Articles: coronavirus, sars-cov-2, pandemics, and covid-19.
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Vaccination is considered the most effective strategy to control influenza and becomes particularly important when a new subtype or distantly related strain of virus enters the human population causing a world-wide epidemic or "pandemic". Depending upon the virulence of the emerging virus, a lack of pre-existing immunity can lead to overwhelming morbidity and deaths ranging in the millions. While the correlates of immunity to influenza are yet to be fully understood, our experience with vaccines over many decades enables pre-pandemic planning to develop strategies to minimise the impact of a human pandemic. This review explores developing pandemic and pre-pandemic vaccines in the context of highly virulent avian H5N1 virus and the influenza H1N1 pandemic of 2009.
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Indian J Public Health · Jan 2010
ReviewInfluenza pandemic preparedness and response: A review of legal frameworks in India.
the potential of pandemics to cause global destabilization calls for robust pandemic preparedness plans with supportive health legislation. Few international studies have investigated their national legal preparedness in case of a pandemic. This study reviews India's legal preparedness in the face of an epidemic. ⋯ india needs a critical mass of public health legislations to make impact and not police acts to control epidemics. This study aims to assist policy makers to create comprehensive pandemic preparedness plans, translating preparedness 'on paper' to 'in practice'.
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Trans. Am. Clin. Climatol. Assoc. · Jan 2010
ReviewThe 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic: what have we learned in the past 6 months.
The present review describes how the first influenza pandemic of the XXI century occurred, the characteristics of the virus that produced it, its epidemiology, clinical and pathological presentation, and the treatment and prevention methods that have been instituted. The lessons that have been learned in the first 6 months of the pandemic include: 1) predictions were not fulfilled (it was not an avian virus but a swine virus that caused the pandemic, it started in the American continent not in Asia), 2) international cooperation was critical, 3) mass media played a key role communicating to the public and health care professionals about this evolving, and 4) preparedness plans were very important to confront the pandemic.
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The novel pandemic influenza A/H1N1v has also led to a rapid increase in the number of new cases in Germany. In the majority of patients the disease has taken a mild clinical course. However, in isolated cases severe complications requiring hospitalization or intensive care treatment have occurred. ⋯ Treatment decisions should not be delayed to await laboratory confirmation in these patients as early initiation of antiviral therapy is recommended. Elements of supportive care depend on the presentation of complications and secondary organ failure. If rapidly progressive lung dysfunction occurs, refractory to routine mechanical ventilation, early reporting to centers experienced in the use of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) should be established.
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The 2009 H1N1 influenza virus (formerly known as swine flu) first appeared in Mexico and the United States in March and April 2009 and has swept the globe with unprecedented speed as a result of airline travel. On June 11, 2009, the World Health Organization raised its pandemic level to the highest level, Phase 6, indicating widespread community transmission on at least two continents. The 2009 H1N1 virus contains a unique combination of gene segments from human, swine and avian influenza A viruses. ⋯ Bacterial co-infection has played a significant role in fatal cases. The case of fatality has been estimated at around 0.4%. Mathematical modeling suggests that the effect of novel influenza virus can be reduced by immunization, but the question remains: can we produce enough H1N1 vaccine to beat the pandemic?