Swine Flu: 5 Things You Need to Know About the Outbreak

The World Health Organization recently called the outbreak of swine flu a health emergency of “international concern.” Government responses have been varied with the US noting that none of the cases domestically have been fatal; Europe and Hong Kong urging its citizens to avoid travel to the US and Mexico; and some countries banning pork imports, even though the flu is not communicable through eating pork. Observers are as concerned with the development of the epidemic as with its classification: will the WHO declare swine flu a pandemic? Some suggest we’re already there, since the flu seems to have spread easily from person-to-person across communities. But the WHO wants more data. If a pandemic were declared, nations would likely enforce strict quarantines and close borders, leading to some grave economic consequences precisely when the world’s financial system is already vulnerable. The World Bank estimated a pandemic would shave 4.8 percent off of GDP. Looking beyond the outbreak and response thus far, the causes and consequences of the swine flu are a parable of globalization: the world’s greater interconnectedness has not only allowed the disease to spread quickly, but also may lead to a timely solution thanks to effective global governance through the WHO, the CDC, and greater communication. – YaleGlobal