Continue not panicking: Keeping the flu in perspective

The World

The first death from swine flu outside of Mexico occurred this morning in the United States when a toddler died from the flu. The flu is spreading across the globe. Germany confirmed three cases of swine flu on Wednesday, becoming the third European country hit by the disease. New Zealand’s swine flu total rose to 14 and there are reported cases in Scotland, Spain, France, and Israel. To put this in perspective, we return to epidemiologist Dr. Richard Wenzel, who is Chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Invest in independent global news

The World is an independent newsroom. We’re not funded by billionaires; instead, we rely on readers and listeners like you. As a listener, you’re a crucial part of our team and our global community. Your support is vital to running our nonprofit newsroom, and we can’t do this work without you. Will you support The World with a gift today? Donations made between now and Dec. 31 will be matched 1:1. Thanks for investing in our work!