BALTIMORE – It was a slow day for Maryland’s hospitals. But one Baltimore emergency room and an intensive care unit were already maxed out. And the computer monitor tracking the ER and ICU at a medical center in nearby Washington was flashing yellow and red — signaling that they, too, had run out of room. The next car crash victim would have to go elsewhere; the next heart attack patient risked losing precious minutes before getting lifesaving treatment.
As the second wave of H1N1 infections begins in the United States, scenes like this from the command center of the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems have federal, state and local health authorities nationwide scrambling. Even if swine flu remains a mild infection, the pandemic could be the tipping point for an emergency medical system teetering on the edge.
“The worry is, the health-care delivery system could be overwhelmed by people who are sick or think they are sick,” said Kim Elliott of Trust for America’s Health, a nonpartisan think tank and advocacy group.
Pandemic or not, H1N1 virus is going to be a problem for emergency rooms.
#15 Syrinx – There are a lot of “girls” in Bangkok who would argue with you.
Some of the sisters carry these:
“the health-care delivery system could be overwhelmed by people who are sick or think they are sick”
Which is exactly what will happen as a result of the WHO and the government whipping people into a hysteria.
To anyone who gets the flu (and kind) this year: Please, stay away from hospitals. Get in bed, eat some soup, drink some juice — and get over it!
Do people even read the info on the CDC site? Good lord. It clearly states that H1N1 influenza is most dangerous to children, the elderly, pregnant women, and people with compromised immunity. That’s the same demographic information given for regular influenza.
The hysteria is misplaced–people seem to think H1N1 is “worse” than the regular flu, but in reality it’s not much stronger. The difference is it’s about 5X more virulent, has a thicker capsule, and extra “goodies” that help it infect (for example, a sticky secretion that helps it adhere to a host membrane more effectively than regular influenza.)
This issue is about SPREAD, general virulence. Because of the spread of H1N1, more people in the danger categories are dying because more people are being infected in a certain time period.
In addition to mortality statistics, the US is and should be interested in morbidity of its population. If our entire workforce is sick, our economy suffers. If our health care providers are all sick, we suffer. Sure, that may sound alarmist, but the worst-case scenario would be for this bug to spread so quickly that everyone gets sick and recovers just in time for the next evolved strain to reinfect.
That is why avian flu is considered much more deadly, because it is both more virulent than normal influenza and mutates much more quickly. If unchecked, this type of bug could just go on forever infecting, reinfecting, etc. until it runs out of hosts.
This is a real concern.
[How about that? An intelligent and coherent comment. - ed.]
#20–weary==much better than “No comment.” Well said.
#21–Animby==I hate it when that happens.
#24–scient==hysteria? Well I thought we had “regular flu” that kills about 30K in USA each year but that this year we get swine flu on top of, in addition to, regular flu that was going to kill an additional 90K thousand. Contrary to what you post, I have read the swine flu targets the very young and young adults not the older folks above 50 as the regular flu does.
QUESTION FOR ANYONE: do these death estimates “assume” a general program of vaccination? and closely related==what percentage of those who will die from flu and swine flu will have been vaccinated?
I assume they do but where the line is between “genuine concern” vs hysteria is not even interesting===whatever, get your freaking vaccination and if not you, your little kiddies.
bobbo – I mentioned the hysteria was misplaced. Perhaps displaced is the better term. I am not implying we shouldn’t be concerned (or even hysterical in some instances,) but rather that the focus is being placed on severity by the public, when in fact it is virulence that is being emphasized by the PHS.
In terms of the 2009 “new” strain of H1N1, you are partially correct. This particular strain may more easily infect the under 65 demographic, but it is not more deadly to this demographic on a person-by-person basis.
The mass spread of this virus into the workforce is the big concern–and yes, because more people would become infected, more will die, although the percentage mortality will be lower overall for the under 65 demographic than the percentage mortality in the elderly/children/immunocompromised demographics.
Some of the general flu at-risk groups are still included in the vaccination priority schedule first.
Per http://www.cdc.gov:
CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has recommended that certain groups of the population receive the 2009 H1N1 vaccine when it first becomes available. These target groups include pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, healthcare and emergency medical services personnel, persons between the ages of 6 months and 24 years old, and people ages of 25 through 64 years of age who are at higher risk for 2009 H1N1 because of chronic health disorders or compromised immune systems.
The committee recognized the need to assess supply and demand issues at the local level. The committee further recommended that once the demand for vaccine for these target groups has been met at the local level, programs and providers should begin vaccinating everyone from ages 25 through 64 years. Current studies indicate the risk for infection among persons age 65 or older is less than the risk for younger age groups. Therefore, as vaccine supply and demand for vaccine among younger age groups is being met, programs and providers should offer vaccination to people over the age of 65.
FWIW:
here in NYC, i still have not seen anyone on the #2 and #5 subway lines show any indication of being sick or seen anyone wearing masks.
nor have i overheard any conversions in the markets or in Central Park discussing anything flu/bug related..
I think the odds are good that if the “estimated 800,000 to 1 million people infected” were even close, i would be seeing some indication of this in my daily travels.
-s
Hey, John (JCD)
you have to scope out this youtube video i just found.., post it and give it a mention in NA..
Its a great Anti-Vaccine music video called “Don’t Inject Me”
‘xcuse the pun, but this vid should go viral..
-s
(its only a few weeks old)
#27 soundwash said,”…if
the “estimated 800,000 to 1 million people infected” were even close, i would be seeing some indication of this in my daily travels.”
The dirty truth is, there may be that many infected. But 99+% of them will rest a day or two or even a week and then go back to work. The CDC and WHO have got to stop making the H1N1 sound like a damn death sentence!
#27:
84.6% of all statistics are made up on the spot..your point?
I’ve been riding the subways and buses for over 30yrs, I *know* the [behaviour] patterns of the subway riders like the back of my hand. when its cold & flu season, you know it.
[especially] The crowd that remains on the subways up past 96th street cannot afford a day off and will go into work sick 5 days out of 7 until they cant move or are forced to go home. -you can take that statement to the bank. [well, maybe a non-U.S. bank]
I’m making direct observations across multiple platforms and the city is using easily manipulated, pie in the sky statistics for their “observations”
When the situation changes, I’ll be the first to say so.
[ffs, I even know which segments of the subway lines and at what times to ride them catch the Chinese woman that sells printed DVD's for $4]
-s
what kind of a douchebag wears khaki shorts with a freakin BELT on the beach with his girlfriend??