At a conference in Austria held this week, World Health Organization (WHO) expert Sin Lun Tam stated that 40 percent of the most severe swine flu cases are occurring in otherwise healthy people under the age of 20, with the highest fatality rates being among those between ages 25 and 49.

In addition, he noted that up to 30 percent of all hospitalizations led to intensive care treatment. A study in Spain found similarly that 50 percent of critically ill swine flu patients admitted to hospital intensive care units were healthy people.

Although flu season is seasonally scheduled to come to an end in the Southern Hemisphere, countries such as Australia and Argentina are now expecting a second wave of infections, based on typical viral behavior.

Tracy Oakman, who directs the New South Wales public health unit in Australia, stated, “There may be a second wave of swine flu influenza cases and that often happens because the virus can mutate and then make more cases come again.”

There are now 3,696 lost lives worldwide on account of this pandemic. The total population of swine flu victims is too widespread to know the exact figure.

Mainland China, however, has confirmed nearly 1,600 cases within a 3-day period, for a total of 9,103, with officials stating that 80 percent of large-scale group infections have been emerging from school-related activities.

Universities in the Washington, DC area of the US are also seeing rapidly growing rates of swine flu. Across the world, fatalities continue to rise, as Argentina announced a death toll of 514 and India, 188 lives lost.
Formosa (Taiwan) as well as Âu Lạc (Vietnam) and Israel have each lost a young woman to the swine flu virus who passed away shortly giving birth.

Meanwhile, the Red Cross in Âu Lạc (Vietnam) hosted a meeting of world health ministries and agencies from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Nepal, the Philippines, and Thailand to share information and find ways to cope with a pandemic that is showing no signs of diminishing.

We thank the government officials, agencies and all others who are working to minimize the swine flu virus’ harm to people.

It pains us to know such diseases may strike repeatedly, attacking even our future generations. We pray that everyone soon understands the preventable nature of this illness, finding sure refuge in the animal-free diet.

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