Swine flu dead may reach 90,000

A newly released study by White House science advisers predict that the swine flu pandemic could infect half the U.S. population this year and cause 90,000 deaths, which is more than twice the number of deaths resulting from complications of the regular seasonal flu. And hospitals could be besieged with nearly 1.8 million patients needing more specialized care.

The study was conducted by the President’s Council of Advisers on Science and Technology and reported on a “plausible scenario,” of 30 percent to 50 percent of the country’s population becoming infected during the fall and winter flu season, when swine the flu is expected to surge.

Additionally, the report also described as plausible, 300,000 patients clogging intensive care units, filling 50 percent to 100 percent of the available beds, with estimated deaths ranging from 30,000 to 90,000.

Tom Skinner, a spokesman for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, noted that regular seasonal flu causes about 36,000 American deaths. But the swine flu virus is expected to infect more people, because it’s a new strain.

The council of advisers recommended that President Obama appoint a member of the White House staff, preferably the homeland security adviser, to take responsibility for the swine flu pandemic and speed up production of the swine flu vaccine.

Mike Shaw of the CDC cautioned that the swine flu strain tends to infect younger and healthier people than seasonal flu, with people 65 and older, possibly having some immunity to the virus.

The swine flu vaccine is expected to become readily available by mid-October.

Source : Bloomberg.com