Apr 29, 2009 10:34 am US/Pacific
What Does Pandemic Mean? And Other Swine Flu Terms
(AP)
Some commonly used pandemic phrases.
'Pandemic' -- The global outbreak of disease. In the case of flu, it refers to a new variety that has not previously infected humans so there is no natural immunity. Flu pandemics have typically occurred every 10 to 50 years and have been known to happen since at least the 16th-century. Epidemics are outbreaks in focused geographic regions whereas pandemics affect the entire world.
'Antivirals' -- Medicines used to treat flu, called antivirals because they work to counter the flu virus. Two flu medicines, Tamiflu and Relenza, appear effective against swine flu but they only work if started within 48 hours of first symptoms. Past studies show they merely shorten illness by about one day, compared with no treatment. Little is known about whether these medicines cut the chances of serious flu complications, like pneumonia, and few studies have tested them in children.
'Vaccine' -- A shot given to prevent infection with a disease. In the case of swine flu, no vaccine exists yet. Health officials and vaccine makers say it would take about 4 to 6 months to make the first doses of a new pandemic vaccine. There are vaccines for seasonal flu, but those are not thought to be effective against swine flu.
'Containment' -- An attempt by health officials to snuff out a possible pandemic at its source. To do this, health officials would have to rush flu medicines to the epicenter of the outbreak right away. Doctors would treat people who are sick but also give medicines protectively to those who are not sick to ensure that the virus does not spread from people who may be infected but have no symptoms.
The affected area would have to be quarantined. Most experts think containment is logistically impossible, but containment efforts could slow down the pandemic's spread.
'Social Distancing' -- Efforts to reduce the spread of flu by minimizing group gatherings. In a pandemic, authorities may close schools and workplaces, cancel sporting events and concerts and ban large gatherings. Companies may ask staff to work from home. These measures aim to cut the virus' chain of transmission by stopping people who have the virus from infecting others.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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