Tonka
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http://elnuevosiglo.com.co/editoriales/editorial/2906-el-susto-de-la-a-h1n1.html
A year ago, the first case in Colombia
* WHO in the center of controversy
A year ago a wave of concern has spread rapidly in Colombia. In the early hours of Saturday 3 May, the Ministry of Protection confirmed the first case in our country of influenza A virus H1N1, the strange outbreak that had been found weeks ago in Mexico and the world was plunged into fear a pandemic that could decimate the population of the entire planet. Then the scientific community had not yet cracked the type of influenza, its origin, mode of transmission and degree of morbidity and mortality. Clearly no progress had been made on vaccines and the only medication that was erected as a savior was one called Tamiflu, which in a matter of days became scarce around the world. Even still believed that pigs were key in the evolution of the disease and in many countries spoke of the "swine flu" in almost apocalyptic terms and overtly paranoid. By the same token, when he publicly confirmed that a man who lived in Zipaquir? (Cundinamarca) and which days earlier had been in Mexico tested positive for symptoms of H1N1, the alarm among all Colombians and the lowest amount of sneezing or presence nasal phlegm generated widespread suspicion and fear of imminent infection. The lack of tools to address the potential epidemic was such that the virus was confirmed by a laboratory in Atlanta (USA), which had already rejected another 18 patient samples sent from Colombia.
Today, twelve months later, fortunately there is evidence that influenza A H1N1, although spread to five continents, which is why he was given the status of a pandemic, not the disease that decimates the world population. The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) report which of thousands of cases that were confirmed in more than 213 countries, there were only 17 700 deaths from this type of influenza, a rate lower than the mortality rate caused by other seasonal flu around the world. In regard to Colombia, the official balance sheet states that the virus activity decreased after October. The last official report, published on 24 March this year, said they had confirmed 228 cases and 3735 deaths from this flu.
Beyond statistics, the assessment on what has been the evolution of the epidemic in 2009 and so far in 2010 has reached the point that scientific communities accuse the WHO and health authorities have oversized continental dangerousness of the virus and created an atmosphere of panic unnecessarily global. Even more than a few studies have concluded that the influenza A H1N1 is more and that millions of people around the planet experienced in the last year and exceeded that of influenza in household measures in 90 percent of cases. As always, there have been speculative theses which suggest a possible global ploy mounted by the pharmaceutical industry to multiply their millions in profits.
Beyond this debate, the truth is that both WHO and at the local level, the Ministry of Social Protection has warned that one can not lower our guard against the A H1N1, as it continues to cause deaths. Hence, worldwide vaccination schedules is a priority, and prevention measures have been relaxed. Proof of this is that the Colombian government has bought nearly two million doses of vaccine against the virus, and in March launched a plan to manage the population at greatest risk of contracting the disease. Ie pregnant women in second and third trimester, health care workers with direct patient care or contact with biological material potentially contaminated with the virus and those between six months and 49 years of age who have chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes or a weakened immune system.
The alert, as shown, is turned on. However, greater awareness of the virus and the existence of the vaccine today generate more certainty about how to deal with and, above all, prevention. A very different to the universal hysteria that existed in the first quarter of 2009 and the alarm that spread across the country confirmed the first case in Zipaquira, exactly one year ago.
A year ago, the first case in Colombia
* WHO in the center of controversy
A year ago a wave of concern has spread rapidly in Colombia. In the early hours of Saturday 3 May, the Ministry of Protection confirmed the first case in our country of influenza A virus H1N1, the strange outbreak that had been found weeks ago in Mexico and the world was plunged into fear a pandemic that could decimate the population of the entire planet. Then the scientific community had not yet cracked the type of influenza, its origin, mode of transmission and degree of morbidity and mortality. Clearly no progress had been made on vaccines and the only medication that was erected as a savior was one called Tamiflu, which in a matter of days became scarce around the world. Even still believed that pigs were key in the evolution of the disease and in many countries spoke of the "swine flu" in almost apocalyptic terms and overtly paranoid. By the same token, when he publicly confirmed that a man who lived in Zipaquir? (Cundinamarca) and which days earlier had been in Mexico tested positive for symptoms of H1N1, the alarm among all Colombians and the lowest amount of sneezing or presence nasal phlegm generated widespread suspicion and fear of imminent infection. The lack of tools to address the potential epidemic was such that the virus was confirmed by a laboratory in Atlanta (USA), which had already rejected another 18 patient samples sent from Colombia.
Today, twelve months later, fortunately there is evidence that influenza A H1N1, although spread to five continents, which is why he was given the status of a pandemic, not the disease that decimates the world population. The latest data from the World Health Organization (WHO) report which of thousands of cases that were confirmed in more than 213 countries, there were only 17 700 deaths from this type of influenza, a rate lower than the mortality rate caused by other seasonal flu around the world. In regard to Colombia, the official balance sheet states that the virus activity decreased after October. The last official report, published on 24 March this year, said they had confirmed 228 cases and 3735 deaths from this flu.
Beyond statistics, the assessment on what has been the evolution of the epidemic in 2009 and so far in 2010 has reached the point that scientific communities accuse the WHO and health authorities have oversized continental dangerousness of the virus and created an atmosphere of panic unnecessarily global. Even more than a few studies have concluded that the influenza A H1N1 is more and that millions of people around the planet experienced in the last year and exceeded that of influenza in household measures in 90 percent of cases. As always, there have been speculative theses which suggest a possible global ploy mounted by the pharmaceutical industry to multiply their millions in profits.
Beyond this debate, the truth is that both WHO and at the local level, the Ministry of Social Protection has warned that one can not lower our guard against the A H1N1, as it continues to cause deaths. Hence, worldwide vaccination schedules is a priority, and prevention measures have been relaxed. Proof of this is that the Colombian government has bought nearly two million doses of vaccine against the virus, and in March launched a plan to manage the population at greatest risk of contracting the disease. Ie pregnant women in second and third trimester, health care workers with direct patient care or contact with biological material potentially contaminated with the virus and those between six months and 49 years of age who have chronic conditions like asthma, diabetes or a weakened immune system.
The alert, as shown, is turned on. However, greater awareness of the virus and the existence of the vaccine today generate more certainty about how to deal with and, above all, prevention. A very different to the universal hysteria that existed in the first quarter of 2009 and the alarm that spread across the country confirmed the first case in Zipaquira, exactly one year ago.