Swine Flu Suspected in Thousands, With ‘Less Severe’ Illness

[I'm only going to give excerpts to the very contradictory statements in this article...the whole situation is becoming very mixed. Might move to Phase 6, but as stated in the previous post, it appears to be as contagious as the average seasonal flu, and they did not find the genes that made the 1918 pandemic so deadly.]

Last Updated: May 1, 2009 15:35 EDT
By Tom Randall
Excerpts:

Geneva-based WHO raised the six-tier pandemic alert to 5 on April 29 and may move soon to the highest level, declaring the world’s first influenza pandemic since 1968. WHO urged countries to make final preparations against the disease, formally called H1N1. While initial cases have been similar to seasonal flu, the new strain may flash across the globe, preying on a population with no natural immunity, said the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
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“We need to prepare for the long term,” President Barack Obama said today in Washington. “Even if it turns out that the H1N1 is relatively mild on the front end, it could come back in a more virulent form during the actual flu season.”
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New York health officials will test for swine flu only in patients with a severe illness or where there may be a cluster of cases, said the New York City health commissioner, Thomas Frieden, at a news conference today. All of the 49 confirmed cases and more than 1,000 likely infected New Yorkers have had mild symptoms similar to those of seasonal flu, he said.
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“There are some genetic tests that have shown the virus we’re dealing with right now does not have the factors that we think made the 1918 virus so bad,” said Julie Gerberding, former head of the CDC, in an interview today on ABC News. “But we have to be careful not to overrely on that information, because these flu viruses always evolve.”
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The U.S. will spend $251 million to buy 13 million courses of antiviral treatments to replenish its stockpile, said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.

Jose Cordova, the health minister in Mexico, said yesterday the number of H1N1 flu cases confirmed by laboratory tests climbed to 312 from 260, and the death toll remained at 12. Deaths from the virus will probably rise, he said.
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Seasonal Strains

The three main seasonal flu strains -- H3N2, H1N1 and type- B -- cause 250,000 to 500,000 deaths a year globally, according to WHO. The new flu’s symptoms are similar, including fever and coughing, nausea and vomiting, according to the CDC. It appears to be causing more diarrhea than seasonal flu, WHO said.
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