Swine Flu Perspective

Everyone is talking about swine flu right now it seems.  It's the first thing that you hear about on the news and even in regular conversation lately.  Panic seems to be setting in, even though I personally don't think it's warranted as of yet.  I'll tell you why.  While there has been one death from swine flu in the US so far (a Mexican citizen that came to Houston for treatment), the CDC has reported that 13,000 people in the US have died since the beginning of the year from the regular flu.  That is 3,250 people per month, approximately 758 people per week, or over 100 people per day just from the regular old flu that we live with every single year.  What would be happening if every single hospitalization and death from the regular flu was on the news?  Just trying to put it in perspective for you.

Here's the story on CNN if you want to read it.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/04/28/regular.flu/index.html