Is Swine Flu Ebbing?
EmailWell, it just might be. Our ABC News medical unit has been calling around to hospitals across the country…some 3 dozen in all…and are finding that the worst may be behind us.
Remember that hospital in Austin, Texas – Dell’s Medical Center — that was using special tents to handle the crush of parents and children coming in with flulike symptoms? Those tents have been taken down, the crush has eased.
The CDC says cases overall are down for the past two weeks. All of this comes with a big caveat. The public health community says history shows us that swine flu can ease and then rear back up later. And the CDC continues to highly encourage people (most especially in the high risk groups) to get vaccinated as soon as is possible.
But you will recall those dire, worst case scenarios that were outlined back in August. It was believed then that half of the US population MIGHT come down with Swine Flu and that as many as 90,000 deaths COULD result. Thankfully that worst case scenario – thus far – is proving to be overblown.
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“Thankfully that worst case scenario — thus far — is proving to be overblown.”
Is this intern day? The “worst case scenario” is pretty much overblown by definition.
Posted by: jhw539 | November 20, 2009, 2:46 pm 2:46 pm
Got my elderberry. I am ready for it. Bring it on!
Posted by: Huh | November 20, 2009, 3:27 pm 3:27 pm
Charlie,
I’ve loved you since 2003 when I saw you on GMA. I’m gonna miss you in Jan. too.
Posted by: winnie wolf | November 20, 2009, 3:34 pm 3:34 pm
I think the governments just oversold the case to try to get some stimulus to big pharma and healthcare industry. And because it sets up a nice control grid and gets people used to ideas of government agencies “taking charge” and “saving us”. Sort of a psychological operation and/or a test of the system in case something REALLY bad comes down the pike.
But what about the outbreaks of something (maybe something new, maybe a new strain of flu) in Eastern Europe and now Norway? It is not being reported much but, apparently, is very virulent.
Posted by: Ed | November 20, 2009, 5:45 pm 5:45 pm
Ed’s comments on the CDC pushing Swine Flu to get stimulus money for itself and for pharma/healthcare industry is dead-on correct. Between the CDC and the media, this little virus has been hyped into a monster when it is nothing more than a mild seasonal flu. And of course the CDC CAN NOT GET ITS NUMBERS RIGHT on how many have been sick or died from this virus. Note they UPPED the numbers of sick/dead recently because this virus was mild and NOT the plague they had expected (WANTED). And yet again, the CDC has messed up and have used this virus to get more money out of the Feds. The CDC needs to have a top down house cleaning NOW. Something is terribly wrong with this agency. According to insiders, there has been a massive loss of the top researchers. Moral is in the toilet and there are constant complaints about management, etc. Congress is also very unhappy about the enormous amounts of money wasted on the new CDC buildings and the non-essential/super wasteful things that are IN those buildings. Also, another $300 million plus will be spent on yet more buildings – but with NO Labs, just office space. Can someone please tell me what exactly the CDC does except exist to provide people with jobs???????
“I think the governments just oversold the case to try to get some stimulus to big pharma and healthcare industry. And because it sets up a nice control grid and gets people used to ideas of government agencies “taking charge” and “saving us”. Sort of a psychological operation and/or a test of the system in case something REALLY bad comes down the pike.
But what about the outbreaks of something (maybe something new, maybe a new strain of flu) in Eastern Europe and now Norway? It is not being reported much but, apparently, is very virulent. Posted by: Ed | Nov 20, 2009 5:45:08 PM
Posted by: sharon | November 21, 2009, 6:21 am 6:21 am
I do not see the flu as that big of deal. I have never had a flu shot. I eat healthy and live healthy. I am concerned about the adjuvants put in flu shots. I am concerned that while not life threatening, they cause health problems in the long run. Also, it seems more evidence appears all the time that trying to avoid all sickness and germs just leads to more autoimmune issues. So getting sick occasionally is good for your immune system.
Posted by: R Johnson | November 21, 2009, 9:44 am 9:44 am
I had the flu in 1968, which it seems was a virulent strain: bedridden for a week around Thanksgiving. I don’t know if that has given me some immunity against H1N1 but they say people above 65 (and I am 72) are disproportionately unaffected by it. In any case I got my “swine flu” shot four days ago (and no catastrophe has followed).
Posted by: Candadai Tirumalai | November 21, 2009, 10:03 am 10:03 am