Warning over further swine flu deaths in poor countries

Poorer countries will be the most affected and the spread of infection is likely to continue, according to the article. Predictions based on the 1918-20 Spanish influenza pandemic predicted the next global pandemic could kill 62m people, with 96% of those deaths occurring in low-income and middle-income settings.

‘The public should expect further deaths from this swine influenza outbreak.The Lancet certainly expects the number of those infected to increase and the spread of infection to expand,’ the article states.

It calls for vigilance, not alarm, and urges anyone suffering from an influenza-like illness to isolate themselves in order to prevent the virus spreading.

‘These actions could buy the necessary time to boost stockpiles of antivirals and develop a vaccine against this virus, which will inevitably take months rather than weeks to prepare and distribute. So far, the rapid responses by governments and international agencies have triggered effective mechanisms to protect the public. But the vital role and responsibility of the individual should not be ignored,’ authors write.

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