Bad Flu and Underlying Medical Conditions

[indigo girl]

The results for EIP data collected between April 15, 2009 (when the first swine flu cases in the US were detected) and February 16, 2010 and show that 85% of adults hospitalized with 2009 pandemic H1N1 flu and 58% of children had underlying medical conditions. This means that 1 in 7 flu hospitalizations were healthy adults but almost half of all children. The idea that the only kids who went sour with flu were the chronically ill is unfounded. And for both adults and children the most common "underlying medical condition" is quite common: asthma. We're not talking about uncontrolled ashtma. Just having asthma and having it mentioned in the medical record is enough to put you in the "underlying medical condition" category. And 9% of the hospitalizations were pregnant women.

WHO has not declared the end of the pandemic, since community transmission is still occurring in West Africa and perhaps elsewhere. Moreover the flu season will be ramping up again in the Southern hemisphere and no one really knows what form it will take. We are in uncharted territory in many ways.

So far there has been no third wave nor any sign of the former seasonal influenza strains. Let's hope that's the way it will stay, at least for this winter-spring season. If it does, that will be good but we won't know why it came out that way. Just that it did.

Full commentary at: http://scienceblogs.com/effectmeasure/2010/02/bad_flu_and_underlying_medical.php

The Editors of Effect Measure are senior public health scientists and practitioners. Paul Revere was a member of the first local Board of Health in the United States (Boston, 1799). The Editors sign their posts "Revere" to recognize the public service of a professional forerunner better known for other things.