Swine Flu Alert Level Raised to Global Pandemic by WHO

On Wednesday, the WHO said 74 countries had reported 27,737 cases of swine flu, with 141 deaths. On Thursday, WHO said it decided to raise the pandemic warning level from phase 5 to 6 (global pandemic) after holding an emergency meeting on swine flu with its experts. 6 is the highest WHO alert level.

Still, in terms of deaths, the swine flu has been mild, so to speak. The last pandemic, the Hong Kong flu of 1968, killed about 1 million people. The regular form of influenza kills about 250,000 to 500,000 people annually.

Michael Osterholm, a flu expert at the University of Minnesota who has advised the U.S. government on pandemic preparations, said:

"I think a lot of people think we're done with swine flu, but you can't fall asleep at the wheel. We don't know what's going to happen in the next 6 to 12 months."

Many other health experts, as well, have warned about complacency. The WHO was careful to add that the global pandemic alert for swine flu does not mean the disease is deadlier than previously thought. As the statistics above show, it is relatively mild. However, the announcement reflects the global spread of the disease.