Will H1N1 hurt the world economic recovery ?

Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 - WHO (World Health Organization) update 71
Weekly update
As of 17 October 2009, worldwide there have been more than 414,000 laboratory confirmed cases of pandemic influenza H1N1 2009 and nearly 5000 deaths reported to WHO.

As many countries have stopped counting individual cases, particularly of milder illness, the case count is significantly lower than the actually number of cases that have occurred. WHO is actively monitoring the progress of the pandemic through frequent consultations with the WHO Regional Offices and member states and through monitoring of multiple sources of data.

New Activity:

Mongolia, Rwanda, and Sao Tome and Principe have reported pandemic influenza cases for the first time this week.

Iceland, Sudan, and Trinidad and Tobago reported their first fatal cases.

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from: Gulf News, By Jumana Al Tamimi, Associate Editor Published: 22:43 June 27, 2009

Uncertain of the shocking global economic cost of H1N1? Ask Mexico.

When the authorities there announced a five-day suspension of all "non-essential" activities around the country shortly after the confirmation of the first case of flu on April 2, the cost was as high as $57 million per day, according to government estimates.

The national currency, the peso, fell four per cent against the dollar; the local stock market fell three per cent; and all hopes of a profitable tourism season were dashed.

So far, the number of reported cases has reached 59,814 from dozens of countries around the world, according to the World Health Organisation.

Within the several weeks since the confirmation of flu cases, signs of economic impact appeared.

Tourism, and airline stocks plunged and oil prices slid. The World Bank estimated last year that a flu pandemic could cost the global economy $3 trillion.
What increases the risks of big losses is the fact H1N1 started spreading at a time when the global economy was already under pressure from the international financial crisis started in the second half of last year.

$3 trillion thats trillion !!