Swine flu: What we know
Posted: Sunday, April 26, 2009 1:59 PM by Ian Sager
Filed Under:
Lester Holt
by Lester Holt, NBC News anchor
When dealing with something as serious as a public health threat, words matter; so does context. The swine flu outbreak which has spread from Mexico to at least 5 U.S. states was declared a "public health emergency" today by the U.S government. That, officials say, does not mean there is a "greater threat," and they point out that such declarations are generally precautionary, and have been used for such varied events as the presidential inauguration last January, and the recent flooding in the Midwest.
No one wants to panic – or create a panic – but we're mindful that words like "emergency" and "pandemic," have the potential to raise our anxiety.
There is no downplaying the fact this is a very important and serious story. The virus has now appeared in several other countries, and the number of dead in Mexico is at least 81. We will be spending a lot of time on the flu outbreak in tonight's broadcast, and no doubt in the days to come. Our goal is tell you as much as we can about what this flu strain is, how it spreads, where it has spread, how it's treated, how you can protect yourself, and what the government is doing to contain it. Information is the only vaccine we have at this point, and we are going do our best to deliver it as accurately and with as much context as possible.
We'll have lots to tell you on the newscast tonight but the headlines at this writing are:
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20 confirmed cases in the United States
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No deaths in the U.S.
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Has not been declared a pandemic
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Swine flu is treatable
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The government is making 12-million doses of the anti-viral drug Tamiflu available from its stockpiles for local governments IF needed.
I hope you'll watch Nightly News tonight for the very latest developments.
