WHO: Considerations for assessing the severity of an influenza pandemic

[Siegfried X]

Characteristics of reported cases of new influenza A (H1N1) virus infections in humans

Considerations for assessing the severity of an influenza pandemic

Overall clinical features: Primarily influenza-like illness (ILI) in affected people. Gastrointestinal symptoms have been reported in some countries, including in 38% of outpatients in the United States. Some countries have reported cases of mild or sub-clinical illness without fever.

Predisposing risk factors to severe illness: A moderate proportion of severe cases were considered to be at increased risk. 64% of 30 hospitalized cases in California (USA)and 46% of 45 fatal cases in Mexico had underlying medical conditions. Predisposing factors were absent in about half of cases in some reports. Severe disease has been noted in some pregnant women. Of 30 hospitalized cases in California (USA), 17% were pregnant.

Hospitalization: No hospitalizations for illness in many affected countries. Approximately 2?5% of confirmed cases in Canada and the United
States and 6% in Mexico have been hospitalized. Few cases hospitalized for illness are adults aged >60 years

 

[sharon sanders]

Re: WHO: Considerations for assessing the severity of an influenza pandemic

Siegfried X - The link is not working. Can you try again?

 

[hornblower]

Re: WHO: Considerations for assessing the severity of an influenza pandemic

it just worked for me
it is a pdf - perhaps you're not set to allow the browser to open pdf automatically; maybe try right click & save

 

[Siegfried X]

Re: WHO: Considerations for assessing the severity of an influenza pandemic

Here is the raw link in case it helps:

http://www.who.int/entity/wer/2009/wer8422.pdf

 

[hongkonger]

Re: WHO: Considerations for assessing the severity of an influenza pandemic

Is there any way of determining how many pregnant women have died, either in the U.S. or Mexico, or elsewhere? So many of the newly reported cases merely state that the victims had underlying conditions, and then list pregnancy as an underlying condition. Even just counting the women we know were pregnant (or postpartum) who've died, the rate is alarming. If there are more whose unspecified underlying condition was pregnancy, this could be a very severe problem, and pregnant women everywhere should be warned. I mean really, seriously warned so that they take all preventative measures possible.