May 3 (Reuters) - Mexico announced on Sunday its swine flu epidemic had passed the worst and experts said the new H1N1 virus might be no more severe than normal flu, although it could still have an impact on world health.
Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova showed journalists a graph indicating infections in Mexico, the epicenter of the H1N1 flu outbreak, had fallen sharply from a peak on April 24.
"The admittance of patients to hospitals has decreased and the health of patients in hospitals has improved," he told a news conference.
Laboratory tests have shown 590 firm cases of the virus so far in Mexico, out of which 22 people were confirmed to have died. This was more than the 19 confirmed deaths previously announced but Cordova said the tests were simply clarifying a backlog of suspected cases.
But new cases of the virus, which mixes swine, avian and human flu strains, still were being tracked across the world, keeping up fears of a pandemic.
The World Health Organization said its laboratories had identified a total of 898 H1N1 flu infections in 18 countries, including one case in Italy. Its toll lags national reports but is considered more scientifically secure. [nL3260192]
Separately, El Salvador reported its first two confirmed cases of the flu.
The WHO urged governments around the world not to lower their guard and to cooperate to prevent the flu spreading.
Mexican President Felipe Calderon rejected complaints at home that his government overreacted by shutting down public life for five days to prevent infection.
"This is a totally new virus in the world," Calderon told Mexican television. "We acted decisively, energetically and properly."
After days of alarm that had kept streets eerily quiet, Mexico City appeared more relaxed on Sunday, with some people venturing out on bikes or running. Many no longer wore the surgical masks that have been almost obligatory in the city in the last week as residents feared infection.
"ENCOURAGING SIGNS"
In the United States, the flu has spread to 30 states and infected 226 people, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. It seems to be hitting mostly younger people, with very few cases in those over 50 years old. [nN03327731]
CDC acting director Richard Besser said there were "encouraging signs" the new strain was not more severe than what would be seen during normal seasonal flu.
But he still expected the virus to have a "significant impact" on people's health. "We're not out of the woods," Besser told "Fox News Sunday." [nN03498213]
The U.S. government said it hoped to have a vaccine ready for the new flu strain by the autumn.
Health officials and scientists from around the world have been focusing on how the new mutated flu strain may be passed between animals and humans.
The WHO said flu surveillance should be increased in both humans and animals now that the latest H1N1 strain was found to have infected pigs in Canada. [nL3279981]
Mexico has seen a stabilization of serious cases in the past few days, bringing some relief to millions of people who have stayed indoors in line with a government order for non-essential businesses to remain closed through Wednesday.
"We've been indoors since Friday. So now we've come out to enjoy some fresh air," cyclist Silvia Rodriguez told Reuters, relaxing on the grass of a central park in Mexico City.
Others were more wary.
"I'm not totally convinced that the worst is over," said Juan Antonio Hernandez, 48, a caretaker.
A Mexican Embassy official in China said Chinese authorities were quarantining more than 50 Mexican business people and tourists after some showed flu symptoms. [nPEK8030]
China denied Mexican complaints that discrimination lay behind the measures.
Asia's trade and tourism could be hit by the latest flu outbreak but lessons learned from the SARS epidemic in 2003 would boost efforts to counter the effects. SARS, or severe acute respiratory syndrome, killed more than 800 people around the world in 2003 after first appearing in southern China. (Additional reporting by Maggie Fox in Washington, Daniel Trotta, Anahi Rama, Jason Lange, Louise Egan, Pascal Fletcher and Esteban Israel in Mexico City, Tan Ee Lyn in Hong Kong, Laura MacInnis in Geneva; editing by John O'Callaghan)
19 comments:
I am glad to see that this flu..turned out to be just flu. I also believe that we shouldn't let our guard down just yet. It may just be as significant as the normal flu but this type of flu has been spread among all of the world which should cause us some concern. We should only stop the extra precaution in the autumn when a vaccine is developed. The whole situation with China and the Mexican Businessmen is just basic precaution not RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, people can be so quick to pull the racist card when in a situation not in the accusers favor.
