Pandemic Level Raised

The World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General has raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 3 to phase 4, the first stage of "response and mitigation efforts".

A pandemic is broadly defined as an epidemic (a sudden outbreak) affecting a whole region, a continent, or the world.

Just the flu so far and raising the level does not imply anything about how bad the Swine Flu bug will make you feel if you catch it.

Besides washing your hands often and not going to Mexico unless you have to, another good idea is not reading Richard Preston or Daniel Kalla for a while.

From the WHO:

In the 2009 revision of the phase descriptions, WHO has retained the use of a six-phased approach for easy incorporation of new recommendations and approaches into existing national preparedness and response plans.

Phases 1–3 correlate with preparedness, including capacity development and response planning activities, while Phases 4–6 clearly signal the need for response and mitigation efforts. Furthermore, periods after the first pandemic wave are elaborated to facilitate post pandemic recovery activities.