Swine Flu

I picked an interesting day to visit the World Health Organization - I was there for a World Health Assembly NGO briefing on Monday. Given the circumstances, I was suprised at how many WHO staff attended the meeting - most came for the first 15 minutes and then rushed off. Understandable (and reassuring) given the circumstances. Based on what I observed in the WHO offices, my impression is that they're on the ball. Their website has been updated regularly and they appear to be effectively communicating the situation to the media and public (and that's a good start - the WHO can only do so much to prevent a virus from going where it wants, and shouldn't pretend otherwise). As Christine Gorman over at the Global Health Report pointed out, "if there is going to be a pandemic, there will be a pandemic."

This would be an excellent time to pick up a copy of John Barry's 'The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague In History.' It has flaws, but its description of the 1918 Avian Influenza pandemic that killed an estimated 30-60 million people makes for an informative and chilling read.