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Healthcare is NOT rationed in Maryland, thankfully.

You’ll note in the first article that 80% of the deaths were in “at-risk” populations, which is normal. (sad nonetheless) Also since the deaths generally occurred 2 weeks +/- after infection , one can medically conclude they did not die from the flu, but rather pulmonary and respiratory distress/ pneumonia/ edema. They (likely) died form complications and secondary infections AS A RESULT of POOR primary care. They were too sick by the time they were admitted. THAT *IS* is potential indictment of the NHS.

“Many of the newly recorded flu victims probably caught the illness two or three weeks ago when infection rates were at their highest, experts believe ... more than 80 per cent of the fatalities were in an ‘at risk group’, including pedes, pregnant women and those with conditions such as asthma, diabetes or Alzheimer’s. Infection rate figures show there are now 66.5 cases of flu per 100,000 people, down from 108 the previous week and well below the 124 at the beginning of this month.” THAT DROP mirrors the drop in the US. The CDC publishes data, shown the seasonal up and down of the flu season. IOW, what happened is to be expected in terms of infection rates. What’s sad is the deaths.

What’s my point? H1N1 is NOT a super bug or global killer. It kills those most susceptible to severe respiratory distress coupled with poor or late care. Don;t fear H1N1 unless you are in one of ‘those’ groups, but DO get out the plastic and duct tape if we have an H5N1 outbreak with an active human to human vector.

I encourage you to read the CDC’s Advice to Clinicians - Healthcare Professionals regarding H1N1 and treatment/prevention. It is eye-opening in terms of its blandness.

The second article again points to the real culprit - respiratory distress, since it features Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation units. These patients’ lungs are full of fluid (pneumonia) and they need help breathing effectively. The virus weakens them. They drown/asphyxiate from the edema/pneumonia associated with SRD. why are these people so sick? Again, they are in at-risk groups for H1N1, whether swine origin or not. what kills them is how they react to the viral infection AND THE TREATMENT THEY DON’T GET.

From the third artcle: “However health experts are concerned that the H1N1 virus could mutate into something more severe.”

That is pure scare mongering by the author, likely not any epidemiologist. EVERY “novel” virus, ie ‘this years’ strain is a mutation, sorta.

So let me net this out to try to stay on my points —

A. Sadly, ‘real’ influenza kills a FEW people in the US. complications from and secondary infections kill quite a few, sadly. This happened in all years past; it will happen in the future.

B. Swine origin H1N1A is not a fearsome bug for the majority of the human population.

C. the UK has it tough right now, for real, for the people dealing with secondary infections. But to state “66.5 cases of flu per 100,000 people” is still less than 1/10th of one percent. Stay objective. Read and follow the CDC’s advice to clinicians, NOT the hype on the news or in The Mail.