User:Kattekrab/H1N1 article

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Wrote a story on H1N1 story as told in Australian media.

It was deleted without adequate review or feedback... the story continues to dominate the headlines here in Victoria - and I see zero coverage of it in wikinews.

I'd like a copy of the deleted article added back here so I can draft a new version with recent developments.

... - May 30, 2009

The World Health Organisation update on the H1N1 pandemic as of 06:00 GMT, 29 May 2009 stated 53 countries have officially reported 15,510 cases of influenza A(H1N1) infection. In the lead story of Thursday's ABCTV 7:30 Report, Kerry O'Brien reported over 10,000 worldwide confirmed cases of H1N1, including 100 fatalities. He stated confirmed cases in Australia had passed 100. Although symptoms have been mild and no deaths have been reported, over 3000 people in Victoria, the worst affected state are in home bound quarantine. Further reports state the number of confirmed cases jumped to over 200 representing a 50% increase in less than 24 hours, prompting concern the infection is now spreading exponentially throughout the community.

Some suggest it is time the Victorian public health authorities shifted its strategic response to the outbreak from 'contain' to 'sustain' and start treating it like any other seasonal flu outbreak and let it run its natural course. Other countries have taken this approach and there is a suggestion that the higher alert level is putting unnecessary strain on the health system.

Professor Raina MacIntyre, runs the NCIRS Strategic Priority Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research unit and is a member of Australia's Pandemic Influenza Advisory Group. She was reported in The Weekend Australian as saying "We're at the stage now in Victoria where a blanket closure of all schools and pre-schools should be on the agenda and a decision needs to be made quickly,". She went on to add that delaying the peak of the virus, and trying to minimise the size of that peak is an important focus while a vaccine is prepared, which is still some months from being available. Closing schools is thought to be an effective strategy for slowing the rate of infection as flu spreads rapidly among children because of their under developed immune system.

In a press conference the Federal Health Minister, Nicola Roxon confirmed some Victorian communities have moved to the next phase in the pandemic plan. "Where we have a large number of cases, we are doing a lot of the things that are in the contain - and some that are even in the sustain - phase because we need to be taking appropriate action for each community," explained Ms Roxon. "But we have our Chief Medical Officer assessing, hour by hour, let alone day by day, whether that needs to be upgraded."

Meanwhile the CEO of the Australian Hotels Association, Bill Healy has reacted strongly to the suggestion that under the National Pandemic Action Plan, hotels can be used to isolate people who have been in contact with the disease "It was never our understanding that hotels would be expected to accommodate people who have been diagnosed with a disease."

News outlets are reporting on the human interest angle, getting first hand accounts of the spread of the infection, the personal impact of quarantine measures and dealings with the public health authorities.

Official Sources

 * World Health Organisation - http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/updates/en/index.html

Australia
 * National Action Plan for Human Influenza Pandemic - http://www.dpmc.gov.au/publications/pandemic/index.cfm
 * Federal Government Health Emergency information service - http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/

Victoria
 * Victorian Human Influenza Pandemic Plan - http://www.health.vic.gov.au/pandemicinfluenza/downloads/hs702_pandemic_plan.pdf
 * Victorian Government Health Information - http://www.health.vic.gov.au/ideas/diseases/swine-influenza

Television

 * Deborah Cornwall Health authorities steel themselves for swine flu escalation 7:30 Report, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 28, 2009 MP4
 * Karen Barlow Experts criticise swine flu containment Lateline, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, May 29, 2009 MP4

Newspapers (online)


Category:Health Category:Oceania Category:Australia