Improve Tracking of Global Pandemics

3:29 am PST, Nov 18, Name not displayed, Canada

5:37 pm PDT, Sep 6, Rachel Sweigart, Virginia

8:09 am PDT, Sep 5, Annie Ruiz, Guatemala
I represent ASIVESCA-ONG an ngo for social development, please provide more information to share in our communities. WE ARE LOCALIZED IN Cabañas, Zacapa, Guatemala.

Recieving brochures to show in villages to illeterate people

8:17 pm PDT, Sep 3, Alison Rasch, Arizona
Wouldn't weathering a Novel Influenza Pandemic, work much better with early Continent Wide containment? Also, the general public can not adequately prepare or stock supplies, if they think it is mild or media hyped. There have been a good 5-6 months to honestly get the word out and educate the public, healthcare workers, etc. YET, the knowledge and education is not well disseminated and we are almost out of time. Sadly, this could have been done so much better.

11:49 am PDT, Sep 3, Harold LA.SHomb Jr, New York
We the people, need to know the truth about H1N1.For our lifes depend on true information and the real numbers. please stop turning this deadly problem over to the spin doctor's to rose color the facts.I am in great need of the truth on this killer.

To win this fight, I need to have facts not bullshit,madison ave hipe,rose colored veiws. remember this is a time bomb, not your simple flu.

10:48 am PDT, Aug 22, Cris Colombi, Argentina

7:48 am PDT, Aug 8, Name not displayed, Louisiana
I have twin girls age 15. They are epileptic, ADHD, Asthmatic, and other health impairments. One was just diagnosed with the Flu and is taking Tamiflu medication. She is doing OK now after the 4th day.

If I had known that there were 8 other children in my community of about 300, that had contracted this flu, we would have not been in the general public until this thing had past. My government has failed me by not providing the information that I needed to make an educated decision about the safety of my children. Please inform us for our children's sake. Thank you

7:42 am PDT, Aug 8, Name not displayed, Arkansas
Informed citizens & medical personnel equal good planning

I see far too many people exiting public restrooms without washing their hands. Better information on the spread will cause more people to take the situation with H1N1 seriously and help prevent its spread with proper hygiene.

11:12 pm PDT, Aug 6, Name not displayed, Canada

9:21 pm PDT, Aug 4, Cameron Parsons, Australia
Whilst I acknowledge the unreliability of confirmed case counts due to limitation in testing, without sufficient data to provide guidance in relation to trend it can be difficult to determine the appropriate timing to implement pandemic response actions. Raw data which can support trend analysis at a global, region, country, state and locality / county level should be provided by a globally co-ordinating body (i.e. WHO) to help business and the global community take steps to reduce the impact of a pandemic. There is a distinct lack of information or immense differences in quality of information and analysis provided by governments globally. Raw data and analysis should be collated by the experts at WHO and based on confirmed case count, estimated case count, hospitalisations, intensive care and deaths on a daily, weekly, monthly and cumulative basis. Ratios of case count to population or poulation density would also be useful in determining likelihood of transmission and assist in determining whether to implement social distancing or limit non-essential travel to certain destinations. Unfortunately only the WHO has the ability to source and collate data globally in the timely manner required to inform decision-makers and avoid arbitrary decisions based on fear rather than facts.

The global community including myself can only be comfortable with the actions of governments and the WHO if there is a greater level of transparency in relation to the advice provided. With details of the current situation of the pandemic at all levels and more importantly trend anlsysis to determine position within the pandemic wave(s) can informed decisions be made to protect workers and community going forward.

1:33 pm PDT, Aug 4, Karen Todd, Washington
yes! I am in favor of better information being put out for the public- people can't help to combat what they know nothing about. Misinformation or the lack of information- breeds the element of fear and the potential to spread certain diseases even more. Please do whatever it takes to help maintain the spread of information - so the public can assist in combating the unwitting spread of disease

Like I mentioned above- if I am not aware of steps that I can take on a personal level- I fear that my ignorance could cause an even greater potential to spread certain diseases...as in all things in life- Knowledge is Key! thanks......

