Swine Flu Now 30 States, 226 Cases: CDC

ATLANTA — U.S health officials say there are now 226 confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States.

The tally released Sunday by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention also shows 30 states now have cases of swine flu. That's up from the CDC's count of 160 confirmed cases in 21 states.

CDC officials say the increase in part reflects catching up on a backlog of tests. But it also shows that swine flu is fairly widespread in the U.S. They say the 30 people hospitalized so far have been mostly older children and young adults.

On the Sunday talk shows, health officials were cautiously optimistic that the new swine flu isn't as dangerous as first feared. But they urged people to keep taking precautions.

Comments

[TazoWolf]

Decent Q&A about Swine flu here, backing up words with scientific explanations people can understand to dispel some fears and explain where the real concerns lie. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ma7IeWRH7y0

[nicholasjh1]

It's finally happened. Swine Flew

[MomfromTexas]

Yeah, it was on the news this morning. We have thirty-five possible cases in my county alone that have been sent to the CDC. It takes about four days to hear the results. I predict that the local school districts will be shutting schools by the end of the week. My son will be thrilled.

[MomfromTexas]

It's spreading where I live. More schools are closing everyday. I think we're up to eighteen schools? One school has five suspected cases. I've a feeling that in the end, Texas will be hit hard by this. The CDC has set up a regional lab in Houston.

[SmallChange]

So will your governor still want to seceed from the union before he gets flu aid money?

[MomfromTexas]

:) Funny thing, but I haven't heard him talking about seceeding for a couple weeks. In fact, I haven't heard him saying much of anything, just like he never said much of anything before President Obama was elected. We used to wonder where he was. Who knows? Maybe, he's gone back into hiding, like he used to in the good old days.

[MomfromTexas]

When he decides he needs aide, that's a whole different story:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6123608.html

[TXfemmom]

As long as this thing doesn't mutate over the summer, it may well be highly manageable in the fall, with a vaccine. The vaccine makers, however, better make three times as much vaccine as they normally do.

[Thefamilyvan]

It would stand to reason that if there are 226 known cases, there are probably 5x as many that are UNKNOWN. I'm sure it's more widespread than the media and government has said. So many people, DON'T go to the doctor when they are sick.

[nicholasjh1]

I usually don't. It's a waste of resources from all sides most times. It's too bad that most people can't tell when the actually need to go to the hospital.

[GlobalOne]

The latest analysis at New Scientist is that this Flu has a low infection rate compared to standard flu.

And the fatality rate so far based on known cases is so far less than 1%.

So far it looks like a normal flu with a lower than normal transmission rate. But this awaits more data and analysis. It certainly doesn't deserve the wide spread panic created by some segments of the media.

New Scientist
" A mathematical model permits the calculation of an important variable called R0 – the number of additional people infected, on average, by each case. If R0 is less than one, an infection dies out.

Grassly also cautions that the estimate is very preliminary. But with the data available now, he gets an R0 of 1.16 – enough for the virus to keep going, but only just."

[One State Solution]

Is this flu going to be one of the mildest on record?

[TXfemmom]

Had this flu not occurred so late in the spring, it could have well been a much larger problem. This flu season was one that was very light indeed, prior to this.

[robcor2]

it is only spring in the Northern Hemisphere. Winter is right around the corner in many third world countries.

[nicholasjh1]

I don't know.. I'm pretty sure I caught this back in February. Shivers, diarhea snot and coughing followed by lung congestion. It wasn't my favorite thing that's for sure.

[kaaramel]

(4)

- You should avoid going to the ER if you think you have been exposed or
are symptomatic. ER's south of here are becoming overwhelmed -- and I mean
that -- already. It is coming in waves, but the waves are getting bigger.
- It appears that this flu produces a distinctive "hoarseness" in many
victims. The symptoms, in general, match other flu's; namely, sore throat,
body aches, headache, cough, and fever. Some have all these symptoms, while
others may have only one or two.
- N-Acetyl-Cysteine -- a nutritional supplement available at the health
food store or Wimberley Pharmacy, has been shown to prevent or lessen the
severity of influenza. I suggest 1200mg, twice a day for adults, and 600mg
twice a day in kids over 12. It would be hard to get kids under 12 to take
it, but you could try opening the capsules and putting it on yogurt. For 40
pounds and up, 300-600 mg twice a day, for less than 40 pounds, half that.
- Oscillococinum, a homeopathic remedy, has been vindicated as quite
effective in a large clinical trial in Europe, with an H1N1 variant. You can
buy this at Hill Country Natural Foods, or the Wimberley Pharmacy.

I will try to keep everyone posted if I have any new information.
Meanwhile, don't be afraid just avoid infection. The fewer people infected
the easier it will be for our public officials to manage it."

[aweissnet]

Thanks for the info. I take NAC. Let's not let the FDA or the Corporation hear that it helps. They'll pull it off the shelves, so Big Pharma can push their ineffective and dangerous meds on us, instead.

[kaaramel]

Where do you buy it?

[kaaramel]

(3)

- There are 10-25 times more actual cases (not "possible" cases --
actual), than what is being reported in the media. The way they fudge on
reporting this is that it takes 3 days to get the confirmatory nod from the
CDC on a given viral culture, but based on epidemiological grounds, we know
that there are more than 10 cases for each "confirmed" case right now.
- During the night, we crossed the threshold for the definition of a
WHO, Phase 6 global pandemic. This has not happened in any of our lifetimes
so far. We are in uncharted territory.
- I expect President Obama will declare an emergency sometime in the
next 72-96 hours. This may not happen, but if it doesn't, I will be
surprised. When this happens, all public gathering will be cancelled for 10
days.
- I suggest all of us avoid public gatherings. Outdoor activities are
not as likely to lead to infection. It is contained areas and close contact
that are the biggest risk.
- Tamiflu is running out. There is a national stockpile, but it will
have to be carefully managed, as it is not enough to treat the likely number
of infections when this is full-blown. I don't think there is a big supply
of Relenza, but I do not know those numbers. If I had to choose, I would
take Relenza, as I think it gets more drug to the affected tissue than
Tamiflu.

