Health and Fitness » swine flu

CDC: Nearly 1 in 5 has had H1N1 (swine flu) virus

David Boraks — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 14:08:33 +0000

About 57 million people, or nearly 1 in 5 Americans, likely had H1N1 influenza, or swine flu, between April 2009 and January 2010, the federal Centers for Disease Control said last week. Flu cases are in a bit of a lull right now, the CDC says on its website. But most cases seen continue to be the H1N1 variety.

About 11,700 deaths are suspected to be attributable to H1N1, the CDC. That’s fewer than than the 35,000 who die from flu in a typical year, the Los Angeles Times reported. But since swine flu tends to affect a younger population than a normal flu season, deaths among younger people have been higher than usual.

About 246,000 people required hospitalization.

The figures came as part of a new effort by the CDC to quantify the effects of the swine flu over the past year. It’s a daunting task, CDC officials explained.

“Estimating the number of individual flu cases in the United States is very challenging because many people with flu don’t seek medical care and only a small number of those that do seek care are tested. More people who are hospitalized or die of flu-related causes are tested and reported, but under-reporting of hospitalizations and deaths occurs as well,” the CDC said on its website.

The agency said it uses statistical modeling to draw up its estimates.

FLU SHOTS AVAILABLE

Many doctors offices and public health departments are continuing to offer vaccinations against H1N1 as well as typical seasonal flu. And authorities still recommend vaccination, since cases of the flu are likely to continue to rise and fall.

Mecklenburg County Health Department offers swine flu shots for anyone. You can make an appointment by call 704-432-5100. More information online at charmeck.org.

– David Boraks

Feb. 13, 2010, Los Angeles Times, “Number of swine flu cases in the U.S. reaches 57 million.”

Feb. 13, 2010, Washington Post, “Almost 1 in 5 Americans had swine flu; death rate over 11,000″

Is H1N1 pandemic past its peak in U.S.?

David Boraks — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:39:44 +0000

The World Health Organization and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say the swine flu, or H1N1 virus, may be easing in the northern hemisphere, though it remains a threat.

While transmission of the virus “remains active,” the WHO said in a notice just before Christmas, “overall disease activity has recently peaked in much of the hemisphere.” For now, the biggest increases in the number of cases are being reported in areas affected later, including central and eastern Europe, and parts of west, central, and south Asia.

Despite the somewhat eased threat, the WHO says the virus still remains powerful enough to cause deaths that it considers at “epidemic levels.” Most at risk are those with underlying medical conditions, the WHO said.

The CDC said the number of patients with flu-like symptoms visiting doctors just before Christmas continued to increased, “although the proportion of tests for influenza that were positive continued to decline and the overall hospitalization rates for this season were unchanged from the previous week.”

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools officials have been conducting H1N1 flu vaccine clinics at many schools. Vaccinations, which are voluntary, should be completed in February, the district says.

LINKS

Dec. 23, 2009, World Health Organization, “Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 – update 80″

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools H1N1 information, CLICK HERE>

Mecklenburg County Health Department flu shot info, CLICK HERE>

Centers for Disease Control H1N1 update page, CLICK HERE>

See all other coverage of the swine flu situation on DavidsonNews.net, including how the pandemic has affected local schools and Davidson College, under the H1N1 tag.

In the news: U.S. response has controlled H1N1

David Boraks — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 14:12:35 +0000

The H1N1 or swine flu virus has swept across the nation, but it has turned out to be one of the milder pandemics in recent history. Luck has played a part, the New York Times reports, but medical experts also say that a series of rapid but conservative decisions by federal officials worked out better than many had dared hope. “We did a lot of things right,” Dr. Andrew T. Pavia, chairman of the pandemic flu task force of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, told the Times.

LINK

Jan. 1, 2010, New York Times, “U.S. Reaction to Swine Flu, Apt and Lucky”

With swine flu vaccine, it’s no longer ‘old people first’

David Boraks — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 14:47:42 +0000

SOURCE: New York Times
Normal flu seasons have accustomed Americans to an “old people first” ethic, The New York Times reports. But swine flu has reversed that. It’s pregnant women and children first, and in the rush for the lifeboats, elbows are beginning to fly. See New York Times, “65? Back of the Line for the Swine Flu Vaccine, Pal.”

RELATED LINKS

Mecklenburg County Health Department website, with information about H1N1 flu and a link to schedule an appointment for an H1N1 vaccine shot.