A study of 1,088 people hospitalized from the H1N1 swine flu in California between August 11-23 indicates for the first time why and what people are dying from the H1N1 swine flu. In this regard, the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicated that 11 percent, or 118 patients died. Nearly a third of the hospitalized patients had no underlying health conditions. What was surprising, however, was that 20 percent of all patients 50 years of age or older died from the H1N1 swine flu while only 2 percent of those patients 18 years or younger died of the H1N1 swine flu. This does not change the previously observed phenomenon that more younger people are contracting the H1N1 swine flu, indicating that potentially people 50 years or older have some limited immunity. But of those patients 50 years of age or older who have to be hospitalized from the H1N1 swine flu, for some reason they have by far the highest death rate. The study also indicated that 30 percent of all patients, or 340 patients, who were hospitalized had to be treated in intensive care. Despite the significantly higher death rates among elderly persons hospitalized from the H1N1 swine flu, the CDC has announced that it will continue to give priority to vaccinating young people because of their higher rate of contracting the virus.Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009 - Study Indicates For First Time Why And What People Die From H1N1 Swine Flu
A study of 1,088 people hospitalized from the H1N1 swine flu in California between August 11-23 indicates for the first time why and what people are dying from the H1N1 swine flu. In this regard, the study published today in the Journal of the American Medical Association, indicated that 11 percent, or 118 patients died. Nearly a third of the hospitalized patients had no underlying health conditions. What was surprising, however, was that 20 percent of all patients 50 years of age or older died from the H1N1 swine flu while only 2 percent of those patients 18 years or younger died of the H1N1 swine flu. This does not change the previously observed phenomenon that more younger people are contracting the H1N1 swine flu, indicating that potentially people 50 years or older have some limited immunity. But of those patients 50 years of age or older who have to be hospitalized from the H1N1 swine flu, for some reason they have by far the highest death rate. The study also indicated that 30 percent of all patients, or 340 patients, who were hospitalized had to be treated in intensive care. Despite the significantly higher death rates among elderly persons hospitalized from the H1N1 swine flu, the CDC has announced that it will continue to give priority to vaccinating young people because of their higher rate of contracting the virus.