1:51 am PDT, Aug 2, Name not displayed, France

5:51 pm PDT, Jul 27, Barbara Buchanan, Alabama
Open and complete information is central to helping communities and individuals take necessary steps to protect themselves. Please make the data readily available to the PUBLIC

We need to know if there is a threat to our families and friends. We need to know what it is, where it is, how big it is, how bad it is, when it grows (or subsides), and who its primary victims are. We need to know if/when it changes. If we know all this, we can protect ourselves better... we can have confidence we aren't fighting this virus alone or blindly. Now is not the time to hide important information from the public. We need to know EVERYTHING about this virus. EVERYTHING. Day to day or hour to hour if necessary to save the lives of thousands or even millions of people.

8:49 pm PDT, Jul 24, Name not displayed, Maryland
We need improved tracking so we can know how to protect ourselves and our families.

7:25 pm PDT, Jul 23, Anne Marie Omweg, Rhode Island
The right of every citizen to self-shield when religious conviction and personal health choice are freely exercised is vital for the respect of the rights of the individual over his own body.

The conveyence of this information would enable me to take measures to prepare at various levels depending on the state of the emergency.

8:04 pm PDT, Jul 20, Carl Rosenstock, Wisconsin

3:34 pm PDT, Jul 20, Bob Kedzie, California
I think our government should not be in the business of family Health. I also think that the USA should not have negotiated away our health to the World Health Organization. Only America should be in control of our borders related to bio-Terrorism or pandemics of any kind not W.H.O..

10:59 am PDT, Jul 20, Heidi Buehler, Illinois

10:40 am PDT, Jul 20, Philip Kedzie, Illinois
Based on the information I have been able to discover, I believe that this entire pandemic outbreak has been orchestrated to create a maximum amount of fear in the greatest number of people. I have discovered from numerous sources that the proposed vaccines being created for this outbreak contain a much greater risk for deadly side effects than anything this flu virus has to offer. Please disclose all pertinent information, including any applicable studies that have been completed on this topic, to the general public immediately.

11:29 pm PDT, Jul 19, Michael Meuser, California
Open and complete information is central to helping communities and individuals take necessary steps to protect themselves. Please make the data readily available to the PUBLIC. Thank you.

At MapCruzin.com I have worked to bring important data to folks free of charge. Most recently, I have been creating free GIS shapefiles using the flutracker data so that folks can investigate for themselves the movement of H1N1. The better the data, the better folks can protect themselves. Please make this data available to Rhiza and to the PUBLIC. Thanks!

8:05 pm PDT, Jul 17, Thomas Ryan, Washington

7:46 pm PDT, Jul 17, Steven Wohlrab, California

7:04 pm PDT, Jul 17, Gerdy Van der Stap, Netherlands
Without data we have no ammunition to fight this and futere pandemics

6:48 pm PDT, Jul 17, Name not displayed, Florida
Accurate data is needed to protect ourselfs and loved ones by being prepaired

We need to especialy have hot spot information so everyone knows what to avoid,

9:05 am PDT, Jul 17, Mary Kyncy, California
WE NEED MORE UPDATES AND INFO YOU JUST CANNOT DECLARE A PANDEMIC AND THEN SAY WE CANNOT KEEP TRACK.

IN CALIFORNIA WE CANNOT EVEN PAY OUR BILLS AND WE HAVE HAD 23 PEOPLE DIE IN 1 WEEK. WE NEED TO BE NOTIFIED AND BE BETTER INFORMED

2:40 pm PDT, Jul 16, Jim Bynum, Missouri
This not only applies to swine flu, but all other diseases. As an example CDC quit reportly of foodborne infections in 1999 when it downgraded a 1997 GAO report of 81 million cases to 76 million cases. That is an extreme pandemic when you consider EPA only estimated 2 million case in 1986. See the following website for more. http://thewatchers.us/1_index-pandemics.html

5:04 am PDT, Jul 15, Mark Byam, United Kingdom
The reduction in resolution of detail on this situation from WHO as it spreads is a joke. With the tools for data collection and broadcast we have at hand today there is no excuse for clarity (apart from cutting cost and diverting us from the truth about this serious issue). In some way or another we all pay for this global service, to see the establishments take the high ground with a "It's not that bad.. lets just see" attitude ticks so many bad boxes .. imho anyhoo, Rant over

Everyone benefits from the Truth

9:58 pm PDT, Jul 14, Name not displayed, Arizona
Information or more importantly accurate information is neccessary in making inteligent decisions. If you stop updating the public they will turn to less reliable sourses. Please keep us informed Knowledge is everything

I keep myself informed form the CDC and WHO on all emerging diseases. This keeps me and my family informed and educated on beiong prepaired.

11:16 am PDT, Jul 14, John Nelson, Colorado
Please keep us updated as often as possible so we can know the position we are in!

