June 11th 2009-The World Health Organization -WHO- has declared that the H1N1 Virus Swine Flu A WORLD PANDEMIC. This a matter of grave concern because we are not in flu season. This indicates a significant spread of the virus around the world.
If this H1N1 virus strain were to mutate during flu season there could be many funerals and a worldwide disaster. This is this the first time this has happened in over 41 years.
Your Funeral Guy believes that it could be a worldwide disaster even if the H1N1 Swine flu strain virus does not mutate many deaths or funerals may occur Many experts however disagree. From:TimesOnline.
A disease is classed as a pandemic when transmission between humans becomes widespread in at least two regions of the world.
WHO placed the H1N1 #6 on it’s epidemic.
The last global flu pandemic came in 1968 over the so-called “Hong Kong” flu, which killed about 1 million people worldwide.”
At the time of this post USA HHS had not commented.
Certainly the hope is that this virus does not bring about anyones funeral
Funeral Industry|Funeral blog by Your Funeral Guy, Funeral director, Illinois and virginia
In order to avoid POSSIBLE death on a massive scale governments around the world are handling the possible pandemic in an aggressive manner. THE H1N1 REALITY- SWINE FLU VACCINE IN FIVE MONTHS
Medicines being made available in the United States and Around the World are general and not specific to this NEVER BEFORE SEEN VIRUS.
The situation calls for fast action i because experts do not know how the human immune system will react over the long term.
It is not known whether the virus is deadly or if it will mutate into a deadly strain. This according to the Former Health and Human Sevices Secretary at AOL Money:
“WASHINGTON , April 27 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ –The grassroots forum AmericaSpeakOn.org issued the following exclusive statement: “If this swine flu virus emerges as a pandemic level event,” said former Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Mike Leavitt “it will be five months before a safe vaccine is ready.”
He goes on to say “The early indications have properly caused public health leaders around the world to react aggressively.” The full statement is available at AmericaSpeakOn.org
A Health and Human Services Secretary in the Obama Administration to be confirmed soon by the US Senate.
The Virus is a combination of genetic materialhuman, North American bird, and pigs one from Europe and Asia.
On April 27th Anne Schuchat, director of the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told reporters in a telephone briefing:
“Genetic analysis of the virus indicates it is highly unusual: It is a hybrid that resulted from a combination of four different viruses — one that typically infects people, one that originated in North American birds and two from pigs in Europe and Asia……….
This combination has not been recognized before in the U.S. or elsewhere,” Schuchat said.
There is no reason for outright panic but diligent precautions are encouraged.
Funeral Industry|Pandemic|blog by Your Funeral Guy
The implications of this for funeral directors and embalmers is that truly” Safe Embalming is 5 months out”