Swine flu prompts Mexico to shut down economy

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   This sure as hell doesn't sound like things are "Leveling off" 

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53N22820090430

Swine flu prompts Mexico to shut down economy

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon told his
people to stay home from Friday for a five-day partial shutdown of the
economy, after the World Health Organization said a swine flu pandemic was imminent.

Calderon ordered government offices and private businesses not
crucial to the economy to stop work to avoid further infections from
the new virus, which has killed up to 176 people in Mexico and is now
spreading around the world.

"There is no safer place than your own home to avoid being infected
with the flu virus," Calderon said in his first televised address since
the crisis erupted last week.

Eleven countries have reported cases of the H1N1 strain, and Texas
officials said a 22-month-old Mexican boy had died in Texas while on a
family visit, the first confirmed swine flu death outside Mexico.

Switzerland confirmed on Thursday its first case, saying a man returning from Mexico had tested positive for the flu.

The WHO raised the official alert level to phase 5, the last step before a pandemic.

"Influenza pandemics must be taken seriously precisely because of
their capacity to spread rapidly to every country in the world," WHO
Director General Margaret Chan told a news conference in Geneva on
Wednesday.

"The biggest question is this: how severe will the pandemic be,
especially now at the start," Chan said. But she added that the world
"is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time in
history."

WORLD STOCK MARKETS RALLY

Mexico's peso currency weakened sharply early on Thursday after the
government called for chunks of the economy to close. The peso fell 1.6
percent to 13.83 per dollar.

But world stocks struck a four-month peak, powered by gains in Asia
on Thursday, as investors took heart from signs of improvement in the
U.S. economy.

Markets earlier in the week had taken fright and fallen on worries
that a major flu outbreak could hit the struggling global economy.
Almost all those infected outside Mexico have had mild symptoms, and
only a handful of people have been hospitalized.

In Mexico City, a metropolis of 20 million, all schools,
restaurants, nightclubs and public events have been shut down to try to
stop the disease from spreading, bringing normal life to a virtual
standstill.

Spain reported the first case in Europe of swine flu in a person who had not been to Mexico, illustrating the danger of person-to-person transmission.

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Wolfmanjack Members Profile Send Private Message Find Members Posts Add to Buddy List Valued Member Joined: April 25 2009 Status: Offline Points: 211	Post Options Post Reply Quote Wolfmanjack Report Post Thanks(0) Quote Reply Topic: Swine flu prompts Mexico to shut down economy Posted: April 30 2009 at 1:01am
	This sure as hell doesn't sound like things are "Leveling off" http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE53N22820090430 Swine flu prompts Mexico to shut down economy MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Mexican President Felipe Calderon told his people to stay home from Friday for a five-day partial shutdown of the economy, after the World Health Organization said a swine flu pandemic was imminent. Calderon ordered government offices and private businesses not crucial to the economy to stop work to avoid further infections from the new virus, which has killed up to 176 people in Mexico and is now spreading around the world. "There is no safer place than your own home to avoid being infected with the flu virus," Calderon said in his first televised address since the crisis erupted last week. Eleven countries have reported cases of the H1N1 strain, and Texas officials said a 22-month-old Mexican boy had died in Texas while on a family visit, the first confirmed swine flu death outside Mexico. Switzerland confirmed on Thursday its first case, saying a man returning from Mexico had tested positive for the flu. The WHO raised the official alert level to phase 5, the last step before a pandemic. "Influenza pandemics must be taken seriously precisely because of their capacity to spread rapidly to every country in the world," WHO Director General Margaret Chan told a news conference in Geneva on Wednesday. "The biggest question is this: how severe will the pandemic be, especially now at the start," Chan said. But she added that the world "is better prepared for an influenza pandemic than at any time in history." WORLD STOCK MARKETS RALLY Mexico's peso currency weakened sharply early on Thursday after the government called for chunks of the economy to close. The peso fell 1.6 percent to 13.83 per dollar. But world stocks struck a four-month peak, powered by gains in Asia on Thursday, as investors took heart from signs of improvement in the U.S. economy. Markets earlier in the week had taken fright and fallen on worries that a major flu outbreak could hit the struggling global economy. Almost all those infected outside Mexico have had mild symptoms, and only a handful of people have been hospitalized. In Mexico City, a metropolis of 20 million, all schools, restaurants, nightclubs and public events have been shut down to try to stop the disease from spreading, bringing normal life to a virtual standstill. Spain reported the first case in Europe of swine flu in a person who had not been to Mexico, illustrating the danger of person-to-person transmission.