U.S. declares swine flu emergency

[GreatLakesGramma]

Anyway, most of them aren't in Michigan. They are internet friends from all over the country. The only one in Michigan I know of having it got it while she was in Nevada at a business convention.

[rudywoofs (Pam)]

From Reuters Health Information

U.S. Swine Flu Caseload Jumps to 65

Quote:

By Andrew Quinn

WASHINGTON (Reuters) Apr 28 - The U.S. swine flu caseload rose to 65 in six states on Tuesday as lawmakers launched emergency hearings to evaluate the government's response to what doctors warn could become a pandemic.

President Barack Obama asked Congress for $1.5 billion extra to strengthen the country's response to the outbreak.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control said on its web site that the new total included 10 cases in California, 2 in Kansas, 45 in New York, one in Ohio and 6 in Texas.

An additional case was reported by Indiana state authorities.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state of emergency over the flu outbreak, enabling rapid deployment of funds and personnel to fight the disease. Federal officials declared a national public health emergency on Sunday.

The new strain of swine flu has killed up to 149 people in Mexico, but cases seen elsewhere have been mild. One CDC official said five of the U.S. cases had required hospitalization.

The World Health Organization said on Tuesday the current outbreak could lead to only a mild pandemic but warned that even this could have serious consequences.

Worldwide, 79 cases have now been confirmed in laboratories recognized by the WHO and officially notified to the United Nations agency.

In California and Texas, authorities have ordered schools shut where students have tested positive for the swine flu virus.

New York City continued to log the most confirmed cases of infection, many at a Queens private school where the virus has sickened at least 28 students. Officials had earlier said as many as 100 students might have been sickened.

[Bravus]

It worries me that we heard 20 fatalities in Mexico, then 81, then 103, then 149, all in about 2 days... and then the numbers just stopped changing. I suspect that's not because people stopped dying but because deaths stopped being reported...

[GreatLakesGramma]

I read today that not all of the deaths in Mexico that have been reported have been confirmed to actually be the swine flu. I don't remember how many, but it was a much smaller number. So maybe that is why the number hasn't changed much.

[Joe_in_RP]

Amelia, I was not pointing my comments at you. Its the media who is trying to scare people.

Robert, 2nd Tim 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. KJV

[Dr. Shane]

Well, some of the deaths in Mexico may have been because the infected people didn't go to the doctor for help soon enough. Now with the heightened awareness those infected are getting treatment quicker.

Locally our stores are out of face masks and hand sanitizer. I really am happy that President Obama enjoyed playing golf this weekend. That is great that he can enjoy the great outdoors and all. But I sure would appreciate some hand sanitizer, face masks and Tamiflu. If it isn't too much trouble maybe he could send some supplies down to the border region.

[Bravus]

People are saying 'normal flu kills lots of people each year'. Very true. But normal flu has a fatality rate of something like 0.6%. SARS had a fatality rate around 8%, and this form of swine flu seems comparable with that. 50 million Americans get normal flu each year. If, instead, they got this swine flu, 400,000 would die. We don't know if that's going to happen, but it could. And if it did, what would all of you be saying if the media had failed to warn you and governments had failed to put plans in place?

[phkrause]

Good post bravus. It seems that people complain if we go overboard, or if they take things to lightly. Like I mentioned on another thread, we can't have it both ways.

pk

[Dr. Shane]

what would all of you be saying if the media had failed to warn you and governments had failed to put plans in place?

What would we say if our President was out playing golf and sending Air Force One to fly around the Statute of Liberty when the pandemic was breaking out?

[BobRyan]

People are saying 'normal flu kills lots of people each year'. Very true. But normal flu has a fatality rate of something like 0.6%. SARS had a fatality rate around 8%, and this form of swine flu seems comparable with that. 50 million Americans get normal flu each year. If, instead, they got this swine flu, 400,000 would die. We don't know if that's going to happen, but it could. And if it did, what would all of you be saying if the media had failed to warn you and governments had failed to put plans in place?

