37 States Reporting Widespread H1N1 Activity – Tag It and Use Assessment on Your Mobile Phone

We all know by now most states have or will have the vaccine available. According to this article, it appears that most flu cases are ending up being the H1N1 versus the normal flu that circulates around this time of year. I have a widget on this page that takes you to the Microsoft online center whereby you can answer questions and see if you have the H1N1 virus. It is under the right hand side with other resources. Also, if you are a user of Microsoft Tag, put the phone up to the bar code below and go to the site on your mobile phone. BD

Microsoft H1N1 Flu Response Center – Online Tool To See if You or Someone You Know May Have It

Use the Flu Self-Assessment, based on material from Emory University, to:

Learn whether you have the symptoms of H1N1 flu (swine flu)

Tracking Medical Device Recalls With Tags – Let's Play Tag ...

Help you decide what to do next

Take Flu Self-Assessment

The H1N1 flu is now widespread in 37 states, and health officials fear the nation may not have enough intensive care unit beds to accommodate those stricken by the most severe form of the disease.

Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said today that the H1N1 -- or "swine" -- flu is widespread in most states, with outpatient visits, hospitalizations and deaths on the rise.

Meanwhile, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association finds that while H1N1 is mild in most patients, some become so severely ill that they require advanced life support in an ICU to survive. The study found that the percentage of severely ill patients who died from H1N1 ranged from 17% in Canada to 41% in Mexico.

Thirty-seven states are reporting widespread influenza activity at this time. They are: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Tennessee, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Any reports of widespread influenza activity in September and October are very unusual.

Almost all of the influenza viruses identified so far are 2009 H1N1 influenza A viruses. These viruses remain similar to the virus chosen for the 2009 H1N1 vaccine, and remain susceptible to the antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir with rare exception.

H1N1 Flu Spreading Rapidly Through U.S.