Blog Archive for October, 2009
Obama Declares Swine Flu A National Emergency
October 24, 2009
The New York Times
U.S. President Barack Obama has declared 2009 H1N1 swine flu a national emergency, the White House said on Saturday.
The declaration will make it easier for U.S. medical facilities to handle a surge in flu patients by allowing the waiver of some requirements of Medicare, Medicaid and other federal health insurance programs as needed, the White House said in a statement.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said on Friday that swine flu has become widespread in 46 of the 50 U.S. states, a level comparable to the peak of ordinary flu seasons but far earlier and with more waves of infection expected.
1 in 5 U.S. Kids had Flu so far this Month
October 22, 2009
MSNBC
About 1 in 5 U.S. children had a flu-like illness earlier this month — and most of those cases likely were swine flu, according to a new government health survey. About 7 percent of surveyed adults said they’d had a flu-like illness, the survey found.
Coughing Robot Spews ‘Flu Germs’
September 20, 2009
Discovery Channel
Flu viruses like the swine flu are spread in part by coughing and sneezing. A coughing robot demonstrates just how far those germs can fly.