PreprintArticleVersion 2Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
The Historical and Epidemiological Events that Preceded and Accompanied the Adjustment of the Description of a Pandemic on the WHO Website in 2009 and 2011
Version 1
: Received: 15 September 2023 / Approved: 18 September 2023 / Online: 19 September 2023 (07:56:41 CEST)
Version 2
: Received: 26 September 2023 / Approved: 26 September 2023 / Online: 26 September 2023 (11:56:39 CEST)
How to cite:
Teppone, M. The Historical and Epidemiological Events that Preceded and Accompanied the Adjustment of the Description of a Pandemic on the WHO Website in 2009 and 2011. Preprints2023, 2023091179. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202309.1179.v2
Teppone, M. The Historical and Epidemiological Events that Preceded and Accompanied the Adjustment of the Description of a Pandemic on the WHO Website in 2009 and 2011. Preprints 2023, 2023091179. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202309.1179.v2
Teppone, M. The Historical and Epidemiological Events that Preceded and Accompanied the Adjustment of the Description of a Pandemic on the WHO Website in 2009 and 2011. Preprints2023, 2023091179. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202309.1179.v2
APA Style
Teppone, M. (2023). The Historical and Epidemiological Events that Preceded and Accompanied the Adjustment of the Description of a Pandemic on the WHO Website in 2009 and 2011. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202309.1179.v2
Chicago/Turabian Style
Teppone, M. 2023 "The Historical and Epidemiological Events that Preceded and Accompanied the Adjustment of the Description of a Pandemic on the WHO Website in 2009 and 2011" Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202309.1179.v2
Abstract
Background: An analysis of the pages of the WHO website on the influenza pandemic revealed changes in the use of the term "pandemic" that occurred in 2009 and 2011. Materials and methods: Since the cause of the change in the description of a pandemic on the WHO website in 2009 and 2011 is not clear, analyses of the literature related to the epidemics and pandemics, WHO documents, WHO website, and articles published in journals and the Internet have been done.Results: Until early May 2009, the description of the pandemic focused on "enormous numbers of cases and deaths." On May 6, 2009, a new description of the pandemic was published, focusing on the prevalence of the disease, but in 2011 it reverted to the initial one without any comments. From the perspective of the WHO document issued in 2009, the declaration of a swine flu pandemic in June 2009 seemed justified. However, considering the previous pandemic history, common sense, and the consequences of declaring a pandemic for a disease not accompanied by a high number of cases and high mortality, it was a premature move.Conclusion: Since the primary factor hindering the development of a pandemic is the effectiveness of treating infectious diseases, but not a definition of a pandemic, to minimize the likelihood of a new pandemic, it is necessary to improve the quality of special medical education and to study and adapt to modern conditions all effective drugs and methods used in the past.
Keywords
pandemic; epidemic; swine flu; WHO; H1N1
Subject
Public Health and Healthcare, Public Health and Health Services
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Received:
26 September 2023
Commenter:
Mikhail Teppone
Commenter's Conflict of Interests:
Author
Comment:
In the new edition, references to the literature used are presented in the order they are mentioned in the text, the manuscript's formatting has been changed, and illustrations have been added.
Commenter: Mikhail Teppone
Commenter's Conflict of Interests: Author