1. First of all - I would argue that .6% of 50 million is 300,000 you seem to be saying that 300,000 die each year in the U.S due to flu alone. 8% of 50 million is 4 million not 400,000.

2. Second I would point out that 500,000 die from the flu each year world wide. So even the normal flu is nothing to sneeze at but it makes you wonder about that 50million "with normal flu" in the U.S alone, and .6% fatality number above.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/462190/it_is_estimated_up_to_500000_people.html?cat=70

3. Third - I don't know of any plans that this administration has created in all of this. Everything that has been happening so far is based on contigency plans already put in place by previous administrations. However to the extent that this administration pays attention to it's duty -- I am very grateful.

[Woody]

Originally Posted By: Bravus

what would all of you be saying if the media had failed to warn you and governments had failed to put plans in place?

What would we say if our President was out playing golf and sending Air Force One to fly around the Statute of Liberty when the pandemic was breaking out?

Yes. Good Point . I have noticed that the President is very busy out there getting his photo taken.

[Bravus]

3. Ack, politics? Really? I recycled this from a post on an Australian motorcycle forum, so I certainly wasn't blowing any trumpets for any particular government.

2. That number makes sense.

1. You're correct, I made the fatal error of working from memory. Here's what I should have said:

Disease, infections, fatalities, fatality rate

SARS (worldwide), 8,096, 774, 9.6%

General flu (U.S.) yearly average, 50 million, 36,000, .08%

Swine flu (worldwide) "confirmed" as of 4/29/2009, 273, 153, 2.6%

You will notice that the swine flu numbers do not add up correctly, because they keep changing, and the 2.6% figure is based on the 2000 or so suspected infections identified so far. It is also early days with many people still to recover (we hope) or die, so the fatality figure for swine flu is almost useless, and almost certainly too conservative.

So on those numbers, yearly US flu deaths are 36,000. The US has about 5% of the world's population so scaling that up would give 720,000 per year worldwide, which is at least of the same order of magnitude as your 500,000.

Assuming the 2.6% figure for the swine flu fatalities was right, the correct number for the US would be 1.3 million, based on 50 million infections. So actually *worse* than my flawed calculations suggested.

[phkrause]

Well what would we say? I know I'd be upset just like the president was!

pk

[Stan]

How many of us go to the MD when we have the flu and get blood work done?

I either let it run it's course or just get what ever everyone else is getting. I don't remember getting blood work done for a while, to see what kind of flu I have.

[Woody]

No Americans have died from the swine flu. I expect this to blow over soon.

[Stan]

One has in Texas..

[Woody]

That death was a Mexican.

[Stan]

I was just going to say that.. just read it.

[phkrause]

I know I don't waste my time going to the doctor unless I'm dying.

pk

[Woody]

If you're dying ... why go see a doctor?

[Woody]

It might be better to stop by the funeral home and make preparations.

[phkrause]

I think redwood that makes alot of sense. hahahahaha

pk

[Stan]

That death was a Mexican.

Somehow you come across, as if they are less important people. Maybe someone else can explain that, or am I the only one who senses that?

[Woody]

Well Mr. Stan. Not sure how you can get in my brain with what was said.

I said "No Americans have died from the swine flu. I expect this to blow over soon."

You said "One has in Texas.." (Implying that an American had died.)

I corrected you stating ... "That death was a Mexican."

Then you state "Somehow you come across, as if they are less important people."

Mr. Stan ... can you explain how correcting the record for accuracy comes across as thinking a Mexican is less important.

Sounds like Mr. Stan has an agenda here. Obviously many Mexicans have died. The issue is that for some reason ... no Americans have died so far. Having just heard this on the news ... I reported it here. No agenda of hate. The agenda of hate and judgment appears to be your's.

I've noticed this about liberals. They try to pit one group against another. It is a fabrication of hate.

[Dr. Shane]

No Americans have died from the swine flu. I expect this to blow over soon.