Turkey Flu
Swine’s aloft! Less than a week from now, the biggest travel day of the year. Moms, dads, kids and grandparents, packing into planes, SUVs, minivans and trains to fly and drive in from all over the place and pig out together, then flying and driving home … just as the swine flu hits a historic high. Boston Herald:
Weeks before its predicted peak, the swine flu pandemic already has hit a historic high in the Bay State, with one hospital unit reporting a third of its nurses felled by the raging virus and a local health official warning that the Thanksgiving holiday could only accelerate the outbreak.
Turkey day could be “a recipe for viral transmission,” said Frank Singleton, Lowell’s public health chief. “We may have a really bad week.”
…
Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control show flu activity nationwide is “substantially above historic levels in all U.S. surveillance systems.” WebMD.com reports HINI has already killed perhaps as many as 6,000 Americans.
The CDC estimated some 22 million Americans came down with swine flu by Oct. 17, and some 98,000 were hospitalized. The feds said the number of flu patients seeking medical attention was higher in September and October than in the peak of any flu season since record-keeping began in 1977.
Meanwhile, swine flu vaccines have only recently become available at local hospitals and health clinics. Nationwide, only about 44 million doses have been shipped, about one third of the amount officials had originally predicted.
Some epidemiologists believe the outbreak is peaking – but no one can be sure it won’t get worse.
“We thought that once before and we weren’t right,” said Harvard School of Public Health epidemiologist Marc Lipsitch, adding, “There is a real possibility of a second wave this winter.”
I’m not an epidemiologist, but I’m happy to play one on this blog. I predict Thanksgiving will give it a boost … just in time for Christmas. (Remember to practice social distancing at midnight on New Years Eve.)
Here’s the CDC travel advisory for people going to places where swine flu is prevalent … which is pretty much everywhere, these days. Didn’t notice “don’t go” on the list. Doesn’t say “get the swine flu vaccination,” but obliquely advises being up to date on vaccinations and quaintly recommends ”seasonal flu” vaccination, “when available.”
Topics: medicine
Posted by Jules Crittenden at 11:52 am Comments (0) on Friday, November 20, 2009
Leave a Reply
Trackback URLYou must be logged in to post a comment.
