Swine Flu Panic in Perspective

American Thinker ^ | October 29, 2009 | Frank S. Rosenbloom, M.D.

[neverdem]

I usually see about twenty patients in my office, and at least a few patients in the hospital, daily. Over the past several months, my patient load has increased by one third. Almost all of the increase is due to fears about H1N1 influenza.

Patients are coming to the office fearful of "Swine Flu," with symptoms ranging from a slight sniffle to overt pneumonia. After seeing hundreds of cases of "flu" over the past several months and testing all of those who fit the clinical picture of influenza, I have confirmed only three genuine cases of H1N1. Two of these cases were in physicians and one was in a nurse.

All of the other cases turned out to be allergies, typical viral or bacterial infections, or the seasonal flu. Additionally, all three had mild illness and recovered with symptomatic treatment. The graph below shows the percentage of visits for influenza-like illness reported by the U.S. Outpatient Influenza-like Illness Surveillance Network for the week ending October 17, 2009. Note the much higher percentage of visits for flu-like illnesses this year. (Fig 1)

This graph reflects the anxiety that has been caused, not an increased rate of disease, but the title of the original article is still appropriate. It is necessary to keep this "pandemic" in perspective. We have an administration that will try to divert attention away from other issues and a public health system that is more than willing to help them.

In May of this year I wrote an article entitled "Swine Flu in Perspective." In it I noted the following:

Finally, 36,000 people die from Influenza every year in this country. That's 100 people a day on average!  Sadly, a baby from Mexico died in Texas from the Swine Flu. There will likely be more deaths here, but not in the numbers some would have you believe. However, about 100 people in the US die from the typical flu every day. Swine flu is a flu! Of course, every life is precious. But more Americans die from car accidents than the flu. Do we need to be vigilant? Of course. Should we foment panic? Absolutely not.

I cautioned that more people would likely die but held strongly to the belief that the panic was more dangerous than the disease. Now, five months later, after reviewing the evidence, I have not changed my mind.

So let's review the data. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) report on the leading causes of death for 2006, the last year for which complete statistics are available, can be found here. Note that there were 56,326 deaths caused by "influenza and pneumonia." Why are these combined? Simply because while we have a pretty good idea of the number of people who died of pneumonia, we have to estimate the number of deaths for which influenza was a contributing factor. The way in which the CDC does this can be found here. A relatively small number of people are tested for seasonal influenza relative to the number who present with respiratory infections. Furthermore, only about 38% of hospitalized patients with flu-like syndrome are tested for seasonal influenza and, surprisingly, only 5% who die from such illnesses are tested.

Out of a total of 273 cities with populations of over 100,000, and hundreds more with populations over 10,000, the CDC monitors seasonal influenza mortality statistics from just 122 cities. Don't get me wrong; the CDC does a good job, but by its very nature and magnitude it is an incomplete job. Though seasonal influenza may cause a higher proportion of deaths than reported, it is estimated that it causes around 36,000 deaths annually.

What is happening with H1N1? For starters, as mentioned above, people are seeking medical intervention much more quickly and often for symptoms they would have ignored or treated at home with chicken soup and Tylenol in years past. Additionally, proportionately larger numbers of people were initially getting tested, even when they had only the remotest possibility of having the disease. The fact that more people were tested meant that more would be diagnosed.

Additionally, and even more disturbing, many cases are assumed to be H1N1 without testing. Yes, the CDC advised the states to stop testing for and tracking cases of H1N1. Their rationale? There is no need to waste resources when the government has already confirmed there is an epidemic. In other words, just trust us. The debate is over. I had no idea Al Gore and the IPCC were working for the CDC. As I originally contended, the number of cases of H1N1 has been overestimated, and even CBS News reported this.

I have had twenty-two patients call me or come in to the office claiming to have had contact with patients who were diagnosed with the "Swine Flu." In each and every case I took the time to investigate the contact case to determine whether the patient had actually been tested. In every case so far, the contact case either was not tested or tested negative but was given the diagnosis just the same.  

On a personal note, my daughter developed a viral illness but continued running cross country while sick. She fainted due to dehydration and was admitted to the hospital with a diagnosis of H1N1. She was discharged after three days and is doing well. Her roommates were temporarily moved out of her dorm room to prevent exposure. I checked on the test several days later, and despite the diagnosis, it was negative. 

Yet even news organizations overseas are reporting on "Swine Flu" mania in the U.S. and our valiant president's decisive actions to protect us. Of course, the BBC has not discussed his delay on a decision for troop escalation in Afghanistan. Over 1,000 deaths from "Swine Flu" thus far in 2009 have been reported in the U.S., and Mr. Obama has declared a "Swine Flu emergency." Of course, statistics reveal that around 30,000 people have died from the seasonal flu this year and he has declared no "seasonal flu emergency." With over 1,384 Coalition deaths in less than one month, I for one would like to see him declare an "Afghanistan Emergency" and prescribe more troops to protect the brave souls in mortal danger there.

Generally, the reaction to this pandemic borders on the Orwellian. Many employers are forcing employees to be vaccinated under threat of loss of their jobs. Hospitals are doing the same, and many are requiring caregivers to wear masks at all times, even if there have been no reported cases. Some schools are considering requiring immunization under threat of suspension.

Evidence is mounting that, as I opined previously, "Swine Flu" is less of a threat medically and epidemiologically than was feared, but is a great mechanism for the promotion of political pork. Our founding fathers taught that it is healthy to regard government intentions with skepticism. We have failed to heed their wise advice, and we are now learning that the military tactic of deception is alive and well in the Obama Administration. While we are being threatened by H1N1, they are using the distraction to infect us with a much more deadly disease that will affect not only us, but our children and grandchildren: the disease of subjugation.

