CDC: 1 in 5 Kids Had Flu-Like Illness This Month (most likely were swine flu)

[Elmore Furth]

Source: Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) -- About 1 in 5 U.S. children had a flu-like illness earlier this month -- and most of those cases likely were swine flu, according to a new government health survey. About 7 percent of surveyed adults said they'd had a flu-like illness, the survey found.

The information comes from a household survey of more than 14,000 adults done in the first 11 days of October. The adults were asked if they had a fever or other flu-like symptoms in the past week; a smaller number were asked about their children.

Swine flu is widespread throughout the country, and the virus is causing more illness now that it has at any time since it was first identified in April. In people ages 5 to 64, there have been as many flu-related hospitalizations in the last six weeks as there usually are in an entire flu season, said Lyn Finelli, a CDC flu surveillance official.

Also, the number of swine flu deaths in children since the start of September roughly equals the number in the first four months of the pandemic, Finelli said.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/10/22/health/AP-US-MED-Swine-Flu.html

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Get the vaccination or get the flu seems to the the choice with the flu pandemic working it's way around.

[uppityperson]

1. Shots are only out for 1st responders so far, waiting here.

Don't know if the injectable vx will get here soon enough for me. I can't do the nasal one.

[Heddi]

10. my hospital doesn't have them yet, and when we do get them

if all they have available is the nasal, we'll have to stay out of work for 5 days after we get the nasal vax (that's the word on the street and through the gossip vines at work, nothing official from the hospital itself). Last night in the ER we had 7 people that had Swine Flu. They are only testing a small number of them, just those with really severe symptoms that are respiratory or otherwise compromised. Everyone else is getting a Rx for motrin, fluids, stay home, wash your hands, wear a mask.

[stray cat]

2. If you or a loved one is on the wrong side of the percentage of deaths a percent is small

consolation

[northernlights]

3. how is getting the vax a choice when there was never enough planned to go around

and production is behind the very rosy plans?

Elderberry (sambucol) contains clinically proven anti-viral and immune boosting chemical compounds. So there are other options.

[RayOfHope]

4. I believe it. I teach kindergarten, and 11 out of my 20 kids have missed quite a bit of school

in the past month. I've had 5 kids that had fevers for a week or more.

[MorningGlow]

5. Curious

This article really doesn't explain the reasoning behind the conclusion. Shoddy reporting (likely a rush-job to get the story out first)--I would like more details. My son is recovering from a fever and vomiting that started late Tuesday night, but what makes it even possible that it was swine flu vs. seasonal flu vs. some random virus? :shrug:

[sandnsea]

6. Does it really matter?

Hoards of people are getting sick. They know that a large number of people have swine flu because they test for it when they get to the hospital. It's reasonable to conclude some people who haven't been tested also have swine flu.

So people should get a vaccine if they haven't gotten sick yet.

[eagertolearn]

7. It's supposedly too early for the seasonal flu so thats why they figure

it is the swine. Plus when they do test most are coming out as the swine flu.

[Elmore Furth]

12. The secondary attack rate is twice as high for the swine flu as seasonal flu

The h1n1 flu is spreading faster than the normal seasonal flu, at least in part, because the majority of the population has no prior exposure and thus no "herd" immunity to the h1n1 flu.

http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:22339733~pagePK:34370~piPK:34424~theSitePK:4607,00.html

ATLANTA, Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Initial cases of H1N1 show the infectiousness of the pandemic influenza virus may be similar to that of seasonal influenza, U.S. health officials say.

Only one small retrospective study has reported a 30 percent secondary attack rate for laboratory-confirmed pandemic influenza A H1N1 among tourists to China, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Mortality and Morbidity Weekly Report said Thursday.

Investigations into the initial cases of H1N1 in Kenya in June and July showed an overall laboratory-confirmed secondary attack rate of 26 percent in households, which is similar to rates reported previously for seasonal influenza.

This measure of the frequency of new cases disease arising through contact with infected persons, which is known as the secondary attack rate, was believed higher for H1N1 flu than for seasonal influenza. The typical secondary attack rate of seasonal influenza is between 5 percent and 15 percent.

[neverforget]

8. My daughter who is 5 just got over it. She had it for a week with a fever

of about 101 for most of that time. A lot of friends who have kids are seeing the same thing too.

[emmadoggy]

9. My daughter had it late last week and over the weekend. My son got it on Saturday

and has missed this whole week of school. He will be home tomorrow (Friday) as well. He hasn't been in really bad shape - just that stupid fever that can't be kicked (he was over 103 for a couple days. 101-102 since then). Really runny nose and a cough too. My daughter had a milder case and once her fever left, the rest left quickly as well. My son's fever was finally down in the 100 to 100.5 range today so he's hopefully coming towards the end. Hoping he improves quickly over the weekend. I've now used up half my sick days to be home with him and we still have the whole rest of winter to get through!

By the way, on Monday, my daughter's teacher said she was missing 10 kids from her class. I work as an associate and the teacher I work with said that yesterday, our class was missing 7 kids (out of 18). It's rampant.

[conflictgirl]

11. My kids have had it this week too

My 6 year old is just going back to school tomorrow after being out since Monday. My two older kids will still be out tomorrow, I'm hoping they will be well enough to go back Monday. I missed this whole week of work. I am very fortunate to have a lot of sick time available - I never take it for granted because it's the first job either my husband or I have ever had like this, and his job has very limited sick time, so there's no question that when the kids are sick I'm staying home.

My oldest seemed like he was getting better yesterday and thought he was on the mend, but then was much worse when he woke up today so I hope that's not a bad sign.

[Posteritatis]

13. A school here in Nova Scotia has 20% of its student body out sick right now. (nt)