As posted and suggested by Donuel, let's use this thread for updates, news flashes, etc.
This is a moderated thread. Please post only updates. Any discussion/debates/etc. should be posted to the other thread. Thanks!

The World Health Organization has just announced that the pandemic warning is now raised to level 5.

Key points

Level 5 means that all countries should now employ all their pandemic procedures.

As a brand new flu variant no one has immunity

It is still being investigated why affluent countries only have mild cases at this time and poor countries are experiencing severe disease.

The mild cases are no different from the normal seasonal flu which still infect millions and end the lives of nearly 32,000 people in the US alone.

It is common for the flu virus to mutate as it propagates globally.

Negotiations with manufactures of antivirals are ongoing to make more medicine.