City health officials are trying to confirm whether an infant in Queens is the second person to die of swine flu in New York.
As officials walk the fine line of trying to slow the growing swine flu outbreak without inciting public panic, they’re now faced with the possibility of another fatal case at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens.
Monday night, around 9:30, a 16-month-old was rushed into the ER with flu-like symptoms. Less than an hour later, the infant died, and now the hard work begins to determine if it’s the city’s second fatal case of swine flu.
So far, the outbreak has caused six deaths nationwide. But that’s fewer than the average flu season. Every year, the flu puts 200,000 people in the hopsital and causes 36,000 deaths. But make no mistake, anxiety is also spreading. Doctors at Elmhurst Hospital say the number of walk-in patients has increased sharply.
Meanwhile, making a swine flu vaccine appears to be more difficult than experts first thought, the World Health Organization acknowledged Tuesday as U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and WHO chief Dr. Margaret Chan met with pharmaceutical companies.
Health officials from around the world are attending WHO’s annual meeting in Geneva this week to discuss the outbreak that has infected 9,000 people in over 40 countries, killing 76 of them.
Flu experts have told WHO that vaccine manufacturers will not be ready to produce a swine flu vaccine until mid-July at the earliest, WHO reported Tuesday. Previously, WHO officials had thought production could start in late May.
Experts also found no evidence that regular flu vaccines offer any protection against swine flu.
Symptoms of the swine flu include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting as well. Anyone experiencing severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, should seek health care and treatment. The best way to prevent additional cases of flu in schools is to stay home when sick, cover your mouth when coughing and sneezing, and wash hands frequently.
For those who are ill, the recommendation is to stay home until they are symptom-free for at least 24 hours.
(Source: CBS2 HD)
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One Response
Who made the decision to fly the “Mission Accomplished” banner over NYC in regard to swine flu? Was it some political person who wanted the issue off the table during a reelection campaign?
Which is more important, public safety or looking good politically?