The Center for Disease Control has models reportedly showing the H1N1 wine Flu has infected over 1 million people in the U.S. this year. The number of deaths has been well below expected levels.
The H1N1 Swine Flu has passed the threshold to be considered a worldwide pandemic. Politics are in play. A pandemic (level 6) declaration can be economically devastating to an already fragile world economy.Mexico all but stated the flu was gone after massive losses to the tourism industry. At this point the H1N1 Flu is a relatively mild form of influenza but pandemic declarations are based on geographic spread, not on severity. No one wants to be a flu country. Practically speaking, travel to Mexico isn’t much different than anywhere else as the numbers mount throughout the world. No politicians want what we have, a flu pandemic. So now the World Health Organization will undoubtedly find a way to redefine pandemic. Think about how pointless the colored terror threat levels have become.
Education instead of obfuscation is the better way. Yes we have a pandemic but it is mild. Give the public a little credit for not being as gullible as we are made out to be. And the mild character could change in the future. An interesting poll would be what percentage of Americans know the current threat assessment level. What percentage would know the pandemic level assessment? Call a pandemic a pandemic and educate people on prevention. Perception management has no place in the public health arena. Education does.
FYI:
Current Threat Level
June 2, 2009
- The United States government’s national threat level is Elevated, or Yellow.
- For all domestic and international flights, the U.S. threat level is High, or Orange.
- The Current HiN1 Flu is Level 5
- Hand Washing and staying 5-6 feet away from coughing people makes you very safe
- Odds of being killed in a terrorist attack-about 1 in ten million
| States* | Confirmed and Probable Cases | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Alabama
|
66 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Arkansas
|
3 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Arizona
|
520 cases
|
2 deaths
|
|
|
California
|
553 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Colorado
|
59 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Connecticut
|
81 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Delaware
|
94 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Florida
|
129 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Georgia
|
27 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Hawaii
|
33 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Idaho
|
18 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Illinois
|
877 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Indiana
|
106 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Iowa
|
71 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Kansas
|
34 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Kentucky**
|
22 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Louisiana
|
86 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Maine
|
9 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Maryland
|
41 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Massachusetts
|
197 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Michigan
|
176 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Minnesota
|
39 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Mississippi
|
7 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Missouri
|
24 cases
|
1 deaths
|
|
|
Montana
|
10 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Nebraska
|
29 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Nevada
|
32 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
New Hampshire
|
23 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
New Jersey
|
47 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
New Mexico
|
97 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
New York
|
327 cases
|
1 deaths
|
|
|
North Carolina
|
12 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
North Dakota
|
5 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Ohio
|
14 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Oklahoma
|
50 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Oregon
|
101 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
73 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Rhode Island
|
9 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
South Carolina
|
36 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
South Dakota
|
4 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Tennessee
|
89 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Texas
|
900 cases
|
3 deaths
|
|
|
Utah
|
122 cases
|
1 deaths
|
|
|
Vermont
|
2 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Virginia
|
25 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Washington
|
494 cases
|
1 death
|
|
|
Washington, D.C.
|
13 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Wisconsin
|
766 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
TOTAL*(48)
|
6,552 cases
|
9 deaths
|
|
| States* | Confirmed and Probable Cases | Deaths | |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Alabama
|
61 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Arkansas
|
3 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Arizona
|
476 cases
|
1 death
|
|
|
California
|
553 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Colorado
|
56 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Connecticut
|
53 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Delaware
|
65 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Florida
|
101 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Georgia
|
24 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Hawaii
|
21 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Idaho
|
8 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Illinois
|
696 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Indiana
|
81 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Iowa
|
66 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Kansas
|
34 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Kentucky**
|
14 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Louisiana
|
57 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Maine
|
12 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Maryland
|
34 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Massachusetts
|
143 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Michigan
|
158 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Minnesota
|
38 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Mississippi
|
3 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Missouri
|
19 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Montana
|
4 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Nebraska
|
28 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Nevada
|
30 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
New Hampshire
|
19 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
New Jersey
|
15 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
New Mexico
|
68 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
New York
|
254 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
North Carolina
|
12 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
North Dakota
|
3 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Ohio
|
13 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Oklahoma
|
32 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Oregon
|
94 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Pennsylvania
|
56 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Rhode Island
|
8 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
South Carolina
|
36 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
South Dakota
|
4 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Tennessee
|
82 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Texas
|
556 cases
|
3 deaths
|
|
|
Utah
|
91 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Vermont
|
1 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Virginia
|
21 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Washington
|
294 cases
|
1 death
|
|
|
Washington, D.C.
|
13 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
Wisconsin
|
613 cases
|
0 deaths
|
|
|
TOTAL*(48)
|
5,123 cases
|
5 deaths
|
|
H1N1 Flu (Swine Flu) has possibly spread in a community based transmission from person to person in Japan with over 100 cases now. Since this is different from infections resulting from travel to the U.S or Mexico it may result in elevating the status to a world pandemic. The H1N1 Flu is still considered mild in severity, even if it becomes labeled a pandemic.