Frank S. Rosenbloom, M.D. is president of Oregon Right to Life. His website is frankrosenbloom.com. His book "Lethal Prescription" will be available on November 25th, 2009.

[allmost]

I know of a boy that was vaccinated and still got it.

...

[ModelBreaker]

These numbers are completely off from the numbers compiled by my physician. They may be different because I live in CO and the Swine (that’s what the kids here have dubbed it) hit earlier here than it did elsewhere. But three weeks ago when everyone we know had at least one kid down with the flu, my Dr said he was swabbing folks with fevers and other flu symptons and most of them were swabbing H1N1 positive. His case load was way up; but it was because of the Swine.

OTOH, most folks are over it in 2-3 days, he says. My whole family got it in the space of a week. One bad day and then a couple of mildly funky days and it was over. The bad day was bad, though.

That’s a kind of bizarre difference between the two accounts. It may just be where they are located.

[cherry]

the test for swine flu is $300......I question just how many tests are being done.....

afterall, there is no different treatment for it than a regular plain old flu....none what so ever.....

in my area, they are not doing widespread testing....only those small, tiny minority that might have lingering illness and need to go into the hospital for hydration and resp. therapy....

[familyop]

Artificial crisis creation is also part of the plan, and most people don't see the big picture.

Fall of the Republic: The Presidency of Barack Obama (video)

;-)

[DISCO]

“Never let a crisis go to waste.” The propagandists in the state controlled media are even overseas. If there is an epidemic, why a shortage of vaccine? Wouldn’t take it anyway.

[Corin Stormhands]

I’m in.

[Cindy]

I like this author.
Full of common sense and patience.

Thanks for this, neverdem.

[Cindy]

Background link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2237482/posts

[pandoraou812]

interesting.

[kara2008]

I totally agree with this comment at American Thinker.

It is totally in line with global warming and other MAN-MADE HYSTERIAS being utilized to create an order in the political culture that wants to exclude choice and personal responsibility and give the almighty government more clout.

Unless there is a revolt (which I believe is building) this country is headed for a shift so great that our republic will be unrecognizable.

I never thought I would see the day when so many would be so easily swayed and "Chicken Little" would be the only response that was acceptable.

[SaraJohnson]

If this doctor is really testing for the swine flu in his officer after July, he’s unique because state labs stopped testing for swine flu in July. What is happening now is that doctors test for regular flu and if you come up positive they assume you have the swine flu. Only those hospitalized and the dead are tested in this country for swine flu.

The other thing is that he’s using that bogus number of 36,000 dying from regular flu every year. That was a number made up by CDC on the fly in April and it was way off. Usually one to two thousand people die from regular flu each year.

I agree we don’t want to panic people. But giving out real data and the truth is the best way to not panic people. Knowledge is safety with our health.

[DannyTN]

Dr. Rosenbloom is in Oregon. They are just now beginning to ramp. It struck the Southeast first and the ramped up to the west before moving north.

Here is Oregon's CDC graph

[DoughtyOne]

Yesterday morning I woke up with the television on, and a story being reported about increased stress on the internet because so many people were going to have to be working from home due to being sick with the H1N1 virus. This cracked me up.

So nobody worked from home last year because of influenza related illness?

How many people can actually work from home?

Most folks simply put their work on a memory stick and take it home with them, if they need to work. Then they take it back to work.

If people can connect to their work computer, chances are they do work on the internet already. What’s the diff if they do it from work or from home?

What this does indicate is that someone is trying to hype the idea that the internet is stressed. And if it is stressed, why there needs to be some remedy.

That remedy would be keeping everyone off the internet to relieve the stress. Certain sites that were not work related would have to stand down. Political sites would not be necessary to the completion of commerce.

One by one the government could contact ISPs and have them categorize their clientele, so that all unnecessary sites could be flicked off for periods of time.

These seemingly innocuous stories are troublesome.

This H1N1 isn’t being hyped in a vacuum. Somebody sees some value in it.

[Global2010]

I got here before the neverdem ping.

You IMO Always post the most logical medical/sce articles.

And so Thanks.

Now about this whole swine flu deal I have givin it alot of thought and I sum it up to be Obama Drama. : )

[DoughtyOne]

Sarah, the CDC made those guestimates regarding mortality because not all hospitals report inflenza, and not everyone with influenza goes to a hospital in the first place.

Nursing homes don’t file reports with the CDC.

The CDC is trying to make it’s best guess. It is not trying to participate in some grand conspiracy.

People who think there are only 2000 influenza deaths each year scare the hell out of me. It’s like the group of people out there who think Obama is great because he has to be, he’s black.

Both are equally rational... or should I say irrational.

I spent 35 years working in the medical filed, 26 of those years in a major hospital and another nine years in some of the largest closed door pharmacies in the nation.

Massive numbers of people die each year from influenza. I don’t care if you want to believe it or not, but quit trying to foist off your ignorance on others.

[TigersEye]

Good article. If you have read it correctly you will undoubtedly have realized that the diagnosis is that our President is a complete idiot and that the press has all come down with a case of 0bamanitis.

[Global2010]

I am finding I like the source American Thinker.

I am not much for putting to much trust in media but this source has been batting 100 percent in line with my perspective on issues.

Even thought of getting a subscription if it comes in un green friendly paper form.

[TigersEye]

Right on the money. This is just one more facet of the Globalist/Progressive scam.

[Global2010]

Almost as bad as the Freepers posting threads on the Obama to devulge the Alians are with us crap.

Embarrasing stuff.