It seems like fear that gripped so many of us, when the 2009  H1N1 pandemic occurred  was  light years ago, but it happened a year ago.  Based on my research, and the conformation I received from other open-minded physicians, I recommended taking a deep breath to my readers and that we were going to live through this latest “pandemic,” and we did!

Now comes the long overdue news from the Director-General of the World Health Organization Margaret Chan, MD, MPH, has declared an end to the H1N1 influenza pandemic, following the advice of an emergency committee convened to address the issue.

“The new H1N1 virus has largely run its course,” she said from Hong Kong in a conference call with reporters.

Based on previous pandemics, Chan stated the virus is expected to behave like seasonal influenza viruses and continue to circulate “for some years to come.” It also will likely continue to cause serious disease in younger individuals, at least in the immediate post-pandemic period, she said.

Chan remarked that significant localized outbreaks of H1N1 were still possible, as is currently occurring in New Zealand.

Because of the continuing threat, the WHO continues to recommend immunization with both the monovalent H1N1 vaccine and the trivalent seasonal vaccine, of which the new H1N1 virus is a component.

The decision to declare an end to the pandemic was made based on several factors, according to Chan: the lack of out-of-season — or summer — outbreaks in either the Northern or Southern Hemisphere, the fact that current H1N1 outbreaks are similar in intensity to those of seasonal influenza, and the increasing mix of circulating influenza viruses.

During the pandemic, H1N1 largely crowded out the seasonal viruses, accounting for nearly all tested samples. Now, Chan noted, countries are observing a mix of H1N1, H3N2, and B viruses.

An additional factor that went into the decision to end the pandemic designation is evidence of community-level immunity. Studies have indicated that 20% to 40% of the population in some areas have been infected with H1N1 and, thus, have some level of immunity.

Good vaccine coverage in some areas has also contributed to community-wide immunity, Chan added.

Keiji Fukuda, MD, special adviser to Chan on pandemic influenza, urged countries to continue surveillance and remain alert for changes in the H1N1 virus. Public health officials should maintain control efforts, especially in the countries that continue to have intense activity, he added.

Chan echoed the need for continued vigilance.

“Pandemics are unpredictable and prone to deliver surprises,” she said.

She noted that the mild nature of the pandemic was aided by good luck — the virus did not mutate into a more lethal form, widespread resistance to oseltamivir did not develop, and the vaccine was a good match with the circulating virus and had an excellent safety profile.

“Had things gone wrong in any of these areas,” Chan said, “we would be in a very different situation today”.

Source:
http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/SwineFlu/21603

In the midst of the frenzy surrounding the H1N1 pandemic, in October, I asked you to take a deep breath, and promised you that we would get through. I shared with you information that lead me to believe, it was not going to be the predicted pandemic. And now mid-January, H1N1 has fallen off the media’s reporting radar, and from most of our thoughts.

As predicted by Purdue University mathematicians, the infections peaked in late October. There were reported projections that 90,000-300,000 people would die and over 30 million would be infected. Now, a recent ABC news report question if the media coverage “oversold” the swine flu pandemic. Again, while it appears to represent pandemic means an infection has appeared in several countries.   It has nothing to do with the number of people infected.

The study reported an analysis conducted at Harvard University and the Medical Research Council in England.  A new analysis, examining H1N1 deaths in the US in the spring found a typical or possibly even milder flu season than average, should’ve been projected. Projected likely outcomes,  demonstrated a typical – or possibly even a milder flu season than average (which this one appears to have been), should’ve been expected.

Source:

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/SwineFluNews/swine-flu-blown-proportion/story?id=9270149&cid=yahoo_pitchlist

While the H1N1 pandemic has proven to be much less impactful than initially predicted, it’s good to know progress has been made with treatment options.

After seven months of research and clinical studies, an herbal remedy, Jin Hua Qing Gan Fang  effectively treated people infected with H1N1, according to Wang Chen, president of Beijing’s Chaoyang Hospital.

Doctors found it had no negative effect and it shortened the length of fever, while also improving their respiratory systems.

It is also much less expensive than current drugs, only 25 per cent of the cost of Tamiflu, the recommended drug for the treatment of H1N1 flu.

The basic scientific studies were conducted for 5 months across China at several universities. They demonstrated the herbal treatment’s effectiveness in animal studies.

Zhao Jing, director of the Beijing Municipal Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine, said at the press conference, “Medical experts proved the effectiveness of Jin Hua in treating A/H1N1 flu from both the basic scientific studies and clinical studies,” she said.

Over the past seven months, more than 120 medical specialists, participated in the research, she said.

Thursday’s Beijing Daily hailed the new herbal medication as the “world’s first traditional Chinese medicine to treat the A/H1N1 flu”.

Citing medical officials, the paper said “Jin Hua” was picked from among more than 100 classic anti-flu prescriptions based on traditional Chinese herbal medicine.

“Science workers proved its effectiveness through medical experiments on more than 4,000 mice and clinical studies on 410 patients with slight A/H1N1 flu syndrome,” it said.

The “Jin Hua” prescription had been adopted in many local traditional Chinese medicine hospitals, it said.

Clinical studies were conducted in 11 hospitals nationwide, including Chaoyang Hospital and Ditan Hospital in Beijing, had conducted clinical studies on “Jin Hua” and gave positive assessments.

“We are applying for patents for ‘Jin Hua’ both at home and abroad,” she said.

“We are further developing the medicine and trying to present it to the whole country and world as soon as possible, thus offering an alternative to treat the A/H1N1 flu,” she said.

The Chinese mainland has reported almost 108,000 A/H1N1 flu cases, including 442 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

Dr. Cris Tunon, senior program management officer at the WHO Representative Office in China, said Thursday the “WHO welcomes the clinical results,” as the traditional Chinese medicine offered a low-cost treatment of A/H1N1 flu.

Source: China Daily News

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