA (Reuters) - An expert panel advising the World Health Organization on pandemics will review the status of the H1N1 virus later this month or in early June to decide whether the swine flu pandemic is over.

 

The Emergency Committee is waiting for the onset of winter in the southern hemisphere before making its recommendation, spokesman Gregory Hartl said.

 

That meant the 15-member independent panel would probably meet at the end of May or in early June, after the WHO's governing World Health Assembly next week, he told a briefing.

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