-Isaac
I wouldn't put it past our politicians if they were using the Swine flu epidemic to turn national attention toward something other than the economic crisis. The unbelievable part is that people have been taking the media's every word and clutching it so tightly. There are far more threatening illnesses out there than the flu, like MRSA and other highly volatile diseases that permeate the blood stream and leave people prone to other dangerous infections. The "Swine flu epidemic" was used as a political tactic.
Wow. All that panic for nothing. My mother was thinking about bringing masks home from the hospital. O.O and now i giggle about it.
I would like to thank the media for giving my mother a reason to dump germ ex on my little brother....
I think this swine flu is a big deal and we should be careful, but i just think we have blown it way out of porportion. We do have a regular flu and it is just as bad as this flu. There have been many cases in different countries but bottom line to me is it is another type of flu and we should just find a vaccine and move on.
I think everyone freaked out way too much about the swine flu, yes people are dying. But you have to remember they arent as devleoped as the U.S or have the money to get cured of this flu. So of course there will be more deaths in those countries. Swine flu is dumb, my trip got cancelled because of it...
There are some really great advantages to having such a "connected" world but sometimes I wonder. I am glad that we are taking precautions but at points the swine flu pandemonium has just been ridiculous. The media sure has a knack for spinning stories to get the most dramatic effect. I mean, if Obama forgets to brush his teeth tonight the whole world will hear about it on the morning news.
This is a perfect example of a good ole' media scare. When there is one problem, people try to make a scape goat (or in this case a scape pig.)
I’m glad this swine flu case has finally ended. I mean I know its still out there but, at least it’s turning out to be like the regular flu. When I first heard of this pandemic I was really worried. Let’s just say that now the whole world is being cautious, which is always a good thing. I hope that things can turn back to normal in autumn and hopefully they will find something that can contain the flu and ease people’s minds.
I think that everything has been blown out of proportion. It was good at first because all the kids wanted to just get out of school and the kids in dallas have. But to be honest its not really that serious.
I think the Swine Flu Epidemic was really blown out of proportion. Seriously, thousands of people get the flu every year. More people die from car accidents in the last month than from the swine flu. Does that mean everyone should stop driving? I know it could be serious, but it wasn't. Back to reality. With the economic crisis, Chinese ships, North Korean missiles, the War in Iraq, and more, the US has plenty to worry about besides a simple flu.
Its crazy that we made such a big deal about this and they say it is nothing. I think we still need to be careful about it though...
I don't see why people are making this such a big deal the normal flu is worse than this over 36000 people die from it every year. This is no different, but it is good that there will be a vaccine pretty soon .
its nice to know that the swine flu is just like the regular flu. just because it's like the regular flu doesnt mean it has the same cure like it to. we cant just stop caring about it now that we know that its just like the regular flu
Well its good that this was only turned out to be a flu. But we still should look out for it though, because most of us dont know what this "NEW" type of flu is capable of.We should take some precautions until the vaccine is ready.
Everybody seriously overreacted to this. I kind of wanted this to get really ridiculous so I could wear a gas mask and a biohazard, or bee keepers uniform to school and blend in with the other crazies (George A. Romero reference of the day). According to the view, where we all get all of our information on what's happening in the world, this was supposed to be a huge deal. But since it's not, we can go back to our taboo relationships with our various species of farm animals.
personally im not surprised. i actually figured it was the whole time. the media always overdoes everything, but i have to admit it was hilarious watching some people freak.
Wow the swine flu,its caused so much commotion and closing of schools and it turns out just to be a normal flu???? what the heck??!!! I think its important to be safe and all that but people have been taking it out of proportion. Yea its killed some people but it doesn't mean we had to do all these crazy things! people acted like the world was gonna end or something, seriously people over react sometimes!
I'm glad to here its like the regular flu. I'm really glad it didn't hit lubbock, could you imagine having to wait a whole week longer to graduate... That would have been horrible!!! On the positive side this big scare has had a great impact on good hygene.
whoaa thats crazy all this time we were scared and its just a normal flu. thats a good thing though im glad that that is all it is.. its good that the hospital health has increased this means daoctors are actually doin something
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