human
I've heard that the swine flu is spreading rapidly, is it still a serious concern?
assistant
It's not as bad as it was in 2009, when there were over 200,000 cases of the virus and more than 12,000 deaths. But it’s still a major health concern. In fact, it has been called a "pandemic in waiting" because it could cause a global pandemic if it mutates into a form that can spread easily from person to person.