On Thursday, the World Health Organization declared the H1N1 influenza virus, also known as swine flu, a worldwide pandemic. It's the first time in more than 40 years that such a declaration has been made.

What this means is that the virus is spreading on a large scale in at least two regions of the world. WHO says there are close to 28,000 cases of the virus in 74 countries, and 141 people have died from the virus.

In Virginia, the first H1N1 virus-related death occurred less than ten days ago. Cases in the Valley are also on the rise.

"The virus is spreading under a close and careful watch," says Margaret Chan, the director of World Health.

The pandemic level has been raised from 5 to 6, the highest alert level, but that doesn't mean that the virus is getting worse. It just means that is has spread to more countries. The step is cautionary.

Chan says, "No previous pandemic has been detected so early or watched so closely in real time, right at the very beginning."

While protective measures are being taken, it's still hitting in Virginia with 22 new cases just in the past week.

Medical director at James Madison University, Dr. Stephen Rodgers, says it's all about protecting the public.

"If H1N1 becomes more prominent, since no one has immunities to this anyways, then it may become more severe", says Rodgers.

While he isn't sure how the H1N1 virus will be affected by the seasonal flu, he doesn't believe it will spread any faster.

Rodgers says, "It might be greater numbers but not a faster spread than what we would think of as the seasonal flu. You know the November to February usual season."