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Bull Flu

The CDC stated in 2003, “Using new and improved statistical models, CDC scientists estimate that an average of 36,000 people (up from 20,000 in previous estimates) die from influenza-related complications each year in the United States.”
Since the flu is somewhat seasonal, this implies a peak death rate of well over 100 per day.
From a press briefing yesterday: “The World’s Health Organization earlier today was reporting 898 cases in 18 countries. I like to each day put this in context with seasonal flu. With seasonal flu, we see in the United States over 30 million cases. We see 200,000 hospitalizations and, on average, 36,000 deaths.”
There’s no evidence that this strain is any more contagious than normal. It seems to me the only thing that differs is that this strain has gotten a strange name. Would it be so frightening if it were never named, just left with the H1N1 designation? I refer to this as the bull flu because it hit the press just as the market appeared to be gaining a bit of upward momentum. Months from now, it will have been yet another panic over nothing. Remember Y2K?
Joe

{ 3 comments… add one }
  • Augustine May 5, 2009, 11:33 am

    All viral infections have a fatality rate of 0.1%. H1N1 was not different from winter flu. Yet, it seems that government agencies, which let TB, an illness which’s had a cure for over a century, to become one of the top 10 leading causes of death in the 21st century, must pretend to be doing something in order to aggrandize their importance and cover up their incompetence.

  • Carl May 6, 2009, 9:41 pm

    Bull flu? Hahahaha… What’s next? Dog flu? Oy. We are all gonna die.

  • Jill May 6, 2009, 11:49 pm

    Hi Joe

    This hasn’t stopped the UK government where I am sending round a booklet to every household titled “Important Information about Swine Flu” They really seem to want to make a fuss about this particular brand of flu. Glad you have put things in perspective here.

    Bye for Now
    Jill

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