What is phase 6?
- What do I do now? What actions should I look for in my community?
- Does WHO expect the severity of the pandemic to change over time?
- What is phase 6?
- What about severity?
What do I do now? What actions should I look for in my community?
Stay informed. Go to reliable sources of information, including your Ministry of Health, to learn what you can do to protect yourself and stay updated as the pandemic evolves. Community-specific information is available from local or national health authorities.
You can also continue to visit the WHO web site for simple prevention practices and general advice.
WHO is not recommending travel restrictions nor does WHO have evidence of risk from eating cooked pork.
topDoes WHO expect the severity of the pandemic to change over time?
The severity of pandemics can change over time and differ by location or population.
Close monitoring of the disease and timely and regular sharing of information between WHO and its Member States during the pandemic period is essential to determine future severity assessments, if needed.
Future severity assessments would reflect one or a combination of the following factors:
- changes in the virus,
- underlying vulnerabilities, or
- limitations in health system capacities.
The pandemic is early in its evolution and many countries have not yet been substantially affected.
topWhat is phase 6?
Phase 6 is a pandemic, according to the WHO definition.
topWhat about severity?
At this time, WHO considers the overall severity of the influenza pandemic to be moderate. This assessment is based on scientific evidence available to WHO, as well as input from its Member States on the pandemic's impact on their health systems, and their social and economic functioning.
The moderate assessment reflects that:
- Most people recover from infection without the need for hospitalization or medical care.
- Overall, national levels of severe illness from influenza A(H1N1) appear similar to levels seen during local seasonal influenza periods, although high levels of disease have occurred in some local areas and institutions.
- Overall, hospitals and health care systems in most countries have been able to cope with the numbers of people seeking care, although some facilities and systems have been stressed in some localities.
WHO is concerned about current patterns of serious cases and deaths that are occurring primarily among young persons, including the previously healthy and those with pre-existing medical conditions or pregnancy.
Large outbreaks of disease have not yet been reported in many countries, and the full clinical spectrum of disease is not yet known.
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