Swine Flu: US Death Toll Crosses 5 Figure Mark

Last month we had reported that the swine flu death toll in the United States had crossed 4,000 (see news article dated 11/13/2009 Swine Flu: US Death Toll Touches 4000). This was a result of a new method being used to calculate H1N1 related fatalities. It has resulted in figures being more accurate, and thus allowing healthcare officials to know exactly what is happening, and what needs to be done at the ground level.

But now as feared, with the onset of winter, things have been getting worse. It is estimated that the death toll has crossed the 10,000 mark. There has been around 50 million individuals who have been affected with the virus, and a major chunk of these cases have been children and young adults. 200,000 people needed to be hospitalized. Out of the 10,000 deaths, a whopping 80% were younger adults, 10% children, and 10% comprises the remaining age groups. These statistics defy earlier beliefs that children and older people were more vulnerable to the virus.

Let us have a look how things have got more threatening since we last reported on this.

H1N1	By Mid-November	By Mid-December
Number of Cases	22 Million	50 Million
Hospitalizations	100,000	200,000
Fatilities	4,000	10,000
Child Fatalities	600	1,100
Young Adult Fatalities	3,000	7,900
Other Fatalities	400	1,000

Figures suggest that younger adults are being affected the most. Whether it is lifestyle, daily routine, travel, etc., which is the reason why young adults are the most affected, it needs to be analyzed. This is why authorities will be studying these figures very carefully, and all that is related to the trends. But the question is, do we have the time in our hands?