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The outbreak of the novel H1N1 flu virus in 2009 caused widespread anxiety throughout the world

Sociology

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The outbreak of the novel H1N1 flu virus in 2009 caused widespread anxiety throughout the world. However, the incidence of this flu was lower than anticipated. You may read more about H1N1 and its progress at http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/cdcresponse.htm (Links to an external site.).

Briefly describe the time line of this outbreak and the ways in which it was investigated. Discuss why you think the incidence was low. Include the human and environmental factors that could have contributed. Be sure to support your opinions with scholarly evidence from your readings.

• Respond to at least two (2) of your classmates’ or your instructor’s posts. Your responses should include elements such as follow-up questions, a further exploration of topics from the initial post, or requests for further clarification or explanation on some points made.
• ALL citations and references needs to be APA 7th edition format. THANK YOU!

Peers# 1

On April 15th, 2009 the first known person to be infected with H1N1 was found in California. Within the next week more people around the US became infected, so between April 22nd and April 25th the Center for Disease Control (CDC) activated emergency operations and World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency with international concern. April 25th The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a test to detect the flu virus. By June 19th, all US states and territories had confirmed cases. By early June, some strains of the virus had become immune to antiviral medications. By mid-July, the virus activity started to decline. On July 22nd vaccine trials began. On August 2nd the second wave of H1N1 virus hit and caused a spike in cases. By October 5th vaccine distribution had started. By January 2010, the virus declined and on August 11th the H1N1 pandemic ended (CDC, 2019).

The virus was identified and investigated within weeks of it being detected. According to the CDC, 2010:

CDC activated its Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on April 22, 2009, to coordinate the response to this emerging public health threat. Response activities were organized into a team structure according to the National Incident Management System (NIMS). These teams had different areas of focus including but not limited to surveillance, laboratory issues, communications, at-risk populations, antiviral medications, vaccine, and traveler’s health issues. As the outbreak unfolded, team structures and staffing were periodically assessed for functionality and utility.

The early detection and investigation allowed the FDA to start vaccine trials within a few months of the first case found. The human factor, which includes vaccination status, could be the reason the incidence of infection was lower than expected because the CDC and WHO were quick to respond to declare a state of emergency and start vaccine trials. The environmental factors include temperature, humidity, and crowding to name a few (Fleming, 2015). The virus was controlled by reducing these factors, such as letting kids out of school early to control crowds. The quick response and vaccine distribution helped reduce the prevalence of the H1N1 virus.

Peers# 2

In April 2009, a new virus was confirmed amongst a 10-year-old and 8-year-old patient in California. The H1N1 influenza (flu) was reported to be associated with close contact with infected pigs rather than human-to-human contact. However, the H1N1 flu was circulating and spreading among humans. This led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to open an investigation and work with local and state health officials in California raising concerns regarding exposure/spread among humans.

During the investigation, the United States International Health Regulations (IHR) Program, reported the 2009 H1N1 influenza cases to the World Health Organization (WHO), Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and Canada and Mexico (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, n.d.). As part of the investigation, the CDC and health officials examined both patients to determine if there is a connection between the two and if there is any link with the pigs. Later however, three more reports were made in California regarding positive test pertaining to the H1N1 flu. To further prepare for a pandemic, the CDC began working on a vaccine that helped protect individual from the virus and was immediately sent to companies to manufacture.

Due to the CDC responding quickly with a few cases of H1N1 and having these vaccines manufactured almost immediately, the CDC was prepared to address this new virus and therefore, reducing the incidence. The WHO also took part in the low incidence rates considering they raised a pandemic alert so other countries become aware and deploy a plan for a pandemic. Throughout the outbreak, the CDC continued to release reports along with measures to be taken to prevent the spread of this virus. School administrators also contributed with low incidence by having school closures during possible outbreaks. Furthermore, there were a few human factors that contributed to incidence rates. This includes staying home, avoiding large gathering, and telecommuting. If the population follow these standards, it decreases the incidence rates, however, if they chose not to comply, the incidence would have been higher. Lastly, environmental factors such as climate change impacts incidence rates (Fleming, 2015). For example, during low temperatures, H1N1 is likelier to spread due to the increase of survival rates of the virus. If temperature rises, chances of survival for the virus decreases (Dong et al., 2020).