By now you may have heard that swine flu could infect up to 40% of the United States. Health officials say flu cases are likely to explode once school begins and serve as “germ factories.”
“The estimates are based on a flu pandemic from 1957, which killed nearly 70,000 in the United States but was not as severe as the infamous Spanish flu pandemic of 1918-19. The number of deaths and illnesses from the new swine flu virus would drop if the pandemic peters out or if efforts to slow its spread are successful, said a CDC spokesman.”
“The World Health Organization says as many as 2 billion people could become infected in the next two years — nearly a third of the world population.”
“Swine flu has been an escalating concern in Britain and some other European nations, where the virus’ late arrival has grabbed attention and some officials at times have sounded alarmed.”