Posted on 04/25/2009 6:30:14 PM PDT by Mr. Mojo
ATLANTA (AP) - Why has the swine flu engulfing Mexico been deadly there, but not in the United States?
Nearly all those who died in Mexico were between 20 and 40 years old, and they died of severe pneumonia from a flu-like illness believed caused by a unique swine flu virus.
The 11 U.S. victims cover a wider age range, as young as 9 to over 50. All those people either recovered or are recovering; at least two were hospitalized.
"So far we have been quite fortunate," said Dr. Anne Schuchat of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Saturday, just hours before three new U.S. cases were confirmed.
Health experts worry about a flu that kills healthy young adults - a hallmark of the worst global flu epidemics. Deaths from most ordinary flu outbreaks occur among the very young and very old.
Why the two countries are experiencing the illness differently is puzzling public health experts, who say they frankly just don't know.
It may be that the bug only seems more deadly in Mexico.
And while experts believe Mexico is the epicenter of the outbreak, they're not certain if new cases are occurring or if the situation is getting worse. They also don't know if another virus might be circulating in Mexico that could be compounding the problem.
(Excerpt) Read more at apnews.myway.com ...
No U.S. Emergency Rooms to parasitize.
Could be an ironic situation that the Mexicans are acclimated to more bugs e.g. their immunity to Montezuma’s Revenge. Some viruses will provoke cytokine storms in particularly robust immune systems.
Nah, too obvious...
Like what would you get if you did? Only known remedy is Tamiflu, and both Mexico and US have scads of it.
Well that is shocking.
We’ve had seven confirmed cases in US and supposedly a 7% mortality rate in Mexico.
Statistically, you’d need 14 cases here before you’d expect a death.
That’s not exactly how the math works, but the point is we still have too small a sample to decide the US version is less lethal.
Why would anyone ask such an incredibly stupid question? Only if the reverse were true would it be a question worth pondering.
Along with other things like basic hygiene and living conditions, overall health of the populace, etc
Just guessing here but if they died of severe pneumonia, isn’t that a reflection of the sanitary conditions inside hospitals? I once read that pneumonia is the biggest killer in hospitals where the infection that killed patients wasn’t from the original diagnosis and the reason was lack of proper sanitation.
Warning: I’m not a doctor or even associated with medicine in any way but I did stay at a HIE last night.
Be coz we’re gooder!
Isn't that a suspected reason for the death rate of the 1918 Spanish flu?
Mexico has socialized medicine?
Yes. Much like this outbreak, the 1918 flu killed mostly the 20-45 age group.
The experts are saying America's exposure to the H1 portion of the bug means the population has antibodies that may fight this adaptation better.
Not enough cases in the US yet to have statistics support any deaths by percentage of ill.
I'm believing very little from anyone about now. We do like to color up a story don't we?
Always have at least 21 days of food, pet food, water, medicines, ammo, etc. ready for storms, pandemics, etc.
Because the medical system in Mexico, well.... sucks.
Why would people leave a country with "free" healthcare for the only major industrialized country without it? I thought utopia consisted of socialized medicine, high tax rates for the "wealthy", welfare payments for the shiftless and government control of everything...
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