WHO urges governments to prepare for swine flu pandemic

April 28, 2009

UN health commission warns spread of virus could be disastrous for world's

poorest countries

* McGreal in Washington and Rory Carroll in Mexico City

* guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 28 April 2009 19.07 BST

Mexico City's mayor, Marcelo Ebrard, ordered the closure of gyms, sports clubs

and swimming pools. Schools, theatres and many other public places are already

shut and the city authorities are considering closing the extensive underground

system.

Mexicans stripped supermarket shelves bare today in a burst of panic shopping

amid fears the flu epidemic could force a nationwide lockdown...

Although the flu season is passing in the northern hemisphere, the onset of

winter in southern Africa and parts of South America means that the impact of

any pandemic could be particularly severe on countries with fragile, and in the

case of Zimbabwe and parts of Mozambique, almost non-existent health services...

Families with masks stocked up on bottled water, tinned food, vegetables and

citric fruit in case they needed to stay at home and wait out the emergency.

" Best to get it while you can, " said Lozano, 37, sweating from the weight

of shopping bags in Mexico City's Colonia Roma district.

The authorities ordered all restaurants in Mexico City - there are over 30,000 -

to serve only take-out food to reduce the risk from people congregating to eat.

Many restaurants did not open at all. Congress and courts operated but sessions

were closed to the public.

For the third consecutive day pharmacies were sold out of face masks, prompting

media advice on how to make home-made versions with cloth and tape.

The health minister, Angel Cordova, said 400,000 doses of antivirals to

treat flu would be distributed but appealed to doctors to prescribe them with

caution to avoid a resistant strain developing. The authorities urged people not

to buy antivirals online.

US health officials say a swine flu vaccine could be ready early next month but

it will still take several months to complete safety tests, manufacture and

distribute.

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