Workers wearing protective masks wait
for a bakery to open in Mexico City April 28, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters
Photo) Photo
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by Rob Welham, Wang Dongying
LONDON, April 29 (Xinhua) -- The spread of swine flu
has raised concerns across the world as governments plan for a possible
pandemic.
It is also creating fluctuations on stock markets,
with some firms capitalizing on the flu scare and others reeling from losses as
travel restrictions and worries about possible health risks hit the tourist
industry.
Pharmaceutical companies have profited from the news
that swine fever is spreading. Several pharmaceutical stocks started this week
with significant rises.
Roche, who markets Tamiflu, one of the antivirus used
to treat the H1N1 virus, saw its shares rise 3.5 percent on Monday and edge up
further on Tuesday. The company has already seen large revenue increases as
authorities around the world stock up on the drug.
Since the global onset of avian flu in 2006, many
governments have built up large stockpiles of Roche's Tamiflu as well as Relenza
made by British pharmaceutical giant Glaxosmithkline (GSK). The GSK has also
made gains as its share price lifted by 6 percent on Monday with further
increases on Tuesday.
Worldwide, Roche saw sales in excess of 347 million
U.S. dollars for the first quarter of 2009. The company has said that 264
million dollars worth of the drug was for stockpiling while around 84 million
dollars worth was for general seasonal use.
While many developed countries are prepared for a
medical emergency, the timing of the crisis is adding to the economic
instability around the globe. The combination of a banking crisis and swine flu
is creating worries and stress in many sectors.
Russia has already banned imports of products from
Mexico as well as the U.S. states of California and Texas despite the fact that
pork and under goods pose no biological threat.
TRAVEL, TOURISM AFFECTED
EU Health Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has said
there's no need to panic, but her suggestion on avoiding travel to Mexico and
other affected areas has aroused some anger.
Mexico City is said to be losing more than 85 million
dollars per day in business. Many public buildings have closed and some
restaurants and coffee shops are also shutting their doors. The number of
tourists visiting Mexico is dropping and British travel agency Thomas Cook on
Tuesday cancelled all its flights to the country for seven days.
Outbound passengers at Manchester Airport found
themselves stranded on Tuesday morning with the 09:30 flight to Cancun, Mexico
grounded. Tourism and travel related stocks have been hit by the potential
health crisis.
British travel company Thomas Cook saw their share
price drop 4.42 percent on Monday and 1.67 percent on Tuesday.
Several airlines saw significant falls with Lufthansa
sinking nearly 10 percent and British Airways dropping nearly 8 percent on
Monday. Further falls were also seen as trading began on Tuesday.
Most major indices around the global all saw drops,
adding to the economic uncertainty which has gripped the financial markets in
recent months.
The World Health Organization on Tuesday raised its
threat level to Phase 4, meaning that the virus cannot be contained. Such a
pandemic could also damage confidence in the market.
The World Bank has said that a pandemic on the scale
of that seen in 1918 could cost the world economy around 3 trillion dollars.
However, medicine has improved greatly over the last century, as has people's
general health status.
There has been criticism that the threat is being
over-hyped by the media. Front pages of many newspapers in Britain have carried
sensational headlines. The Daily Express shouted the headline, "Killer Pig Flu
Fear in Britain".
And it is not just confined to the tabloids.
Suggestions that up to 1 million could die and 9 million could contract the
virus in Britain have adorned many front pages.
In response, one media analyst said: "The sheer
volume of coverage creates the impression that the story is bigger than it
really is."
FACE MASKS "NO DEFENCE"
The repetition of headlines and pictures of people
wearing masks on rolling news channels are adding to the panic. Britain's
Secretary of State for Health Alan Johnson has dismissed the usefulness of face
masks.
"Many people will wish to know whether they should
wear face masks. Although we are aware that face masks are being given out to
the public in Mexico, the available scientific evidence does not support the
general wearing of face masks by those who are not ill whilst going about their
normal activities," he said.
However, he said the British government was looking
to increase stockpiles of face masks for healthcare workers who are treating
sick patients.
In the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC),
officials have also said the use of masks was unnecessary at this time. In
contrast to statements given by the officials, the website of U.S. Federal Drug
Administration says that N95 face masks "help protect the caregiver and patient
against microorganisms, body fluids, and small particles in the air."
Some firms are already cashing in on people's fear.
One company trading under the name Active Training Network is selling what it
calls a Pandemic Kit for 44.99 pounds (65 U.S. dollars). The kit, containing
three face masks, two biohazard bags, gloves and disinfectant spray, is marketed
as a protection against epidemics such as bird flu.
Despite the experts' and governments' saying that
face masks provide little protection, many suppliers said they were flying off
their shelves.
After several hours' use, the masks would become damp
and more porous and decrease their efficiency in preventing germs from passing
through. There is also the problem of how to dispose of millions of potentially
infected masks. This may trigger an even greater public health hazard.
However, many Britons shun the idea of wearing masks
even if it proved to be useful. This is because these people consider it looks
"uncool" to wear a face mask.
MEXICO CITY, April 28 (Xinhua) -- Three more people died
in the last 24 hours of swine flu, Mexico City officials told a Tuesday press
conference, adding that local authorities had ordered the closure of more public
places.
The total number of deaths in the city believed to be
related to swine flu is now 25, while 89 people are in hospital with swine-flu
symptoms, said Armando Ahued Ortega, head of the city's health department. He
said that 31 people had been hospitalized on Monday while 14 had been discharged
from hospital. Full story
WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed
human swine flu cases in the United States has risen to 64, with at least five
patients having been hospitalized, a health official said Tuesday.
"I fully expect we will see deaths from this infection,"
as swine flu cases are investigated, said Richard Besser, acting director of the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta (CDC). Full story
WASHINGTON, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The White House asked
Congress to approve 1.5 billion U.S. dollars on Tuesday in a response to the
fast spreading swine flu outbreak that has sickened over 60 in the United
States.
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told a press conference
that President Barack Obama raised the request to Congress in a letter "out of
an abundance of caution" in order to "enhance our nation's capability to respond
to the potential spread of this outbreak." Full story
BEIJING, April 28 (Xinhua) -- China went on full alert
Tuesday to guard against swine flu, as authorities ordered round-the-clock
monitoring of the deadly virus and suspension of pork imports from Mexico and
the United States.
Chinese President Hu Jintao Tuesday ordered the country to
step up inspection and quarantine measures to prevent swine flu from entering
China and ensure public health and safety. Full story
GENEVA, April 27 (Xinhua) -- Amid the rapid spread of
swine flu in some countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) on Monday
raised its pandemic alert level from Phase 3 to Phase 4, warning of a
significant increase in the risk of a pandemic.
Following the advice and guidance of an emergency
committee, WHO Director-general Margaret Chan decided to raise the alert level
from the current Phase 3 to Phase 4, a WHO official told the media on a
teleconference. Full story
UNITED NATIONS, April 27 (Xinhua) -- The unique strain of
swine influenza suspected of killing nearly 150 people in Mexico and spreading
rapidly to other countries is of "the most serious concern" to the international
community, including the United Nations, UN Secretary-General Ban-Ki moon told
reporters here on Monday.
"We are concerned that this virus could cause a new
influenza pandemic," he said in a statement read to the press here. "It could be
mild, in its effects, or potentially severe." Full story
SEOUL, April 28 (Xinhua) -- The Republic of Korea (ROK)
confirmed on Tuesday the first case of human infection of swine influenza, the
Yonhap news agency reported. Full story
