H1N1 NEWS SCAN: WHO delays phase decision, serious cases in Northern Hemisphere

H1N1 2009 Pandemic Influenza

Jul 14, 2010

WHO delays decision on pandemic phase
The expert committee advising the World Health Organization (WHO) on whether to lower the pandemic alert level from phase 6 might not meet till August, according to an Agence France-Presse (AFP) story today. It had originally planned to meet in mid July. WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said the committee will wait to see what happens in the Southern Hemisphere, which usually sees its peak influenza activity in August. "I expect the committee to meet at the end of July or in August," she said.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i6kCX9VSnVYbzep1CkKCjrzgVI-A
Jul 14 AFP report

Northern Hemisphere nations saw substantial hospitalizations
Studies on the H1N1 pandemic in the Northern Hemisphere showed considerably high hospitalization, intensive care (ICU), and death rates, according to a meta-analysis in the European Journal of Clinical Microbiology & Infectious Diseases (EJCMID). Among evaluated cases in 35 studies, researchers found hospitalization rates as high as 93.8%, ICU admission as high as 36.4%, and fatality rates as great as 38.5%. They also found "substantial percentages" of the elderly among the severely ill.
http://springerlink.com/content/3q733tn261432013/
Jul 13 EJCMID abstract

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