Frightened residents need not hit the panic button, despite four more confirmed Alberta cases of a flu that is suspected to have killed almost 170 people, health officials said yesterday.
“Live your life normally,” Health Minister Ron Liepert said.
The World Health Organization has stopped using the term “swine flu” to tag the virus, to avoid confusion on danger posed by pigs.
“I know there is some angst in the public, and I would suggest that nothing has changed in the past couple days, other than a couple of new incidents,” Liepert said.
Despite premonitions of more cases in Alberta, officials are stressing people not panic, as the six confirmed infections have behaved like common flu bugs, generating mild symptoms.
“If we were dealing with a lethal virus that emerged, then we would be implementing other aspects of the plan,” said chief medical officer of health Andre Corriveau.
