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U.S. health officials troubled by new flu pattern

Triad

Triad

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The new influenza strain circulating around most of the United States is putting a worrying number of young adults and children into the hospital and hitting more schools than usual, U.S. health officials said on Monday.

The H1N1 swine flu virus killed a vice principal at a New York City school over the weekend and has spread to 48 states. While it appears to be mild, it is affecting a disproportionate number of children, teenagers and young adults.

This includes people needing hospitalization -- now up to 200, said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"That's very unusual, to have so many people under 20 to require hospitalization, and some of them in (intensive care units)," Schuchat told reporters in a telephone briefing.

"We are now experiencing levels of influenza-like illness that are higher than usual for this time of year," Schuchat added. "We are also seeing outbreaks in schools, which is extremely unusual for this time of year."

New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Frieden agreed with Schuchat.

"We're seeing increasing numbers of people going to emergency departments saying they have fever and flu, particularly young people in the 5 to 17 age group, " Frieden, who has been named by U.S. President Barack Obama as the new CDC director, told a news conference.

About half of all cases of influenza are being diagnosed as the new H1N1 strain, while the rest are influenza B, or the seasonal H1N1 and H3N2 strains. Flu season in the United States is usually almost over by May.

CDC officials say around 100,000 people are likely infected with the new flu strain in the United States and Schuchat said the 5,123 confirmed and probable cases and six deaths in the United States were "the tip of the iceberg.
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U.S. health officials troubled by new flu pattern | U.S. | Reuters
 
The media has painted itself in a corner, and is now compelled to report every death from the H1N1 virus. In a normal year, 36,000 people die from the flu. That (conveniently) comes out to 100 every day. And it isn't reported at all. Do you think maybe the press is sorry they made such a big deal of this?

Just noticing the ad on top of this page:
Will You Die From Swine?
Thousands Have Died. WIll You Be Next? Learn How To Protect Yourself
Click to expand...

Thousands? Really? Where?
 
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WillRockwell said:
The media has painted itself in a corner, and is now compelled to report every death from the H1N1 virus. In a normal year, 36,000 people die from the flu. That (conveniently) comes out to 100 every day. And it isn't reported at all. Do you think maybe the press is sorry they made such a big deal of this?

Just noticing the ad on top of this page:


Thousands? Really? Where?
Click to expand...
It seems that we agree. Rare, but sometimes these things happen. ;)
 
I agree. Too much is being made of this in the media. WilRoc is correct. 36,000 unreported flu death's a year. They say it will be back this winter in even a more deadly strain. But they'll likely have a vaccine by then. Just a distraction issue IMO.
 
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