It seems that a swine flu pandemic is imminent. A pandemic of any sorts creates panic amongst people, which is far more damaging than the disease itself. The EU Health Commissioner, Androulla Vassiliou said yesterday that a possible pandemic would not necessarily cause widespread deaths. She said that Europe is well prepared and there is ‘no need to panic’.

She was speaking after an emergency meeting of health ministers on how best to contain the virus which has been confirmed in six EU countries. A French proposal for a continent wide suspension on flights to Mexico was rejected. Ms Vassiliou said that the EU was ‘worried, but we are on top of things’. She added that the EU has been preparing for such an event for some time now, and that the experiences gained has put the region in a far stronger position.

None of the reported cases of swine flu in Europe has been severe. The normal flu virus kills up to 1000 people each year and is said to be much stronger than the swine flu, but that does not seem to curb the rising panic. Egypt has begun a mass slaughter of pigs, and Ghana is the latest country to ban pork imports. The WHO said in an announcement that it will no longer use the term ‘swine flu’ as it is misleading. The flu doesn’t spread by eating pork, but is transmitted from human to human. Now we have to call it H1N1, which, I assume, people will confuse with bird flu.