Here's how some Twitterers around the globe responded, although a good part of the world in Asia and elsewhere was sound asleep when the story broke:
Gord_Cadabra (Toronto, Canada) The news just told me that all of humanity is at risk thanks to the swine flu. I think Al Gore has an idea for his next movie.
maximbarrault (Paris, France) WHO threat level raised from four to five after evidence of illness spreading within separate geographic zones. Stay away from me.
hanzipan (London, U.K.) The WHO are moving the pandemic warning up to level 5.. this is getting a bit worrying! (Still sewing the guineapig by the way)
Ulises (Monterrey, Mexico) soy el único que piensa que la WHO se tarda mucho en actuar? o será que yo soy muy rápido y escandaloso (I am the only one who thinks that the WHO will take long to act? or is it that I am very fast and scandalous)
joeplanet (Fort Worth, Texas, USA) #BringItUnplugged Awesome! WHO just moved swine flu pandemic alert to level 5 and I am in a large room packed to standing room only.
aaronbutler (Berlin, Germany) Swine flu perspective time! Seasonal flu has killed 13,000 since January: http://tinyurl.com/cd3tgz
aldy (Melbourne, Australia) the news and the WHO is blowing this whole swine flu out off proportion really.
RubyGold (Johannesburg, South Africa) RT @johnmarshall705: Stop tweeting about Swine flu!!!! until it kills more people then the regular flu 36000 last year who cares!!!!!!!!
UmEEE (Lahore, Pakistan) global influenza pandemic threat level raised by WHO to level 5 on a scale of 6!!!
Several Twitterers noted that the WHO Web site had crashed momentarily, apparently overloaded. It appears to be working again, though running slowly.
TheSquare (Portland, Ore.) @Native_Momma Looks like the WHO site just crashed. So much for pandemic preparedness.
AnyaFanya (Undisclosed) Response to raised alert must have just crashed WHO's site. It's no longer loading.
teodoro1188 (Atlanta, Ga.) WHO website is jammed. Can't get the latest info ... grrr. Look like this thing's getting serious.
CarysIsAwesome (Undisclosed) i keep getting a broken link to WHO's website. does this alarm anyone else?
mkhill (St. Louis, Mo.) WHO website is down. Anyone surprised? To you teens, 20- and 3-somethings: Now is the time to pick back up the hygiene habits!
