Inside STAT: Looking back at the H1N1 pandemic a decade later

Ten years ago today, the WHO declared the H1N1 pandemic, the first time in four decades a new flu virus had caused widespread illness around the world. H1N1, a virus that normally sickened pigs, has since infected 100 million Americans. During the pandemic, fewer people died than in previous flu pandemics, but they tended to be younger than typical flu victims. In a new essay, STAT’s Helen Branswell, who covered the pandemic, reflects on what health authorities learned from it, and what it means for health security going forward.