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16 Pediatric H1N1 deaths in past week

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http://news.aol.com/article/swine-flu-deaths-in-us/671584

16 Kids Die of Swine Flu in 1 WeekBy MIKE STOBBE, AP
posted: 5 HOURS 1 MINUTE AGOcomments: 275filed under: Health News, National News
PRINT|E-MAILMOREText SizeAAAATLANTA (Oct. 9) - Health officials said Friday that 76 children have died of swine flu in the U.S., including 16 new reports in the past week ? more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous in kids.
The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.

With swine flu cases increasing throughout most of the country, more deaths are likely, Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.
She noted that 37 states now are reporting widespread swine flu cases, up from 27 a week ago. A week ago, reports suggested that cases might be leveling off and even decreasing in some areas of the country, but that did not turn out to be an enduring national trend.

"We are seeing more illness, more hospitalizations, and more deaths," said Schuchat, who heads the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
Meanwhile, CDC officials say states have ordered 3.7 million doses of swine flu vaccine for a campaign that started this week. Demand is exceeding supply, at least so far, and people seeking the vaccination can start by contacting their state or local health department to find out where to go, she said.
Health officials also said more data is trickling in from several clinical trials of the new vaccine, and so far no serious side effects have been reported.
Preliminary information from one study indicates that both a seasonal flu shot and a swine flu shot are effective when given during the same doctor's office visit. However, the government is not recommending that people get the nasal spray versions of the seasonal and swine flu vaccines at the same time.
The nasal sprays contain weakened, live virus, and the government doesn't have data on how a person's immune system would react to exposure to both at the same time, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
The CDC doesn't have an exact count of all swine flu deaths and hospitalizations, but existing reports suggest the infection has caused more than 600 deaths and more than 9,000 hospitalizations since it was first identified in April.
 
Re: 16 Pediatric H1N1 deaths in past week

"Sixteen of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and three were associated with influenza A virus, for which subtype is undetermined." http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

Considering that "99% of all subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses", one might assume that all 19 deaths were 2009 influenza A (H1N1). Which may be why FluTrackers thread has a much higher total. http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127174
 
Re: 16 Pediatric H1N1 deaths in past week

Missouriwatcher said:
"Sixteen of these deaths were associated with 2009 influenza A (H1N1) virus infection and three were associated with influenza A virus, for which subtype is undetermined." http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/

Considering that "99% of all subtyped influenza A viruses being reported to CDC were 2009 influenza A (H1N1) viruses", one might assume that all 19 deaths were 2009 influenza A (H1N1). Which may be why FluTrackers thread has a much higher total. http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=127174
Click to expand...
I think it is reasonable to count those deaths as H1N1 deaths, given its prevalence. The tally I have been tracking and posting is based on state/county reports of H1N1 deaths coupled with media reports. I've only used the CDC numbers to cross check. However, with pediatric deaths, the final comparison will have to be total influenza pediatric deaths for the season or calendar year as compared with prior periods. As the flu season gets into full swing, I suspect less testing to differentiate strains will be conducted.

Another important point is that some information simply isn't making it to the CDC in a timely manner. I use California as an example. LA County has a fairly sophisticated reporting protocol and posts weekly surveillance reports. The state has been at least four to six weeks behind LA County in reporting deaths in LA County. At one point, the state was reporting 33 deaths and LA County was reporting 55, and had been reporting more than 33 for over a month. So, there are multiple reasons why our number is higher than CDC. The frustrating part is that the CDC has access to far more informaton than we do and yet they have consistently been behind during a period when decisions needed to be made quickly to save lives and people have been relying on CDC data and recommendations to make those decisions.

Bear with me. Another specific example of how confusion during this pandemic has created problems in decision-making is the CDC's current recommendation that employees stay home from work if they have fever or chills AND other flu symptoms. Haven't we had credible studies published this season indicating that a significant percentage of H1N1 cases do not have a fever (and chills are a result of a rising fever)? Now my own company has officially adopted these criteria. So, people will think it's okay to come to work as long as they don't have a fever. And my co-workers are notorious for coming to work sick and spreading illness. When I questioned this approach, I was told that for liability reasons, the company had to prepare its flu plan consistent with "credible" governmental recommendations.

Sorry for the rant...it's over...and I feel better.
 
Re: 16 Pediatric H1N1 deaths in past week

JimO said:
Bear with me. Another specific example of how confusion during this pandemic has created problems in decision-making is the CDC's current recommendation that employees stay home from work if they have fever or chills AND other flu symptoms. Haven't we had credible studies published this season indicating that a significant percentage of H1N1 cases do not have a fever (and chills are a result of a rising fever)? Now my own company has officially adopted these criteria. So, people will think it's okay to come to work as long as they don't have a fever. And my co-workers are notorious for coming to work sick and spreading illness. When I questioned this approach, I was told that for liability reasons, the company had to prepare its flu plan consistent with "credible" governmental recommendations.

Sorry for the rant...it's over...and I feel better.
Click to expand...

Try this from the CDC technical report...

Active screening for illness

If influenza severity increases, schools should consider instituting active fever and respiratory infection symptom screening of students and staff when they arrive at school. At the beginning of the school day, all students and staff should be asked about suggestive symptoms such as fever, cough, runny nose, and sore throat during the previous 24 hours. Some persons with laboratory-confirmed influenza do not have a fever (between 10% and 40% of people). Therefore, absence of fever does not indicate absence of infection. In a higher severity situation, schools should send home persons with symptoms of acute respiratory infection (that is, any two of the following: sore throat, cough, runny nose [new and unexplained by allergies], or fever). As always, parents should be aware of their child?s health status and monitor them for illness every morning before school.



http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/schools/technicalreport.htm#stayhome
 
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