Pandemic Alert Level ChangesPandemic alert level changes have been made by WHO . The new pandemic levels reflect the severity of a disease, not just how fast it is spreading.
Motivated by pressure from a number of countries, the WHO, World Health Organization delayed raising the current pandemic level from 5 to 6 . If you looked at the WHO website , you would see that we met the requirements for Pandemic Alert Level 6 several weeks before WHO changed the actual pandemic level to 6. We are seeing continued community transmission in over 70 countries worldwide—including, obviously, more than one WHO region. Pressure from countries, including the UK, was the reason that the WHO delayed declaring a flu pandemic and decided to break Level 6 down into 3 levels – based on the severity of an illness. “There was broad consensus of the importance of including information on severity in future announcements," the WHO said on June 6, 2009, in a statement following a meeting with flu experts. The panel of independent scientists also provided "advice regarding a number of parameters" that would help the WHO in assessing the severity of the pandemic, it added. The new rules for pandemic alert levels include:
A senior WHO official had said that the WHO was examining severity grading of mild-moderate-severe for the pandemic phases . The UN health agency has now changed the pandemic phase level to level six, signaling that a pandemic is in progress. And the severity level is moderate. Meanwhile, Keiji Fukuda, who is acting assistant director-general of the World Health Organization, said that the world has been "getting closer" to a H1N1 flu pandemic as the virus has been spreading locally in countries outside the Americas. So, while the pandemic alert level is now at a level 6, we should stay alert to the fact that it could change again--at any time. Keep abreast of news stories in your area, and I will let you know when I hear of anything, as well.
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