Mexico City lowers swine flu alert

[tomm2thumbs]

Source: Guardian UK

Mexico City lowered its swine flu alert level from yellow to green late last night as the mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, claimed residents could "relax" as there had been no new infections for a week.

Ebrard said the change meant the risk of contagion was low, the situation was under control and the images of countless people wearing blue surgical masks around the city could be consigned to history.
. . .

The World Health Organisation today said that 42 countries had recorded 11,168 cases of swine flu, including 86 deaths, since the outbreak was first noticed in Mexico last month.

In Italy, two secondary schools in Rome have been ordered to close for a week after four students caught the H1N1 flu virus on a trip to New York.

In Mexico, where 75 swine flu deaths have occurred, the health authorities said no one had been taken to hospital with respiratory infections in the past three days. There have been no confirmed swine flu cases since May 14.

"We are seeing a 96% drop in cases and that's why we are dropping the alert level to green today," the Mexico City health secretary, Armando Ahued, said.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/may/22/mexico-lowers-swine-flu-alert-level

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... and I just bought stock in a Mexico City mask company, durnit

[Mojorabbit]

1. You still may "luck" out

WHO chief says world should prepare for severe flu
22 May 2009 11:42:03 GMT
Source: Reuters
GENEVA, May 22 (Reuters) - Countries should be ready for more serious H1N1 infections, and more deaths from the newly-discovered virus, World Health Organisation chief Dr. Margaret Chan said on Friday.

"In cases where the H1N1 virus is widespread and circulating within the general community, countries must expect to see more cases of severe and fatal infections," she said. "We do not at present expect this to be a sudden and dramatic jump in severe illness and deaths."

She stressed in closing remarks to the WHO's annual assembly that there was little real difference between the current pandemic alert level of 5 and the highest of 6, and said she would consult experts before deciding to raise it again. "I will be advised by the emergency committee," she said.
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LM452323.htm