[nicholasjh1]

They shouldn't be passing out the Tamiflu. If this actually becomes dangerous we'll all be dead because we've used it up.

[kaaramel]

cont'd

This is the number of people who show symptoms. This is a
huge number. It is hard to convey the seriousness of this.
- The virulence (deadliness) of this virus is as bad here as in Mexico,
and there are folks on ventilators here in the US, right now. This has not
been in the media, but a 23 month old near here is fighting for his life,
and a pregnant woman just south of San Antonio is fighting for her life. In
Mexico, these folks might have died already, but here in the US, folks are
getting Tamiflu or Relenza quickly, and we have ready access to ventilators.
What this means is that within a couple of weeks, regional hospitals will
likely become overwhelmed.
- Some of the kids with positive cases in Comal County had more than 70
contacts before diagnosis.

[weatherwaxx]

"Here" - where are you, anyway?

From what authority do you speak?

I'm not trying to invalidate you, but your statements are pretty vague and alarmist. I'm perfectly willing to believe that things are worse than we're being told, but no one else I know, anywhere - and I know folks who work in hospitals - is seeing this same thing.

[kaaramel]

From a correspondence I received:

A friend of ours is a Dr. down in the San Marcos/NB area and sent this
out. I felt it contained some insightful stuff not seen on the news.
Eric is a very intelligent and "with it" guy, he worked as a botanist
for Pfizer in South America...then decided to become a Dr.

I hope it helps answer some questions and it does have some good
suggestions for alternative medications etc.

"After I returned from a public health meeting yesterday with community
leaders and school officials in Comal County, Heather suggested I send an
update to everyone, because what we are hearing privately from the CDC and
Health Department is so different from what you are hearing in the media.
Some of you know some or maybe all of this, but I will just list what facts
I know.

- The virus is infectious for about 2 days prior to symptom onset
- Virus sheds more than 7 days after symptom onset (possibly as long as
9 days) (this is unusual)
- Since it is such a novel (new) virus, there is no "herd immunity," so
the "attack rate" is very high. This is the percentage of people who come
down with a virus if exposed. Almost everyone who is exposed to this virus
will become infected, though not all will be symptomatc. That is much higher
than seasonal flu, which averages 10-15%. The "clinical attack rate" may be
around 40-50%.

[aweissnet]

How is this something that we didn't know, or anything that we needed to know?

[kaaramel]

You answer those questions. I provide info., you come to conclusions.

[MomfromTexas]

Interesting. I noticed you said "down in the San Marcos/NB area." New Braunfels? Are you in Texas? North of the hill country? If so, do you have many cases there?

[aweissnet]

Why is this still in the news? Glad it made it's way out of the headlines, at least.

[AngieMom57]

It is probably best to keep track of your state and community especially if you have children, yet it is nice that the panic of last week has subsided.

[noneIn2008]

No need to waste a crisis, even if we must fabricate one. This flu is a run of the mill virus. But, the Fed seize every opportunity to scare the masses and add government programs. WHO and the sky is falling scientists will loose credibility as they continue to hawk these fabricated crises. The people are starting to become numb to the constant onslaught of one "end of the earth" crisis after another.

[weatherwaxx]

The first we heard of it, people were dying in Mexico.

No, this is not as serious as it might be; apparently early treatment and possibly vaccination against other types of flu have reduced the severity in many cases.

We don't yet know if this will get worse.

Yes, people have crisis fatigue after 8 years of fabricated 'alerts' every time bush came under criticism.

That does not mean that this could not have been a very serious affair. Flu mutates. We still don't know exactly what's going to happen.

[sheilaofmiami]

It's the flu, not a nuclear bomb. People will not be dying in the streets.

After listening the local news in Miami, 3 cases, oh the panic.

I have never seen schools closed for ordinary, (we don't know cause we didn't go to the CDC with it) flu.

But now, 2 schools in Dade and 1 in Broward are closed for single cases of flu. Ok the Dade kid gave it to her dad, HOW HORRIFYING.

My kids have given me almost all the viruses I have had for the past 18 years. The rest came from my husband's work, or my dog training jobs.

I don't care to be sick, but I am now, flu? I don't know, never got checked, I'm getting better anyway. 6 days.

[aweissnet]

I got sick last week, after a visit to the doc. They forced me in for a "check-up" in order to phone in a prescription I routinely have been getting. After going to the doc, I became ill. Then my kid got sick. Sinus, respiratory, sore throat, intestinal distress. Think it might have been flu-ey. Probly swine, I'm thinking.

Moral of the story: Stay away from the doctor. They make you ill.

[sheilaofmiami]

Oh man!!! Getting the flu FROM the doctor. You should call and get the Dr on the phone and tell him you don't want to get the checkup again, without being sure something has changed, as long as there are sick people in his office!!!!!

MAN!

[CatladyLinda]

How do you know you got it at your doctor's office? Were you completely isolated from other people except for that visit? Are you sure you didn't get exposed at work, the grocery store, church, or wherever else you may have gone during that week? The incubation period is fairly long. It seems unfair to your doctor to assume that his office was the only place you could have been exposed. And, just out of curiosity, how does a doctor force you in for a check up? If you were concerned about exposure to the flu, couldn't you have discussed that with him over the phone, and requested that he fill your prescription now and then make an appointment for a check up after the flu fears have subsided? If my doctor was too unreasonable to respond to a request like that, I would change doctors.