9:55 am PDT, Jul 14, Kimberley Altenburg, California

9:53 pm PDT, Jul 13, Liane Pittier, California
Each person has the right to know what is going on. This way, we can protect our families against the swine flu. If we don't know who has the swine flu in our area, how are we supposed to feel safe. Especially when, things are being kept from us - by keeping it out of the newspapers and news channels on tv.

8:36 pm PDT, Jul 13, David Gauvin, California
IT SEEMS VITAL TO ME THAT WE HAVE AN EXTREMELY ACCURATE ACCOUNT OF THIS PANDEMIC AND WHAT EXACTLY IS THE RISK FACTORS WE AS AMERICAN CITIZENS HAVE A RIGHT TO KNOW SO WE CAN PROTECT OURSELVES AS WELL AS OUR FAMILIES. WE SHOULD NOT HAVE TO SEARCH DEEP INTO THE INTER NET TO FIND THIS INFO THAT WE HAVE A RIGHT AS HUMANS TO POSSESS.

9:09 am PDT, Jul 13, Name not displayed, Finland

8:19 am PDT, Jul 13, Melody Schafer, Ohio
We the people of the United States and of the world have the right to have all the details of a death from swine flu (without name of patient for privacy) so we can protect ourselves and those of our community.

3:40 pm PDT, Jul 12, Floyd Howe, Wisconsin
To not give an informed populace the information to make a decision on an informed an timely schedule on any supposedly pandemic situation concerning an infectious pathogen is tantamount to holding a gun to the head of the public.

I would be able to make an informed and educated decision on a timely manner if I wanted or needed to take any shot offered by the organization in control of administering that action.

11:29 pm PDT, Jul 11, Name not displayed, Hawaii

9:03 am PDT, Jul 11, Radiance MB Chesnut, Oregon
Please release the swine flu information in quick concise manner as we have a right to this information.

I have a low immunity system due to leukemia and do a lot with my Grandchildren, but need to know when it might be wise for me to use better precaustions, plus not pick it up and give to grandchildren.

10:17 pm PDT, Jul 10, M Lechwar, Kansas
If I were a betting person, I would bet that the individuals tied to the CDC and WHO have forewarned their families of what is and what is to come. My question is why is the rest of the world so unimportant? I look everyday at updates from different sources and I see how H1N1 is exploding around the world. I used to be able to look at the state health dept websites (in the US) and get accurate information, and now several only have the CDC's website as the update. This is ridiculous! CDC since this started has never been accurate. I have seen cases reported on state health department sites that were not added to CDC's count for at least two weeks following. Please stop worrying about the economic condition of the world and the possible panic brought about by making public the whole true about our situation. Worst case scenario, are you waiting for people to start falling down dead walking down the street to let the world population know exactly what is going on? Imagine the panic that would bring about! And CDC, the world looks to the US for guidance, and so far the only guidance given is how to keep the truth from your countymen. The Disney channel has two infomercials that I have seen with my child. One speaks of the importance of washing your hands, coughing and sneezing in your arm and staying home when you are sick. The other was on preparing for emergencies. Stock extra food, water, batteries, a radio...well you get the idea. Anyway, a BIG thank you to Disney for informing our children. Now if the adults could be informed that H1N1 is still around and it's not going anywhere anytime soon, that would be wonderful. I am so tired of people looking at me like I am crazy, and telling me I am a fear monger. We have spent so much time watching M Jackson and everything else of relative unimportance compared to this rapidly growing dangerous worldwide health hazard. Please for the sake of humanity give it the accurate coverage it requires. Make sure it is on the television so people will see it as the dangerous situation it is. We need and expect this from you! Thank you

2:50 am PDT, Jul 10, DW Ball, Oregon
Please provide more accurate information on Swine Flu Pandemic!!

My Grandfather (age 30) and my wife's Grandfather (age 25) both died in the 1918 Swine Flu Epedemic. The flu in 1918 acted like the current version, mild in the fall, grew strength in Summer and was deadly by late fall. Both died in November 1918. Please give more accurate information.

2:40 pm PDT, Jul 9, Anne Lewis, United Kingdom
I could create a more appropriate plan to protect my staff and my patients and minimise the chaos caused by H1N1 in my particular general practice.

2:23 pm PDT, Jul 9, Ringenbach David, France

11:57 am PDT, Jul 9, Sheri Waldron, Michigan