Harvard Health Publications releases swine flu report

BOSTON Appearing in such remote locations as Texas, New Zealand and Israel, the swine flu has sparked global fears of a worldwide pandemic reminiscent of the Spanish flu pandemic that killed as many as 50 million people worldwide in 1918 and 1919.

Health experts say the pandemic hasn’t arrived yet, and they note that people in 1918 didn’t have access to things like antiviral medications and breathing machines. Still, governments are responding rapidly, and the Harvard Medical School has issued a special report on how and why the virus is threatening and what people can do if it reaches their communities.

Harvard Health Publications, a division of the school, has released a report titled “Swine Flu: How to understand your risk and protect your health.” The report explains what the illness is, how it’s diagnosed and treated, and how families and businesses can protect themselves against it. The report can be purchased and downloaded as a PDF for $18 from the HHP Web site at www.health.harvard.edu/sf.