Worldwide there is a deep concern over the number of people infected with the global outbreak of H1n1 virus, commonly known as swine flu – a blend of bird, human and pig flu genes. There have been 3,065 hospitalizations and 127 deaths recorded.
However, an estimated 15 million to 60 million Americans are infected with the seasonal flu each year, and around 36,000 deaths. Common flu is classed as endemic – with seasonal epidemic recurrences. In the United States alone it is estimated that common flu results in
- 3 million days hospitalization,
- 30 million outpatient visits
- medical costs of $10 billion annually
- $15 billion lost earnings annually
- Total economic burden over $80 billion annually
Compared to the annual influenza epidemics, the effect of H1n1 is mild. Starting in Mexico, there has now been an estimated 1 million people infected in America alone by the swine flu. However, for the most part the illness is mild and the patients quickly recover, according to the U.S. health officials.
Lyn Finelli, a flu surveillance official from the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention said, “The estimate of 1 million victims is based on mathematical modeling”.
Symptoms of the H1n1 are similar to the regular flu. Severe symptoms of swine flu are
- trouble breathing,
- pain in chest or abdomen,
- recurring fever with rash,
- confusion,
- severe or consistent vomiting.
Swine flu has been officially called a pandemic – an epidemic of a new infectious disease that spreads through humans across a large region, to which there is little or no immunity. A widespread endemic disease that is stable in terms of how many people are falling sick, as in the common flu, is not classed as a pandemic.
The World Health Organization raised the level from phase 5 to phase 6 (more than three regions affected with the disease) on the 11th June. The last level of phase 6 was the Hong Kong flu of 1968, which killed around 1 million people.
However WHO states the severity of the swine influenza pandemic to be moderate, but the full clinical spectrum of the disease is as yet unknown. The major concern has been the number of young healthy people, with no pre-existing medical conditions, who have died from the virus.
The greatest fear is that the virus will mutate, there will be underlying conditions that will increase the effect of the virus and that health systems may not be able to cope.
WHO is not recommending travel restrictions, nor does WHO have any evidence that there is a danger in eating pork products.
Dr Ira Longini, from Vaccine and Infectious Disease institute, Hutchinson Research Centre in Seattle, Washington, says “Things such as ’social distancing’, (including wearing masks in crowded places) and seeking medical treatment can reduce the sickness by nearly two-thirds”.
Perhaps more notice should be given to the effects of the ordinary everyday variety of flu, which is the true killer lurking in our neighbourhood.
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Tags: deaths from common flu, effects of common flu, health, killer flu, millionth victim from swine flu, swine flu pandemic, world health organization phase 6, worldwide pandemic
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June 29th, 2009 at 12:31 am
Swine Flu Reaches 1 Millionth Victim In USA…
Media headlines shriek that 1 million people have been infected with swine flu? What about the normal flu with its 15 million victims….