[Ludi]

Looks like about 1/100th of 1 percent mortality in the US.

http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/update.htm#statetable

[Blueberry]

From: Analysis and implications of:
"Pandemic Potential of a Strain of Influenza A (H1N1): Early Findings"
by Fraser et al. and The WHO Rapid Pandemic Assessment Collaboration. Science. May 11, 2009.

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'O')ur estimates suggest that 23,000 (range 6,000-32,000) individuals had been infected in Mexico by late April, giving an estimated case fatality ratio (CFR) of 0.4% (range 0.3% to 1.5%) based on confirmed and suspect deaths reported to that time.

[TWilliam]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Blueberry', 'I')t's possibly shaping up to be a cat 2 at this point (sciencenewsdaily) -- with a possible .4% CFR -- not exactly 1918, but not exactly "nothing to see here, folks", either.

[Blueberry]

I hope the CFR doesn't go to a cat 4 -- the confirmed cases are the tip of the proverbial iceberg due to the way testing is handled, so who knows what it is, really. I wonder if the WHO does know what it is.

For mini-doomers, only:
There is no such thing as a mild (unmitigated) pandemic
by: SusanC
from: http://www.newfluwiki2.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=1186

[Graeme]

5 Ways to Protect Yourself (and Others) from Swine Flu

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'E')xperts say that the steps you should take to shield yourself from swine flu are not much different than those you might take to ward off seasonal flu.

1. Don't touch your face
Above all, keep your hands away from your eyes, mouth and nose, all of which serve as pathways for the virus to enter your respiratory tract, says Allison Aiello, an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan School of Public Health in Ann Arbor.

2. Wash your hands
If you must touch your face, scrub your hands, getting under the fingernails and inside all crevices, for 20 to 30 seconds with hot soap and water beforehand, Aiello says. "In addition to dislodging dirt that may contain virus particles, soaps contain surfactants [the primary components of detergents] which can damage the lipid [fat] protecting virus particles," she explains. Soap should therefore be effective against all flu viruses.

[strider3700]

The first 4 recommendations are basic hygiene that everyone should have learned when little. Maybe not the hand sanitizer part since it didn't really exist when I was young. The fifth is masks.

Nothing shocking here.

[Sixstrings]

New outbreak in New York City.. 241 students at one school out sick with flu-like symptoms, 50 at another. And more ominously, an assistant principle is reportedly on the verge of death, in the hospital listed as critical.

http://www.nypost.com/seven/05142009/ne ... 169289.htm

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')esearcher claims Swine Flu may be a result of human error

[wisconsin_cur]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'A')sked if the city had let its guard down too soon, Mr. Bloomberg replied: “Most people haven’t come down with it. You’ve got to remember, we’re talking about 4,500 students here in a city of 8.4 million. It may very well be that a lot of people have it and the symptoms are so minor that they don’t even know it. That’s one of the things we’ll be studying.”

[Blueberry]

Simulation of a pandemic flu outbreak in the continental United States, initially introduced by the arrival of 10 infected individuals in Los Angeles:

http://www.lanl.gov/news/images/avianflu.shtml

from the same page:

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'w')ithout resorting to economically damaging measures like school closure, quarantine, and work or travel restrictions.

[ForlornHope]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Keith_McClary', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')esearcher claims Swine Flu may be a result of human error

[Blueberry]

Officially denied by the CDC and WHO. Must be true.

[PrairieMule]

Matt Lauer and Merideth Viera says...

[Sixstrings]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('ForlornHope', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Keith_McClary', '')$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('', 'R')esearcher claims Swine Flu may be a result of human error

[smallpoxgirl]

Interesting article.

[ForlornHope]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'O')n the other hand, hasn't our species been literally playing with fire for about 1,420,000 years now?
EDIT: correction -- that date corresponds to a hominid species earlier than our own using controlled fire

[Keith_McClary]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Sixstrings', 'h')asn't our species been literally playing with fire for about 1,420,000 years now?

[jasonraymondson]

Just wash your damn hands and clean your home from time to time and stop freaking worrying about things you can't see.

[Blueberry]

New and Improved! version for fighting the flu -- Pandemic Level 5 version (no numbers this time )

What You Can Do to Stay Healthy
Stay informed. This website will be updated regularly as information becomes available.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
Take everyday actions to stay healthy.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Follow public health advice regarding school closures, avoiding crowds and other social distancing measures.
Find healthy ways to deal with stress and anxiety.
Call 1-800-CDC-INFO for more information.

eta: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/