H1N1 could cause 90,000 US deaths

       Swine flu could infect as much as half of the US population this year and cause up to 90,000 deaths,President Barack Obama's science advisers warned on Monday.
       Laying out a "plausible scenario" for the epidemic's impact in the United States, the report painted a grim picture of stress on the US health-care system as it struggles to cope with a flood of flu patients.
       The epidemic's resurgence could "produce infection of 30-50% of the US population this fall and winter, with symptoms in approximately 20-40% of the population [60-120 million people],more than half of whom would seek medical attention", the report said.
       As many as 1.8 million people could be admitted to hospitals with up to 300,000 of them requiring treatment in intensive care units (ICU).
       "Importantly, these very ill patients could occupy 50-100% of all ICU beds in affected regions of the country at the peak of the epidemic and could place huge stress on ICU units, which normally operate close to capacity," it said.
       The epidemic, it said,"could cause between 30,000 and 90,000 deaths in the United States, concentrated among children and young adults", it said.
       That compares with 30,000 to 40,000 deaths from seasonal flu each year,mainly among people over age 65.
       The report said the epidemic poses "especially high risks" for people with pre-existing conditions such as pregnant women and patients with neurological disorders, respiratory impairment,diabetes or severe obesity.
       It also mentioned Native Americans as being at risk from the swine flu.
       The flu's resurgence could occur as early as September when the school term begins, and peak in mid-October.
       But a vaccine against the A(H1N1)virus is only projected to be available in mid-October, and it will take vaccinated individuals several more weeks to develop protective immunity, the report said.
       "This potential mismatch in timing could significantly diminish the usefulness of vaccination for mitigating the epidemic and could place many at risk of serious infection," it said.
       The report by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology said that while the virus is "unlikely to resemble the deadly flu pandemic of 1918-19", the current strain still "poses a serious health threat".
       According to the latest official US figures, the 2009 swine flu strain has already killed 522 people in the US and hospitalised almost 8,000 people since it emerged in Mexico at the end of April.
       The group recommended accelerating preparation of flu vaccines for distribution to high-risk individuals and clarifying guidelines for the use of anti-viral medicines. Advisers also called on the public to stay informed on A(H1N1)'s expected spread as the northern hemisphere's regular flu returns with the colder months.
       These efforts involve using social networking sites on the Internet to propagate health messages and an "intensive public education" campaign to promote awareness to the threat.
       The White House also needs to create a post that has "primary authority to coordinate key decisions" for fighting the pandemic, the report said.
       Among other recommendations are for workplaces to "liberalise rules for absenteeism" so employees are not pressured to come to work when they feel sick.