Pandemic Flu : Facts

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Mike Clarke/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

The announcement does not mean that the illness, which has been mild in most people, has become any worse. The term pandemic reflects only the geographic spread of a new disease, not its severity. Pandemics typically infect about a third of the world in a year or two, and sometimes strike in successive waves.

“Globally, we have good reason to believe that this pandemic, at least in its early days, will be of moderate severity,” said Dr. Chan, director general of the health agency. So far, 144 people have died from H1N1.

The decision to raise the pandemic alert from Phase 5 to Phase 6, its highest level, is meant to signal to countries to step up their efforts to deal with the disease.

That said, this is merely another reminder re: the importance of adhering to proper hand hygiene strategies.

Its all about common sense, and when it comes to the topic of hand sanitizer products, we're in the camp that says it makes no sense to douse hands with alcohol as a means to kill germs and bacteria. There's a reason why manufacturers of alcohol hand sanitizer products recommend washing with soap and water before applying their product..So does it make sense to pour the stuff on after washing, so that you destroy skin cells in an effort to destroy pathogens?

We don't think so. That's why we recommend alcohol-free hand sanitizer products. Shop around, and look for products that do not contain triclosan, do not have fragrances and do not have dyes. We like two different products; Soapopular or Hy5.