[DonaldC]

Any sign yet that this flu bug is any deadlier than other flu strains? I hear a lot of fear mongering, but have not heard much in the way of real stats. Maybe one of you have.

[ModelBreaker]

“Any sign yet that this flu bug is any deadlier than other flu strains? I hear a lot of fear mongering, but have not heard much in the way of real stats. Maybe one of you have.”

(1) Five confirmed hospitalizations in the US out of 68 total cases. That’s way out of the norm for the flu. If those numbers hold, there are going to be a lot of really sick people; (2) Day by day exponential increase in number of reported cases (number 2 doesn’t mean deadly—it just means it spreads easily).

Enough to keep me and my family home for a few days. We will know how this is going to play out by next week.

[bdeaner]

Any sign yet that this flu bug is any deadlier than other flu strains?

Yes, it appears to be deadlier. The most vulnerable are people who are healthy, between 25-45 years of age, who have healthy immune systems. The virus triggers a reaction from the immune system that can kill you -- make you drown in your own fluids, basically.