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Swine flu at phase five, pandemic imminent
Two days after the Health Ministry downplayed the potential of a swine flu (H1N1) pandemic, the People’s Welfare Coordinating Ministry said there is imminent danger of a pandemic
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Two days after the Health Ministry downplayed the potential of a swine flu (H1N1) pandemic, the People’s Welfare Coordinating Ministry said there is imminent danger of a pandemic.
“We received an announcement from the World Health Organization (WHO) at 2:30 a.m. that the pandemic alert level had reached phase five. The signals for a pandemic are strong and imminent,” Bayu Krisna Murthi, chairman of the National Avian Influenza Committee (Komnas FBPI), said Thursday.
WHO Director General Dr. Margaret Chan raised the current level of influenza pandemic alert early Thursday from phase four to phase five based on the assessment of all available information and following several consultations with experts.
Bayu said the Foreign Ministry has already issued a travel warning to Mexico, the apparent origin of the outbreak, and a travel advisory to eight other countries having confirmed human cases, namely the USA, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Israel, Spain, Austria and Germany.
Phase five means a pandemic is imminent and that the virus is spreading, causing sustained community outbreaks in at least two countries. Phase six, the final phase, is defined by sustained outbreaks in at least two WHO regions.
Bayu said if the outbreak escalates to phase six, Indonesia might impose a travel ban to Mexico or other infected countries. Peru, Ecuador, Argentina, and Cuba have already banned travel to Mexico.
Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari called on the public not to worry too much because Indonesia has experienced an outbreak of the far deadlier avian flu (H5N1).
She said the fatality rate of the swine flu was "only" 6 percent, far less than avian flu's 80 percent.
“We must remain cautious,” she said in Yogyakarta on Thursday.
Siti said the government does not need to issue a travel warning to Mexico because “a complete explanation about the swine flu and how to protect oneself from the virus is enough."
The government has allocated Rp 38 billion (US$ 3.62 million) to help curb the spread of swine flu.
Bayu said his office has increased surveillance and border control at airports, seaports and land borders.
Amin Soebandrio, of the Research and Technology Ministry, said his office has stockpiled three million doses of the oseltamivir antiviral drug, enough for 300,000 people.
He said oseltamivir was not the proper swine flu medicine, as it was meant for avian flu, but it would have to do for now.
“There is still no vaccine for the swine flu. Normally, it takes six to eight weeks to develop a vaccine."
Bayu said safety measures have been implemented to prevent the virus from infecting the population, but that they could not succeed without public participation.
“Please report to us if somebody in your neighborhood is showing flu symptoms.”
Reuters reports that Mexican President Felipe Calderon told his people to stay home starting Friday for a five-day partial shutdown of the economy, after a WHO warning.
Calderon ordered government offices and private businesses not crucial to the economy to stop work to avoid further infections from the new virus, which has killed up to 176 people in Mexico and is now spreading around the world.
The US stood steadfastly against closing the US-Mexico border, with Vice President Joe Biden calling it "a monumental undertaking" of questionable benefit to stopping the spread of swine flu, the AP reported. (fmb)
Komnas FPBI had set up a hotline at komunikasi.fbpi@gmail.com and 081280000358.
Slamet Susanto contributes to the story from Yogyakarta
