As compared to seasonal flu, swine flu has been found to be a more likely cause of potentially life-threatening viral pneumonia. The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging doctors to immediately treat suspected swine flu cases, even the young and those who are otherwise healthy of the infected patients, with antiviral medicine. According to a WHO officer, “It’s not like seasonal influenza. It travels farther into the lungs, where it can “cause very severe disease.” Do not delay treatment. Do not miss this opportunity for early treatment.”
Viral pneumonia from swine flu ‘can cause severe lung damage and a life-threatening condition known as acute respiratory distress syndrome.’
This latest announcement from the WHO ‘came at the conclusion of a special three-day meeting in Washington of more than 100 experts from around the world.’ The meeting was purposely held ‘to review the latest research on the new H1N1 virus and to revise guidelines for treating the infection.’
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also issued the report that ‘vaccine production was proceeding slower than officials had hoped, meaning less vaccine was probably going to be available by the end of the month than originally projected.’ Health officials hoped for about 40 million doses to be available by the end of October, but the volume is still short ‘by about 10 million to 12 million doses.’
Posted by GSerrano on October 16, 2009 in News + Politics · 0 Comment
