Posted on 03/21/2020 12:10:35 AM PDT by Ymani Cricket
In 2009, a new H1N1 influenza virus emerged, causing the first global flu pandemic in 40 years.
Below is a timeline of major events that took place during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic.
2009
April 15
First human infection with new influenza A H1N1 virus detected in California.
April 17
Second human infection with the new influenza A H1N1 virus detected in California about 130 miles away from first infection, with no known connection to previous patient.
April 18
First novel 2009 H1N1 flu infections were reported by CDC to the World Health Organization (WHO) through the U.S. International Health Regulations Program.
April 21
CDC publicly reported the first two U.S. infections with the new H1N1 virus. CDC began working to develop a candidate vaccine virus.
April 22
CDC activated it’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC).
April 23
Two additional human infections with 2009 H1N1 were detected in Texas, transforming the investigation into a multistate outbreak and response.
April 24
CDC uploaded complete gene sequences of new H1N1 2009 virus to a publically-accessible international influenza database.
April 25
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern.
April 26
The United States Government declared 2009 H1N1 a Public Health Emergency of International Concern and CDC began releasing 25% of antiviral drugs needed to treat this new influenza virus from the federal stockpile.
April 27
WHO Director-General raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 3 to phase 4, based on data showing person-to-person spread and the ability of the virus to cause community-level outbreaks.
April 28
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new CDC test to detect 2009 H1N1 infections
CDC issued the first CDC Interim Guidance on Closing Schools and Childcare Facilities, recommending a 7-day dismissal in affected schools and childcare facilities with laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza A H1N1 virus.
April 29
WHO raised the level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5, signaling that a pandemic was imminent, and requested all countries to immediately activate their pandemic preparedness plans and be on high alert for unusual outbreaks of influenza-like illness and severe pneumonia.
May
2009 H1N1 influenza summer activity peaked in the United States during May and June.
May 1
Domestic and global shipments of new CDC test to detect 2009 H1N1 began.
CDC updated the CDC Interim Guidance on Closing Schools and Childcare Facilities, recommending affected communities with lab-confirmed cases of influenza A H1N1 consider adopting school dismissal and childcare closing measures, including closing for up to 14 days depending on the extent and severity of influenza illness.
May 4
CDC shifted from reporting confirmed cases of 2009 H1N1 to reporting both confirmed and probable cases of 2009 H1N1.
May 5 Peak school dismissal day in the spring phase of the pandemic. 980 schools were dismissed, affecting 607,778 students.
May 6
CDC distributed updated recommendations for the use of influenza antiviral medicines to provide guidance for clinicians in prescribing antiviral medicines for treatment and prevention (chemoprophylaxis) of 2009 H1N1 influenza.
May 8
CDC issued an MMWR updating the 2009 H1N1 influenza situations in Mexico, the United States, and worldwide.
May 12
CDC reported early data on 2009 H1N1 illness among pregnant women in an MMWR.
June 11
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic and raised the worldwide pandemic alert level to phase 6, which means the virus was spreading to other parts of the world.
CDC held its first press conference with former CDC Director Thomas Frieden, MD, MPH. The press conference had 2,355 participants.
June 19
All 50 states, the District of Colombia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands had reported cases of 2009 H1N1 infection.
By late-June, more than 30 summer camps in the U.S. had reported outbreaks of 2009 H1N1 influenza illness. CDC released guidance for day and residential camps to reduce spread of influenza
June 25
CDC estimated at least 1 million cases of 2009 H1N1 influenza had occurred in the United States.
Early July
Reported cases of 2009 H1N1 nearly doubled since mid-June 2009.
Three 2009 H1N1 influenza viruses that were resistant to the antiviral drug, oseltamivir, were detected in three countries.
July 10
CDC reported findings in an MMWR that indicated a large prevalence of obesity in intensive care patients with confirmed 2009 H1N1 influenza infection. After mid-July, 2009 H1N1 influenza activity declined in most countries.
July 22
Clinical trials testing the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine began.
August
Additional oseltamivir-resistant 2009 H1N1 viruses were detected by CDC.
August 3
CDC School Dismissal Monitoring System (SDMS) activated.
August 19
CDC Guidance for Businesses and accompanying toolkit posted to CDC.gov.
August 20
CDC Guidance for Institutions of Higher Education (IHE) and accompanying toolkit posted to CDC.gov. Calls were conducted with Secretary Duncan and Sebelius to explain guidance. Press briefings followed. Second wave of 2009 H1N1 influenza activity began in the U.S.
August 30
New reporting season for the 2009-2010 influenza season began.
September 1
More than 1,000 test kits shipped to 120 domestic and 250 international laboratories in 140 countries since May 1, 2009.
September 3
CDC published a study that analyzed data related to H1N1 influenza pediatric deaths reported to CDC from April to August 2009 in MMWR. Data showed 477 deaths with lab-confirmed 2009 H1N1 flu in the U.S. had been reported to CDC as of August 8, 2009.
September 10
HHS secretary and CDC Director joined the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID) in a news conference to stress the importance of getting vaccinated for the upcoming influenza season.
September 15
The FDA announced its approval of four 2009 H1N1 influenza vaccines.
September 30
U.S. states placed first orders of 2009 H1N1 vaccine.
October
National Influenza 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign
October 5
First doses of H1N1 vaccine were given in the U.S.
October 24
Influenza activity reached its highest level in the reporting week ending October 24, 2009, with 48 of 50 states reported widespread activity.
Late October
Second wave of H1N1 flu activity peaked in the U.S.
