Swine Flu--the less official and more awesome name for 2009 H1N1 Flu--has been thrusting it's snout all over the place lately. Media coverage has ranged from describing it as an "epidemic" to satirization, and back to concerned, educational news spots.
Forgetting the hyperbole, here's the truth straight from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
- 40,490 cases of H1N1 have been reported in the U.S. for the current flu season. Overall, it's estimated that more than 1 million people in the U.S. have had Swine Flu.
- Hundreds of millions of vaccine doses are in production and should be available in the fall.
- 70% of people hospitalized with Swine Flu have had previous medical conditions that put them more at risk--conditions include pregancy, diabetes, heart disease, asthma and kidney disease.
- 302 people died from Swine Flu in the U.S. between April 15, 2009 and July 24, 2009--the latest available data.
Click here for advice on how to prevent contracting H1N1. For an overview of the 2009-10 flu season in general (all types of flu), click here. Click here to find a clinic that offers flu vaccinations in your area. To find out the economic impact of the Swine Flu, click here.
Finally, remember that it's OK to eat pork, because Swine Flu is not spread by food. So enjoy those applesauce-basted pork chops with a side of bacon fat and two plump sausage patties.
--Jens
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