WHO increases risk assessment for swine flu pandemic
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has today increased the level of risk associated with a potential swine flu pandemic from level four to level five. This is just one little short of the full pandemic risk with a feeling that this is inevitable in the short to medium term. The impact on the worldwide economy would be enormous as borders are closed, travel restrictions are imposed and businesses and industries would literally grind to a halt.
While many people are yet to really appreciate the risk of a pandemic, there is even less appreciation of the impact it will have on worldwide trade. As we were starting to pull out of the credit crunch related worldwide recession it now appears that the situation could get very much worse in the short to medium term until the swine flu outbreak is under control.
The fact that the UK government is sending leaflets to every home in the UK and stockpiling anti-viral drugs to combat swine flu is a reflection of how difficult the situation has become and how much more difficult it could get in the short term. Make no mistake a swine flu pandemic could have a significant impact upon the human race not to mention the worldwide economy.
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