Capitalism Beyond the Crisis

Amartya Sen, is Lamont University Professor at Harvard. He received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998.
His most recent book is Identity and Violence: The Illusion of Destiny. (March 2009)

The New York Review of Books - Volume 56, Number 5 · March 26, 2009

Available online at: http://www.nybooks.com/articles/22490

Pandemic Influenza Planning in the United States from a Health Disparities Perspective

Philip Blumenshine,*1 Arthur Reingold,† Susan Egerter,‡ Robin Mockenhaupt,§ Paula Braveman,‡ and James Marks§

*Weill/Cornell Medical College, Ithaca, New York, USA; †University of California, Berkeley, California, USA; ‡University of California, San Francisco, California, USA; and §Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
EID Journal Home > Volume 14, Number 5–May 2008
CDC Journal Emerging Infectious Disease

Available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/eid/content/14/5/709.htm

Psychosocial Patterns of the H1N1 Outbreak Tending Toward Relaxed Vigilance

Lots of mixed messages this morning about the threat of swine flu. Below are quotes from the latest AP summary story, which reflect the fact that government and political figures appear to believe that the worst is over, while government health officials and scientists are urging caution. A Gallup poll yesterday found 19 percent say they personally worried Sunday about getting swine flu, down from 25 percent Thursday night. And swine flu is no longer getting the amount of coverage it was last week by national news organizations.

Did Mexico over-react on swine flu?

As tests suggest the swine flu virus in Mexico may be less virulent than first feared, the BBC's Stephen Gibbs in Mexico City looks at whether the response was an over-reaction.

Pedro Aparicio stocked up on food so his family would not need to go outside. Pedro Aparicio shows me his receipt from the supermarket.
"My wife thinks I spent too much," he says.
Just before the partial shutdown of this country, the primary school teacher stocked up on everything he thinks he, his wife, and their young daughter Naomi will need for the next five days.

East-Meets-West foundation efforts in Vietnam

The East Meets West Foundation recently introduced a model programme to help communities in the central region of Vietnam adapt to climate change.

According to the foundation’s survey, climate change is affecting lives in all 25 communes in Quang Nam province where vulnerable farmers in the coastal, mountainous and lowland areas rely heavily on agriculture and fishing industry.

Most of those interviewed said they often lacked timely information on upcoming disasters and did not have access to Government policies regarding natural disasters preparedness and CC adaptation.

Director of WHO statement on H1N1 situation

"The only thing that can be said with certainty about influenza viruses is that they are entirely unpredictable. No one can say, right now, how the pandemic will evolve."

On the supply of antiviral medication:
"Global manufacturing capacity, though greatly increased, is still not sufficient to produce enough antiviral medication and pandemic vaccines to protect the entire world population in time."

What we know from history:

WHO Chief warns of second flu wave

Margret Chan, head of the World Health Organization warned in a interview with the Financial Times that swine flu may re-emerge stronger than ever even if the current outbreak appears to be declining.

From an article published 3 May, Chan told Britain’s Financial Times that an apparent decline in mortality rates did not mean the pandemic was coming to an end and a second wave may strike ‘with a vengeance.’ If it’s going to happen it would be the biggest of all outbreaks the world has faced in the 21st century,’ the paper quoted her as saying.

Social Separation stops flu spread, if started soon

A disease spread sim has shown that flu interventions must be done quickly, to be effective. Researchers writing in the journal BMC Public Health have shown that staying at home, closing schools and isolating infected people within the home should reduce infection, but only if they are used in combination, activated without delay and maintained for a relatively long period. Professor George Milne and his colleagues from the University of Western Australia (UWA) simulated the effect of social distancing on the spread of a flu virus within a small town.

Burmese junta still shuns survivors of the cyclone

By Andrew Buncombe, Asia correspondent
Saturday, 2 May 2009

On the anniversary of the Burmese cyclone, more than a hundred thousand survivors are still living in makeshift shelters hopelessly inadequate to the monsoon rains that will soon engulf the country.

But despite the population's desperate need, the ruling junta has now tightened regulations to make it harder for aid workers to get visas.

'Walking well' flood hospitals with -- or without -- flu symptoms

By Madison Park
(CNN)

A runny nose. A cough. A sore throat. And even pork eaten a week ago.

Hospitals like Sutter Delta Medical Center in Antioch, California, set up triage tents to handle overcrowding

After a week of headlines about the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, many emergency rooms and hospitals are crammed with people, many of whom don't need to be there.

The visits by the "worried well" have triggered concerns of overburdening the nation's hospitals and emergency departments, several health care professionals told CNN.

Eleventh Futures Forum on the ethical governance of pandemic influenza preparedness

2008, iv + 28 pages ISBN 978 92 890 7186 4
WHO Regional Office for Europe- Copenhagen, Denmark

Available online PDF [36p.] at: http://www.euro.who.int/Document/E91310.pdf

“…..The Eleventh Futures Forum reviewed some countries’ experience in applying ethical governance approaches to a major contemporary policy concern for WHO and its Member States: preparedness for an influenza pandemic. The topic provided a concrete policy-making example that participants could use to discuss broader and more generic ethical governance approaches in European health systems.

Today's View of the "Swine Flu" 2009 H1N1

Right now, at the beginning of the outbreak, I am more worried about those that think this is hype than the ones that think selective schools should be shut down.

We should be worried about stopping community spread. Even though this is relatively mild, everyone should do their best to avoid what appears to be a fairly infectious agent, that is killing people that don't get good medical care early.

Why is Mexico's Death Toll So High for 2009 H1N1 ("Swine Flu")?

First Flu Death Provides Clues to Mexico Toll

Adriana Zehbrauskas for The New York Times

By MARC LACEY and ELISABETH MALKIN
Published: April 30, 2009

OAXACA, Mexico — Adela María Gutiérrez fell ill in the beginning of April with what she thought was a bad cold. She tried aspirin and antibiotics, bed rest and moist towels, but nothing brought down her soaring fever, reduced her aches and pains, or boosted her energy level.

Mexico begins shutting down as flu fears spread

By Catherine Bremer

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexico began shutting down parts of its economy on Thursday to slow the spread of a new flu strain as officials urged increased worldwide precautions against an imminent pandemic.

-- snip --

New confirmed flu cases were reported in the United States, Canada and Europe, although a case in Peru, which would have been the first confirmed case in Latin America outside of Mexico, was later discounted.

Primary Health Care Teams for Canadians

Teams in Action:
Primary Health Care Teams for Canadians

Health Council of Canada – April 2009

Teams Should be “Standard of Care” for Canadians with Chronic Health Conditions

Available online PDF [57p.] at: http://www.healthcouncilcanada.ca/teamsinaction.pdf

As Canada’s health care system deals with an aging population, collaborative health care teams are an effective way to treat the increasing number of Canadians with chronic health conditions.

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