A pandemic has nothing to do with the number of deaths...
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Pandemic: An epidemic (a sudden outbreak) that becomes very widespread and affects a whole region, a continent, or the world. |
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There could be zero deaths and it's still a pandemic.
Some 50,000 die every year of influenza anyways.
The risk they are guarding against is a mutuation.
Swine flu is normally not transmitted between humans so this has already mutated once and is composed of human, bird and swine flu and so far does not have a high death rate after infection - even in Mexico where there may be complicating factors.
SARs was 20% death rate
H51 bird flu kills 60% but has almost zero spread.
The wider the spread - the greater risk of mutation into a deadlier form - that's the goal is to halt the spread so reduce the risk of mutation to a deadlier version.
There is no over- reaction - WHO has not raised the classification above Phase 3.
This flu is not prevented by the current flu shot.
Tamiflu does work if taken within an early period.
A real concern is that this varient does kill healthy young adults in Mexico which is what the 1918 flu did so a mutation to a more virulent form poses risk of that...the wider the exposure the greater the risk of that mutation occurring particularly in SE Asian where pocket of H51 are still present..
The positive aspect is that a mild pandemic provides an immunity pool.....that may help against a more virulent form down the road.
Your knee-jerk anti-science nonsense gets wearisome.
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