CDC now says 4,000 swine flu deaths in US

AP via YahooNews ^ | 11/11/09 | Staff

[OldDeckHand]

ATLANTA – Federal health officials now say that 4,000 or more Americans likely have died from swine flu — about four times the estimate they've been using.

[OldDeckHand]

I wonder how many people have died from the seasonal flu during the same period.

[cripplecreek]

Likely?

Estimate?

[leenie312]

I live in CNY and I haven’t heard of any people dying around here from swine flu...wonder where they all live

[mgstarr]

And do we believe their statistics?

[DonaldC]

I dunno about the status, but this mexican swine flu has not been the death generator they hoped for.

[Recovering_Democrat]

HOW MANY DIED IN KATRINA??
I BLAME HUSSEIN!!

[TomGuy]

PANOOTA*







[*Pull A Number Out Of The A$$]

[DonaldC]

oops, I meant stats.

[Lucky9teen]

It’s been a while since I’ve heard any reports on the “flu” but last I heard, it was 70 deaths.

Interesting how it’s gone up and not much of a peep from the news...not that it’d be true if it was reported.

I call BS

[MrDem]

These stats are TOTAL GARBAGE! The CDC does not even test for this anymore so no one really knows. The normal flu kills something like 15,000 every year alone.

[icwhatudo]

150 people die each day during regular flu season.

[TChad]

Curously, the names of all those killed by swine flu appear identical to names on Acorn voter registration lists.

[bgill]

It includes deaths caused by complications related to swine flu, including pneumonia and bacterial infections.

About time.

[OldDeckHand]

According to the CDC's own website as of 11/06, only 672 have perished due the flu that have been positively identified as flu victims. The report may be found here.

Perhaps they're extrapolating estimates based on laboratory confirmed cases and recognizing only a certain percentages of flu cases are confirmed by laboratory tests.

[Brugmansian]

These stats are TOTAL GARBAGE! The CDC does not even test for this anymore so no one really knows. The normal flu kills something like 15,000 every year alone.

The common figure for the regular flu is in excess of 30,000. But that too is an estimate. Impractical to test every or even a large fraction of deaths for the flu. What is done is normal moratality is plotted against mortality during the flu season.

But there is no doubt this flu is a killer. The stats are in for the Southern Hemisphere. Median age of death in Australia was 58. Normal flu is 81. Patients had to be airlifted because the country didn't have enough ECMO machines (some patients lungs were so full of snot they could not be put on mechanical ventilation lest their lungs explode--they needed an artifical lung...sometimes for weeks).

The fact is the death toll is being downplayed by the media because Obama and HSS botched vaccine deliveries. CT was supposed to get half a million doses by the end of Oct. It got 180,000. Imagine if Bush were president now. The media and liberals would be howling in rage.

[Aria]

I’m home with the swine flu. Had a temp of over 103 Monday, got Tamiflu, started getting better right away.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

and if that number doesn’t scare people into getting the vaccine, they’ll adjust the number upwards yet again..

[OldDeckHand]

"The fact is the death toll is being downplayed by the media because Obama and HSS botched vaccine deliveries. CT was supposed to get half a million doses by the end of Oct. It got 180,000. Imagine if Bush were president now. The media and liberals would be howling in rage. "

I tend to agree with your assessment. I don't think this is anythings remotely close to 1918, but it's MUCH worse than SARS ever hoped to be. And, think of the pandemonium surrounding that debacle. The media is covering for Obama.

[WellyP]

Who’s cooking the books?

[Train Collector]

Since every case of flu is being reported as swine flu how can they tell 4000 deaths have been specifically from H1N1?