By Julie Stachowiak, PhD
Multiple Sclerosis Guide; Guest blogger
I am not posting these numbers to encourage anyone to be complacent about this epidemic. This is a serious illness for many people, especially the people who might be at higher risk, like young kids and people with lung problems. Even some of the robust, healthy adults that have gotten H1N1 say that it is pure misery for a week or two, followed by a washed-out feeling for longer than that.
You would think from the reports popping up of individual cases that people are dying from this bug pretty regularly. In fact, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it looks like the total number of deaths from H1N1 since it was identified in April is 3,917 people worldwide. Most of these deaths (2,948 to be exact) were in the Americas. The West Pacific region had 362 deaths, 340 in South-East Asia, 154 in Europe, 72 in East Mediterranean region and 41 in Africa.
To put this in perspective, keep in mind that over 35,000 die of seasonal influenza in the United States alone each year.
Again, the point of this report is not to minimize the tragedy of the deaths that have occurred from H1N1, nor is it to undermine the efforts of all those people and organizations that are working to fight this epidemic (and prevent more deaths). Rather, it is to encourage vigilance instead of panic, as well as to remind people that the seasonal flu is real, too. There is something we can do about that one right now - go get a flu shot (or FluMist) and stay tuned for developments around H1N1.
