Comments on: Child Dies In Texas From Swine Flu

By: Tully

Tully — Mon, 04 May 2009 16:38:29 +0000

Yeah, context has been SADLY lacking in the media. If I hear the word “pandemic” used to describe what is blatantly NOT a pandemic one more time, I may scream. A pandemic is a geographically widespread outbreak of disease with deep population penetration. And by the way, mortality is not a consideration in the definition of pandemic–if everyone had the same minor cold across the world, that qualifies as a “pandemic.”

CDC morning report is 286 confirmed U.S. cases with just the one (imported) fatality, who had some serious health issues before contracting the H1N1 virus. Hardly a pandemic. Switching to world figures (less than a thousand cases, no deaths outside the US or Mexico) doesn’t alter the outlook much. ALL of the other deaths reported (25) are from the Mexican outbreak.

For comparison, “regular” old influenza infects several million Americans a year, and kills about 36,000 of us. Here a much higher percentage of cases are lab-confirmed than in third-world countries. In general in third-world nations, only cases resulting in hospitalization and/or death are lab-confirmed, so the apparent 5% mortality figure from the Mexico figures has to be taken with a large grain of salt. People who get sick and get better without intensive medical care go unreported/unsampled.

The usual killer with influenza (any type) is opportunistic pneumonia or other secondary infection taking advantage of the compromised immune system. The body just can’t keep up, and the defenses are overwhelmed.

By: TerenceC

TerenceC — Fri, 01 May 2009 09:38:58 +0000

It’s ashame – apparently the baby had other medical issues before the family ever got to the US. Flu is responsible for 10′s of thousands of deaths world wide every year – I’d be interested to know what the victims actually die from. Is it just the high fever, heart failure, iiver failure, or whatever?

By: Ericka

Ericka — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:53:08 +0000

If we were not so afraid of being PC then we could close the borders and assess the damage. The WHO sends a mixed message by to stepping it up to a level 5, and still recommending countries to allow international travel. Flu season is usually winding down by now. We don’t know much about this strain. It will take months before a vaccine is even feasible. We have gained some strength through time from vaccinations in the past, but seeing as this is a new strain, we have no way of knowing how this will mutate or behave. Considering the average number of deaths from flu viruses which we have vaccines for/are prepared for, perhaps this is something we may not be able to brush off as easily as we first thought. We need time and research on our side before we have more factors and people adding to the mix.

By: Anonymous2

Anonymous2 — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 21:35:05 +0000

This child’s death, though tragic, is the reason I am in favor of closing the border temporarily until we have a real handle on the swine flu. Common sense should have kept the parents from crossing the border with a sick child and potentially spreading the flu to untold thousands of US citizens. Close the border now!

By: Kevin Jackson

Kevin Jackson — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:53:30 +0000

There is North America and Central America and South America. We are all Americans. We’re reaching a bit when we think only we are. We are in the sense that there is no easy way to say where we are from otherwise.

By: gary

gary — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 17:44:31 +0000

What is important is that this child, along with hundreds of thousands of others die annually from the flu.

It’s the flu, not the plague!

Media and others need to stop fanning the flames.

Sure it’s tragic, but not remarkable.

By: AOL

AOL — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:11:39 +0000

How was he an American?

“It is important for everyone to know that while the death occurred here in Houston … this child is a resident of Mexico who traveled to Texas to visit family,” said Dr. David Persse, Houston emergency medical services director.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 16:01:22 +0000

While he was not from the US, he was an American

By: Paul

Paul — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:59:58 +0000

Wasn’t this child brought in from Mexico ? May God blesss this child !

By: AOL

AOL — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 14:57:41 +0000

can you note he was not American and was traveling from Mexico for treatment?