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UPDATE: 1600hrs EDT
WHO Raises Pandemic Level to 5
Pandemic Imminent as Swine Flu Cases Spread, WHO’s Chan Says
By Naomi Kresge and Dermot Doherty
April 29 (Bloomberg) -- The World Health Organization said the first pandemic since 1968 is imminent after an outbreak of swine flu spread to eight nations and 11 U.S. states.
The WHO’s Director-General Margaret Chan raised the agency’s six-phase pandemic alert to 5 from 4, the second jump in three days, at a news conference in Geneva today. Level 5 means a pandemic, or a global outbreak of a new virus, is near.
“The biggest question right now is this: how severe will the pandemic be,” Chan said. World nations “should treat this as an opportunity to ramp up preparedness.”
Reuters reported a few minutes ago that the WHO will announce that they are declaring a Global Pandemic Emergency, and raising the Pandemic Alert Level to a 5.
WHO set to raise pandemic alert within hours-sources
Wed Apr 29, 2009 2:38pm EDTGENEVA, April 29 (Reuters) - The World Health Organisation is set to increase its pandemic flu alert level to 5 -- its second-highest level -- within hours, sources said on Wednesday.
"Things are moving fast," said one well-informed source. Another said the WHO was likely to increase the alert by one step, from 4 to 5, in response to the spreading swine flu virus, saying: "I don't think it will be 6." (Reporting by Laura MacInnis and Stephanie Nebehay)
The WHO has stated that they will make an announcement of some sort at 4 pm EDT today.
Stay tuned. . .
