Word: viruses
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Dates: during 2000-2009
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TIME: The H1N1 flu virus could disappear now but return in a more dangerous form in the fall at the start of the next flu season. What should we do to prepare between now and then...
...produce one, we want to make sure everything has been put in place that allows that to happen quickly. The other thing we want to do is look very closely and carefully at what takes place in the Southern Hemisphere during its upcoming flu season. How will this virus do compared to the others out there? That's an important question. Will it be mutating, in terms of its resistance? Right now the virus can be treated with Tamiflu and Relenza, and we want to make sure it stays that way or we want to know if it changes...
TIME: So far, we have been fortunate that this virus hasn't caused much severe illness, but, obviously, that could change. How prepared are state and local health agencies, which have suffered from budget cuts in the recession, for a truly severe pandemic...
...that you can stop the flu from spreading eventually, but if you slow it down, it can reduce the burden on your health care system at any one time. And that is something that will be a problem whenever we face a major crisis, and should this virus come back strongly in the fall it would be an issue...
...complacency. We are very fortunate in our response to H1N1 that state and local health agencies have been exercising a plan for a response to a pandemic for many years. We have labs that are able to receive our test kits and are using those to test for the virus locally. You can't put a price tag on preparation for a pandemic...