Posted under Health
There are now 9 probable cases of swine flu in Maryland, including a White House aide who traveled to Mexico and infected three others in Anne Arundel County. The Governor’s office has responded by creating a dedicated “Swine Flu Preparedness” website and launching a “Swine Flu Command Center” and a “Swine Flu Medical Advisory Board.”
As of this morning, the United States has 109 confirmed cases of Swine Flu resulting in one death. The WHO has raised “the current level of influenza pandemic alert from phase 4 to phase 5,” so this is obviously very serious.
It’s worth noting, however, that each year, 200,000 people are hospitalized and 36,000 people die from the regular flu. So the common step precautions to avoid contracting the flu are worth following whether there is a swine flu pandemic or not.
UPDATE: The state just announced you can call 1-877-MDFLU4U or email swineflu@dhmh.state.md.us to get your questions answered.
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