Articles: pandemics.
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Zhonghua Liu Xing Bing Xue Za Zhi · Nov 2009
[Personal protective and healthcare seeking behaviors urban residents before and during an influenza pandemic in Beijing].
To provide evidence-based recommendations to the government on strategies for reducing the impact of the imminent influenza pandemic, we conducted a survey on the personal protective and healthcare seeking behaviors of Beijing residents in the wake of the worldwide epidemic of the novel 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, and potential changes in these behaviors during a full-blown pandemic. ⋯ Beijing residents need to be aware of the proper ways to cover their noses when sneezing (especially using their sleeves more), and to wash their hands. An effective plan to triage patients should be immediately established to efficiently utilize the limited healthcare resources, which would likely be further strained during a pandemic.
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Historical Article
Closing the schools: lessons from the 1918-19 U.S. influenza pandemic.
When the novel strain of A/H1N1 influenza first appeared in spring 2009, closing schools was initially a common and often challenging strategy implemented in many communities. Arguments for and against closing schools are likely to arise anew if influenza spikes in the fall of 2009. ⋯ Analysis of the school closure policies of forty-three U. S. cities during that pandemic shows that smooth implementation was associated with clear lines of authority among agencies and with transparent communication between health officials and the public.
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Influenza Other Respi Viruses · Sep 2009
Initial human transmission dynamics of the pandemic (H1N1) 2009 virus in North America.
Between 5 and 25 April 2009, pandemic (H1N1) 2009 caused a substantial, severe outbreak in Mexico, and subsequently developed into the first global pandemic in 41 years. We determined the reproduction number of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 by analyzing the dynamics of the complete case series in Mexico City during this early period. ⋯ The estimated transmission characteristics of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 suggest that pharmaceutical and non-pharmaceutical mitigation measures may appreciably limit its spread prior the development of an effective vaccine.
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Antiviral drugs will initially be the mainstay of pharmaceutical intervention in an influenza pandemic. Used primarily for therapeutic treatment, they can also lower transmission in the community. ⋯ However, where a sub-group of the population has a high mortality risk, a strategy to minimise deaths must be carefully balanced, and is not always in agreement with prioritising treatment for those at risk. We discuss implications for public health planning.