The World Health Organization bumped their global pandemic alert level up to "Phase 4" in response to the current swine flu situation. It's a six-phase scale. Here's what that means:Phase 4 is characterized by verified human-to-human transmission of an animal or human-animal influenza reassortant virus able to cause "community-level outbreaks." The ability to cause sustained disease outbreaks in a community marks a significant upwards shift in the risk for a pandemic. Any country that suspects or has verified such an event should urgently consult with WHO so that the situation can be jointly assessed and a decision made by the affected country if implementation of a rapid pandemic containment operation is warranted. Phase 4 indicates a significant increase in risk of a pandemic but does not necessarily mean that a pandemic is a forgone conclusion.So: cough into the crook of your elbow, wash your hands, and don't freak out.You can check out descriptions of all the phases at the WHO site here.