Swine flu: New York City

In New York City, an illness termed “mild” for many has killed 7 and put 300 in the hospital. A preliminary analysis of about half of those hospitalized, most (82%) were said to have some underlying medical condition. That’s common with flu, but it’s also a reminder that one of five were otherwise healthy, and unusually for flu, most of them relatively young (mostly under 65). Similarly, the deaths also had underlying medical conditions but were relatively young (median age 43). The two most recent deaths were in the mid 40s.

So not being old is one risk factor. What does “underlying medical condition” mean?

So far, the most common risk factor in New York City has been asthma – an underlying risk factor among 41% of the New Yorkers hospitalized for H1N1 flu. Other important risk factors include being less than 2 years of age (18% of hospitalized patients), having a compromised immune system (13%), having heart disease (12%), or being pregnant. The Health Department recommends that people with asthma, or any of the other conditions listed here, to call a doctor right away if they develop flu-like illness. [snip] Anyone feeling ill can take his or her temperature with a home thermometer. A temperature of 100.4 degrees is a fever. If the fever is accompanied by cough or sore throat, the condition qualifies as flu-like illness. (New York City Department of Health)

Read the rest of this post… | Read the comments on this post…