U.S. deaths from new flu reach 27
As the “new” A(H1N1) swine flu spreads in the U.S., 13,217 cases are current in all 50 states plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. There were 27 U.S. deaths from the flu as of 11 am today, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in Atlanta. At the time of our last report on U.S. fatalities a week ago, deaths totaled 15, with 48 states and Washington, DC claiming 8,975 infections.
That gives the U.S. an increase of 4,242 cases in one week, with 12 more dead over the same period—an 80% increase in deaths for a 47% increase in cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that 69 countries have officially reported 21,940 A(H1N1) cases, which includes 125 deaths. That was as of 2:00 am EDT this morning. Since our last report citing official WHO statistics from June 1, that is an increase of 10 dead and 4,530 cases, with seven more countries affected.
While the U.S. CDC is reporting “probable and confirmed” deaths and cases, WHO is using a figure based on “laboratory confirmed” statistics, which while potentially more accurate, also slows the apparent rate of spread for the virus. That would seem to account for U.S. figures showing 12 more dead while WHO shows only 10 more dead globally over approximately the same period.
The WHO has not yet moved to declare the epidemic a “pandemic,” under the urging of world leaders who fear a panic. Australia (876 cases, 0 deaths); the United Kingdom (428 cases, 0 deaths); Japan (410 cases, 0 deaths) ; and Chile (369 cases, 1 dead) are the countries outside of North America with the most cases. If case levels in Australia increase significantly or one of the other countries experiences a sudden explosion in case levels, WHO may indeed be forced to declare a pandemic, but seems more intent on lining up vaccine sources for the moment.
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