Health

So we're not all going to die of swine flu after all:- offical

by Babel-Fish | September 3, 2009 at 08:27 pm

243 views | 4 Recommendations | 3 comments

Deaths from swine flu could be less than half the annual toll from the usual winter flu, it emerged last night.

The news came as an expert accused ministers of an 'alarmist' response to the outbreak.

England's chief medical officer Sir Liam Donaldson was forced to admit yesterday that the worst case scenario had been slashed by two thirds from 65,000 deaths to 19,000.

After millions were spent on antiviral drugs and telephone hotlines, he revealed the toll could be as low as 3,000 - less than half the number who die in an average flu season.

Even a total of 19,000 deaths would be 2,000 lower than the number who died in the last major seasonal flu epidemic of 1999-2000.

Tamiflu sales are going to down.

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Beaulieu

at 01:31 on September 4th, 2009

Yes, I heard this on the radio. Funny that, but they are 'preparing for a nasty bout in the Winter' so buy some Relenza/Tamiflu shares now, folks.

After several months, they suddenly realised that most of it was quite mild, with some exceptions and you get that with normal flu anyway.

I was very surprised at how trusting people were of the Government in all this Swine Flu paranoia.

Spydermonkey

at 06:40 on September 4th, 2009

Exactly right Beaulieu, It has been more of a "scare tactics" episode than anything. Anyone that has checked the "numbers" &or what many health professionals around the world are saying, this is a "mild flu"

Me personally, I'd rather get this now, while it is mild & thus have some immunity to whatever mutation of H1N1 makes the rounds next year.