THE World Health Organisation (WHO) says the swine flu pandemic is the fastest-moving of all time and that it is now pointless to count every case.
The United Nations agency, which declared a pandemic on 11 June, yesterday revised its requirements so that national health authorities need report only clusters of severe cases or deaths caused by the new virus or unusual clinical patterns.
"The
2009 influenza pandemic has spread internationally with unprecedented speed. In past pandemics, influenza viruses have needed more than six months to spread as widely as the new H1N1 virus has spread in less than six weeks," the WHO said.
It has become nearly impossible for health authorities and laboratories to keep count of individual cases – which have mostly been mild – as the virus spreads.
The new strain can be treated by antivirals such as Tamiflu, but many patients recover without medical treatment.
Flu experts say at least a million people are infected in the United States alone, and the WHO says the pandemic is unstoppable.
"It is very much agreed that trying to register and report every single case is a huge waste of resources," a spokesman said.
Such tracking has limited authorities' capacity to investigate serious cases and is no longer essential to monitor the level or nature of the risk posed, the WHO said. However, all countries should still closely monitor unusual clusters of severe or fatal infections, clusters of respiratory illness requiring hospital treatment or unexplained or unusual clinical patterns.
"Signals to be vigilant for include spikes in rates of absenteeism from schools or workplaces, or a more severe disease pattern, as suggested by, for example, a surge in emergency department visits," the agency said.
The WHO will no longer issue global tables showing the numbers of confirmed cases for all countries – which stood at 94,512 cases with 429 deaths as of its last update on 6 July. But countries should still test a limited number of virus samples weekly to confirm illnesses are actually due to the pandemic, it said.
Marie-Paule Kieny, the WHO's vaccine chief, said at least 50 governments had placed orders for vaccines against H1N1 or were negotiating with drug makers.
The organisation does not report figures for cases of seasonal influenza, which it says is linked to 250,000 to 500,000 deaths a year worldwide.
Keep pupils off school? Buy face masks? Key questions answeredQ: How do I know I have got swine flu and not normal flu?
A: The symptoms of swine flu are broadly the same as those of ordinary flu, but may be more severe. Typical symptoms include: a sudden fever or cough, headache, tiredness, chills, aching muscles, limb or joint pain, diarrhoea or stomach upset, sore throat, runny nose, sneezing and loss of appetite. Although the illness is generally mild in most people so far, it is proving severe in a small minority of cases.
Q: Which age groups are most at risk?
A: The under-fives through to 14-year-olds. Older people may be less likely to become ill with this infection, but they are more likely to suffer complications if they do fall ill. Those at higher risk include people with chronic lung, kidney or heart disease and pregnant women.
Q: Should I keep my children off school when it restarts?
A: If your child has the signs and symptoms of swine flu – fever, fatigue, lack of appetite, coughing, sore throat, pain in muscles and joints, headache and chills and in some cases vomiting and diarrhoea – you should keep him or her away from school until they are free of symptoms. If your child is prescribed antiviral medicines, they should also stay at home until they have finished the course. This is to avoid spreading the infection. If your child has no symptoms, they should attend as usual; they could get it anywhere, not just at school.
Q: Should I give my children Tamiflu?
A: Only on the advice of a doctor. Tamiflu is safe for infants aged one and older, at a reduced dose. The other recommended antiviral drug, Relenza (an inhaler), can be used by children aged five and older under the supervision of an adult. Tamiflu and Relenza are not licensed for use in babies under the age of one. However, Tamiflu may be used under the supervision of a doctor if your baby is ill.
Q: Can I get hold of Tamiflu privately?
A: Experts advise against this if a GP does not prescribe it, partly because fakes are often sold on the internet. Another reason is to prevent drug-resistant swine flu developing, which can happen if people self-prescribe without proper advice. A vaccine should start to become available next month, with at-risk groups receiving the first supplies. It could be over a year before all of Scotland is vaccinated.
Q: Should I buy a face mask to protect me from swine flu?
A: There's no conclusive evidence that face masks will protect healthy people.
The virus is spread by touching infected surfaces, or by someone coughing or sneezing at very close range – so unless you are standing close to someone with the virus, wearing a face mask will not make a difference. Face masks must be changed regularly, as they are less effective when dampened by breath. People may infect themselves if they touch the outer surface of their mask, or may infect others by not disposing of old masks safely.
Q: Which areas in Scotland are seeing the most cases of swine flu?
A: The rate of GP consultation for flu-like illness per 100,000 population in Scottish NHS boards is as follows, in descending order: Fife and Tayside, 75; Shetland, 60; Grampian, 40; Forth Valley, 30; Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Highland and Lanarkshire, 25; Lothian, 20; Ayrshire and Arran, Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, all less than ten. There is no data yet for NHS Orkney or NHS Western Isles.
Q: I am pregnant – what special precautions should I be taking?
A: You may have an increased risk of complications from any type of flu, especially in the second and third trimester. You can take antiviral drugs on the advice of a doctor. Relenza will treat flu without reaching the developing foetus. It is important for anyone who is pregnant and has a headache, cough, sore throat and fever to get advice from NHS Direct or a GP as soon as possible.
Q: What should I do if I think I have got swine flu?
A: People in Scotland who are worried about symptoms should call their GP or NHS 24 on 08454 24 24 24.
POLICE FEARSA FLU pandemic could be more devastating than a terrorist attack, according to one police officer.
Superintendent Steve Anderson, of West Midlands Police, said officers could be forced to stop non-emergency work in a worst-case scenario.
He told Channel 4 News a risk assessment revealed that "
as bad as terrorism, as bad as heatwave, as bad as flooding can get, a worst-case scenario is that pandemic flu would be worse than any of those".
The full article contains 1201 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