November 12
CDC released its first estimates official estimates of 2009 H1N1 cases, hospitalization and deaths.
November 16
FDA announced its approval of a fifth 2009 H1N1 vaccine.
November 23
No school closures throughout United States; first time since 8/25/2009.
December
Results of trials conducted among adults were published in December, and the data indicated that the immune response among vaccinated adults was excellent.
December 4
CDC published preliminary safety results for the 2009 H1N1 vaccines for the first months of reports received through the U.S. Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERSexternal icon).
December 18
First 100 million doses of 2009 H1N1 vaccine were available for ordering.
Late December
2009 H1N1 vaccination had been opened up to anyone who wanted it.
2010
January
Activity declined to levels below baseline, but persisted for several more months at lower levels.
January 10-16
President of the United States proclaimed National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW) and encouraged all Americans to observe the week by getting vaccinated with the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine.
February
FDA’s VRBPAC selected 2009 H1N1 virus for inclusion in 2010-2011 seasonal flu vaccine
February 18
WHO published recommendations for the composition of influenza virus vaccines for the upcoming Northern Hemisphere influenza season. Components included a 2009 H1N1-like virus.
August 11
WHO announced the end of 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic.
April
Between April 2009 and April 2010, CDC held 60 related media events – 39 press briefings and 22 telebriefings – reaching more than 35,000 participants.
It says" April 15
First human infection with new influenza A H1N1 virus detected in California."
But according to virologyj.biomedcentral.com
"A novel H1N1 influenza virus, Swine-Origin Influenza Virus (S-OIV), was first isolated in mid-April 2009 and, by the end of the month, the first complete genomic sequences were published, and the virus shown to be of a novel re-assortant."
"The swine-origin influenza A (H1N1) virus that appeared in 2009 and was first found in human beings in Mexico, is a reassortant with at least three parents."
Note: Only date published I could find on the CDC page for H1N1 said "Page last reviewed: May 8, 2019" - so I put that as the date published since that is when it seems to have been last edited/reviewed.
I don't seem to remember a run on toilet paper then.
Yet, "the 2009 flu pandemic or swine flu was an influenza pandemic that lasted from January 2009 to August 2010, and the second of the two pandemics involving H1N1 influenza virus (the first being the 1918–1920 Spanish flu pandemic), albeit a new strain."
Also: "First described in April 2009, the virus appeared to be a new strain of H1N1, which resulted from a previous triple reassortment of bird, swine, and human flu viruses further combined with a Eurasian pig flu virus, leading to the term "swine flu". It is estimated that 11–21% of the global population at the time — or around 700 million–1.4 billion people (out of a total of 6.8 billion) — contracted the illness – more than the number of people infected by the Spanish flu pandemic, with about 150,000–575,000 fatalities. A follow-up study done in September 2010 showed that the risk of serious illness resulting from the 2009 H1N1 flu was no higher than that of the yearly seasonal flu."
"However, by 2012, research showed that as many as 579,000 people could have been killed by the disease, as only those fatalities confirmed by laboratory testing were included in the original number, and meant that many without access to health facilities went uncounted. The majority of these deaths occurred in Africa and Southeast Asia. Experts, including the WHO, have agreed that an estimated 284,500 people were killed by the disease, much higher than the initial death toll."
Above is an interesting (and scary) set of charts comparing COVID-19 to the swine flu and others since 2000. Plots them all using their common “time zero” of when they were first observed. Covid-19, based on current numbers, and if it follows similar trajectory of H1N1, looks to be very bad.
And it ended up being a nothing burger
Great stuff, old timer. Thank you.
Can we figure out how long schools and businesses were closed in affected areas in 2009? It might give us a clue as to when things will return to normal this year, since most of us who do not get a serious case of the virus will be most affected by how long our lives are on hold.
Could you add this information that shows that it took President Obama until October 2009 to declare a national emergency?
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama-declares-h1n1-flu-national-emergency
Well you just did. The timeline I put up is from the CDC. I’m leaving it the way the posted it there so everyone can evaluate it. I put the publication date they had on the website for this timeline because that in if itself is telling. Why was it a 2019 date that the timeline page was edited? See... and the origin place changed from Mexico to California. Why?
Wuhan was closed January 23 - March 14, 52 days. 7 1/2 weeks.
If, unironically, you want to start with March 14 here, then the end date is Tuesday, May 5, 2020.
H1N1 had 18,500 confirmed deaths. Covid 19 currently has 11,400 confirmed deaths and accelerating. I would say Covid 19 is a lot worse. This isn’t your Grandfather’s influenza.
I am not saying the world is coming to an end or that everything should be closed and everybody sent home from work, smashing the economy. But yes, Covid 19 is a different worse animal than SARS or H1N1. This is a very bad one.
The 2009 H1N1 flu had approximately 14,000 deaths in the United States. Data is a bit specious (varies from about 12,000 - 18,000 depending on the source), but that should at least be in the ballpark.
There were 150,000–575,000 2009 H1N1 fatalities worldwide. The Covid-19 deaths (”11,400”) you are quoting are the worldwide - not USA - deaths.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_flu_pandemic
And still not worth shutting down the economy and my wife losing her job
Thank you for the correction.
What do you say the "minimum thought death rate" is?
Do you mean worldwide or USA?
In the USA, when you consider the treatment and efforts to fight the virus, the number may end up being lower than expected.
Actually CDC says 274,000 for H1N1 but possibly up to 579,000 globally. Its in my comment section and at the virology link provided.
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