EDITORIAL: Swine flu pandemic

The World Health Organization is trying to decide whether it can declare that the worst is over in terms of the new swine flu pandemic.

The global outbreak of a new strain of H1N1 influenza virus began around March last year in Mexico. In June, the WHO declared the outbreak to be a pandemic by raising its alert level to Phase 6.

While the virus is still spreading in Africa, swine flu cases started falling significantly in Japan and Europe in November and December.

In mid-February, the number of patients per medical facility in Japan was lower than the government-set alert level in all prefectures.

But the outbreak is far from over. In the past, second and third waves of a pandemic were more problematic.

According to an estimate by the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, 20 million people in Japan, mostly children, have been infected so far.

For those adults who have not acquired immunity to the disease, the situation could become quite dire this autumn if Japan is hit by a second wave of more severe infections. The virus may even mutate into a more virulent strain.

The government should review its response to the pandemic so far and take steps to ensure the nation will be prepared.

The pandemic has claimed the lives of fewer than 200 people in Japan, an amazingly small toll compared with other nations.

Apparently, early diagnosis and treatment were effective in preventing any deterioration of patients' conditions. Credit for this must go to the gallant efforts of doctors and medical institutions.

Many physicians and pediatricians across the nation have been treating patients until late at night. The nation's first case of swine flu was discovered by a practitioner in Kobe. Citizens also did what they could to prevent the spread of infections.

In contrast, the health ministry's response has been less than exemplary.

The ministry's basic plan to deal with new strains of influenza was designed only for bird flu, which was supposed to cause serious symptoms.

The ministry was slow to revise the plan even after it became clear that most patients only develop relatively mild symptoms.

The ministry was also slow in setting priorities and making other necessary preparations for the nationwide vaccination campaign, causing confusion among medical institutions and their workers.

The ministry needs to review the plan to make it more practical and ensure more flexible responses.

The way the ministry provided information about swine flu to the public was flawed, too. Repeated emergency news conferences held by then health minister Yoichi Masuzoe may have made the public more anxious than necessary.

The ministry should establish a system to provide timely explanations about the situation by health experts. This is what the WHO and industrialized nations do. Disseminating accurate information is crucial for making sure that people remain cool-headed.

In the early stage of the outbreak, many companies banned overseas business trips by their employees and many schools canceled excursions to affected areas. These responses should be reviewed to determine whether they were really necessary.

A new, hitherto-unknown infectious disease could emerge at any time.

Protecting the lives of people from unknown viruses and bacteria requires a system for making policy decisions based on expert opinions swiftly and flexibly in response to changes in the situation.

One idea that merits serious consideration would be the creation of a section dedicated to handling outbreaks of infectious diseases within the National Institute of Infectious Diseases.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 25