Do not panic.
Do not pass 'Go'
Do not collect $200.
While its not official yet, WHO defines a pandemic as having three characteristics:
* Emergence of a disease new to a population.
* Agents infect humans, causing serious illness.
* Agents spread easily and sustainably among humans.
As of Friday night, we know that there is a new swine flu variant (H1N1)and that it can cause serious illness and death in humans. It is believed to be transmitted between people. So it's probably only a matter of time before the "pandemic" is official.
It's odd. As the first news creeps out about the swine flu outbreaks in Mexico and the US border, it's remarkably calm. It hardly feels like the end of the world as we know it. Just another day in Paradise.
Okay, so it's probably not the end of the world as we know it. But what do we know?
As I breeze through the news, there seem to be three major sources for information: the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and the Mexican Health Secretary.
The World Health Organization was looking closely at the 60 deaths — most of them in or near Mexico's capital. It wasn't yet clear what flu they died from, but spokesman Thomas Abraham said "We are very, very concerned."
"We have what appears to be a novel virus and it has spread from human to human," he said. "It's all hands on deck at the moment."
WHO raised its internal alert system Friday, preparing to divert more money and personnel to dealing with the outbreak.
U.S. health officials expressed concern Friday that a swine flu virus that has infected eight people in the United States matches samples of a virus that has killed at least 68 people in Mexico.
U.S. health experts also are concerned because more than 1,000 people have fallen ill in Mexico City in a short period of time....
Of the 14 Mexican samples tested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, seven were identical to the swine flu virus found in Texas and Southern California, Besser said at a news conference.
An eighth U.S. case was reported Friday. All of the eight U.S. patients have recovered, Besser said.
Mexico's Health Secretary, Jose Cordova, said only 16 of the deaths have been confirmed as the new swine flu strain, and that government laboratories were testing samples from 44 other people who died. At least 943 nationwide were sick from the suspected flu, the health department said.
"We certainly have 60 deaths that we can't be sure are from the same virus, but it is probable," Cordova said, adding that samples were sent to the CDC to look for matches with the virus that infected seven people in Texas and California.
A swine flu variant swept the world in 1918 infecting up to 1 billion people (half the world's population) and killing somewhere between 20 and 100 million. In 1976, another outbreak prompted strong response from the Federal government which vaccinated about 25% of the US population.
Per the CDC, if you live in a border state:
* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
* If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
* Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
There is no vaccine available at this time, so it is important for people living in these areas to take steps to prevent spreading the virus to others. If people are ill, they should attempt to stay at home and limit contact with others. Healthy residents living in these areas should take everyday preventive actions.
People who live in these areas who develop an illness with fever and respiratory symptoms, such as cough and runny nose, and possibly other symptoms, such as body aches, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, should contact their health care provider. Their health care provider will determine whether influenza testing is needed.