Swine Flu Continues to Threaten
World Health Officials are Fighting to Contain Swine Flu Pandemic
May 19, 2009
The question on the severity of the new strand of influenza (H1N1) that is commonly known as swine flu is still in question. Although health officials throughout the world are taking great measures to prevent a global outbreak with the alert level possibly being raised from phase 5 to phase 6 by the World Health Organization. According to United Nations Secretary General, Ban Ki-Moon during a press conference on 27 April, “It could be mild, in its effects, or potentially be severe. We do not know which way it will go. But we are concerned that, in Mexico, most of those who died were young and healthy adults.” Since the Secretary General’s quote there has been an increase in swine flu cases in several states in the U.S. as well as an increase in reported cases by nations in Europe, Middle East, Asia and South America.
Flu Season Will Determine Readiness
The flu season is typically at its strongest during the fall and winter seasons so the question is how prepared governments will be after the summer when it will be able to thrive in ideal weather conditions. It all depends on preparation, stockpiling of vaccines and medicines as well as keeping the public calm and well informed. However, people are still prone to overreacting about the potential massive outbreak and swine flu has become mainstreamed as a major global health hazard that even the World Health Organization officials are proclaiming it as a possible threat to humanity since they are still researching the new strand of the virus.
Gilead Returns as the Hero and Primary Beneficiary from Swine Flu
According to numerous news outlets, people from all over the world have flocked to the local pharmacies in order to buy Tamiflu, which is an antiviral pill owned by California biotech company, Gilead Sciences, whose sales have spiked in recent months as a result of the swine flu scare. This company has once again reentered the world stage as a primary flu treatment provider after it saw huge profits in sales during the Avian influenza outbreaks (Bird Flu) of 2003-2005, and the 2007 massive restocking efforts by world governments such as the U.S. that would use it for their emergency inventories in case the outbreak deepens further (Yahoo Finance). In fact, according to Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sebelius on April 30, 2009, the "U.S. government is already expected to restock the 12 million doses of Tamiflu that was recently released". Gilead is already seeing massive profits worldwide from both the private and public sectors that could ultimately raise its earnings to at least $600 million for both 2009-2010 flu seasons (Yahoo Finance). Although the value of Gilead's stock continues to soar as a result of this crisis, the real question to ask is how serious this pandemic will become at the end of the summer and how well prepared the public health services throughout the world will actually be when flu season goes into full gear this upcoming fall.
