Worst of flu outbreak 'over' in Canada
Advisory against travel to Mexico lifted; Canada's chief public health officer says second spike still possible
CAROLINE ALPHONSO
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
May 19, 2009 at 3:28 AM EDT
TORONTO ? Canada's chief public health officer expressed cautious optimism yesterday that the country has seen the worst of a new virulent flu strain for the season and told Canadians that they no longer need to postpone travel plans to Mexico, the epicentre of the disease.
"It looks at this point like we're over the worst of it in Canada for this season. But again, I'm going to hedge my bets on that," David Butler-Jones said, "because we're watching very closely ... you could see a second spike. But so far we've not seen that."
"The peak does appear to be - in all three countries, actually, in Mexico, the United States and in Canada - largely toward the end of April, beginning of May."
Canada has 520 confirmed cases of the A H1N1 virus, also referred to as swine flu. Except for one death, most of the cases are mild and the patients have already recovered.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, left, World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan, centre, and Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq are seen prior to a meeting on influenza A H1N1 in Geneva on Monday. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
Enlarge Image
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, left, World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan, centre, and Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq are seen prior to a meeting on influenza A H1N1 in Geneva on Monday. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
The Globe and Mail
Dr. Butler-Jones said that because the virus has spread throughout Canada and around the world, travel to Mexico is no longer a risk to Canadians. The federal government yesterday lifted an advisory against non-essential travel to Mexico, just three weeks after it was issued.
"It made sense at the time [to issue a travel warning]. It now makes sense to remove it," Dr. Butler-Jones said.
The Canada Border Services Agency will still assess travellers for signs of illness. But the Public Health Agency of Canada will suspend a number of Mexico-related travel measures instituted when the virus surfaced, including having quarantine officers meet direct flights entering Canada from Mexico.
The lifting of the travel advisory comes as Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq attends the annual World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva.
There are almost 9,000 cases of the virus in 40 countries, including 76 deaths.
In her opening remarks yesterday, Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said she is not yet raising the pandemic alert to its highest level. Some countries urged the agency to be cautious before declaring the arrival of a swine flu pandemic.
Still, Dr. Chan said the virus is spreading rapidly and there is a possibility that it will interact with other viruses.
"We have every reason to be concerned about interactions of the new H1N1 virus with other viruses that are currently circulating in humans," she said.
The WHO recently raised the pandemic alert level twice. It is now at Phase 5. Phase 6 is a full-blown pandemic, which means the virus has spread to at least two world regions.
"This virus may have given us a grace period, but we do not know how long this grace period will last. No one can say whether this is just the calm before the storm," Dr. Chan said.
She said the world is more vulnerable to a flu pandemic than during previous pandemics, because of the degree of international travel. But, she added, the scientific know-how and preparedness levels have advanced since the last pandemic in 1968.
Health authorities are monitoring the virus especially because Southern Hemisphere countries could become more vulnerable as they begin to enter their flu season.
But Dr. Butler-Jones said now is not the time for complacency in the Northern Hemisphere either. He didn't rule out more cases in the summer and the virus returning with a vengeance in the fall.
Anne Schuchat, the interim deputy director for science and public health program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, echoed the sentiment. There are about 5,000 swine flu cases in the U.S.
"The H1N1 virus is not going away, despite what you may have heard," Dr. Schuchat said, stressing that the number of cases in the United States may be only the "tip of the iceberg."
Advisory against travel to Mexico lifted; Canada's chief public health officer says second spike still possible
CAROLINE ALPHONSO
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
May 19, 2009 at 3:28 AM EDT
TORONTO ? Canada's chief public health officer expressed cautious optimism yesterday that the country has seen the worst of a new virulent flu strain for the season and told Canadians that they no longer need to postpone travel plans to Mexico, the epicentre of the disease.
"It looks at this point like we're over the worst of it in Canada for this season. But again, I'm going to hedge my bets on that," David Butler-Jones said, "because we're watching very closely ... you could see a second spike. But so far we've not seen that."
"The peak does appear to be - in all three countries, actually, in Mexico, the United States and in Canada - largely toward the end of April, beginning of May."
Canada has 520 confirmed cases of the A H1N1 virus, also referred to as swine flu. Except for one death, most of the cases are mild and the patients have already recovered.
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, left, World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan, centre, and Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq are seen prior to a meeting on influenza A H1N1 in Geneva on Monday. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images
Enlarge Image
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius, left, World Health Organization chief Margaret Chan, centre, and Canadian Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq are seen prior to a meeting on influenza A H1N1 in Geneva on Monday. (Fabrice Coffrini/AFP/Getty Images)
The Globe and Mail
Dr. Butler-Jones said that because the virus has spread throughout Canada and around the world, travel to Mexico is no longer a risk to Canadians. The federal government yesterday lifted an advisory against non-essential travel to Mexico, just three weeks after it was issued.
"It made sense at the time [to issue a travel warning]. It now makes sense to remove it," Dr. Butler-Jones said.
The Canada Border Services Agency will still assess travellers for signs of illness. But the Public Health Agency of Canada will suspend a number of Mexico-related travel measures instituted when the virus surfaced, including having quarantine officers meet direct flights entering Canada from Mexico.
The lifting of the travel advisory comes as Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq attends the annual World Health Assembly meeting in Geneva.
There are almost 9,000 cases of the virus in 40 countries, including 76 deaths.
In her opening remarks yesterday, Margaret Chan, director-general of the World Health Organization, said she is not yet raising the pandemic alert to its highest level. Some countries urged the agency to be cautious before declaring the arrival of a swine flu pandemic.
Still, Dr. Chan said the virus is spreading rapidly and there is a possibility that it will interact with other viruses.
"We have every reason to be concerned about interactions of the new H1N1 virus with other viruses that are currently circulating in humans," she said.
The WHO recently raised the pandemic alert level twice. It is now at Phase 5. Phase 6 is a full-blown pandemic, which means the virus has spread to at least two world regions.
"This virus may have given us a grace period, but we do not know how long this grace period will last. No one can say whether this is just the calm before the storm," Dr. Chan said.
She said the world is more vulnerable to a flu pandemic than during previous pandemics, because of the degree of international travel. But, she added, the scientific know-how and preparedness levels have advanced since the last pandemic in 1968.
Health authorities are monitoring the virus especially because Southern Hemisphere countries could become more vulnerable as they begin to enter their flu season.
But Dr. Butler-Jones said now is not the time for complacency in the Northern Hemisphere either. He didn't rule out more cases in the summer and the virus returning with a vengeance in the fall.
Anne Schuchat, the interim deputy director for science and public health program at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, echoed the sentiment. There are about 5,000 swine flu cases in the U.S.
"The H1N1 virus is not going away, despite what you may have heard," Dr. Schuchat said, stressing that the number of cases in the United States may be only the "tip of the iceberg."