Shiloh
Editor, Senior Moderator
Source: http://www.fox13now.com/news/kstu-95-percent-of-flu-cases-are-now-swine-flu,0,6787391.story
(Note: video report can be accessed by clicking source line above)
95 Percent of Flu Cases Are Now Swine Flu in Utah
Staff Writer
6:19 PM MDT, June 16, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY - With the recent number of Utah deaths of the swine flu now at six and rising, there are many people within the Beehive State that are concerned about the virus. On the Utah Department of Health's Web site under guidelines for clinicians it says 95 percent of flu cases in Utah are swine flu.
"H1N1 is probably not even as severe as seasonal influenza. It just happens that most of us have not been exposed to this virus before so we have no innate immunity so more of us are getting sick," said Dr. Susan Terry, medical director for the University of Utah Health Care's community clinics.
She said office visits increased this week after four more Utahns died from swine flu. While many patients have flu symptoms, not all will be tested for the H1N1 virus because most Utah flu cases are now the swine flu.
The State Health Department is no longer tracking general numbers. Instead they are focused on hospitalizations and on severely ill patients. The state is asking clinics not to test every flu patient for H1N1, telling doctors they can just assume it is the swine flu.
FOX 13's Arikka Von has more. Visit the FOX 13 Web page on swine flu for more information at fox13now.com/swineflu.
(Note: video report can be accessed by clicking source line above)
95 Percent of Flu Cases Are Now Swine Flu in Utah
Staff Writer
6:19 PM MDT, June 16, 2009
SALT LAKE CITY - With the recent number of Utah deaths of the swine flu now at six and rising, there are many people within the Beehive State that are concerned about the virus. On the Utah Department of Health's Web site under guidelines for clinicians it says 95 percent of flu cases in Utah are swine flu.
"H1N1 is probably not even as severe as seasonal influenza. It just happens that most of us have not been exposed to this virus before so we have no innate immunity so more of us are getting sick," said Dr. Susan Terry, medical director for the University of Utah Health Care's community clinics.
She said office visits increased this week after four more Utahns died from swine flu. While many patients have flu symptoms, not all will be tested for the H1N1 virus because most Utah flu cases are now the swine flu.
The State Health Department is no longer tracking general numbers. Instead they are focused on hospitalizations and on severely ill patients. The state is asking clinics not to test every flu patient for H1N1, telling doctors they can just assume it is the swine flu.
FOX 13's Arikka Von has more. Visit the FOX 13 Web page on swine flu for more information at fox13now.com/swineflu.