Household economic impact and attitudes toward school closures in two cities in Argentina during the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic.

Background: School closures were widely implemented in Argentina during the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus pandemic.

Objectives: To assess the economic impact of school closures on households, their effectiveness in preventing children from engaging in social group activities, and parental attitudes toward them.

Methods: Three schools that closed for 2 weeks in response to the pandemic were identified in two socioeconomically distinct cities in Argentina.

Hospital capacity during an influenza pandemic-Buenos Aires, Argentina, 2009.

At a major referral hospital in the Southern Hemisphere, the 2009 influenza A (H1N1) pandemic brought increased critical care demand and more unscheduled nursing absences. Because of careful preparedness planning, including rapid expansion and redistribution of the numbers of available beds and staff, hospital surge capacity was not exceeded.