by Belinda Long

Created on: October 28, 2009

Of course we should have concern over the H1N1 flu, formerly know as the "Swine Flu". The more appropriate question is "Who should be concerned and how concerned should those people be?"

People with serious underlying conditions of the lungs or heart should be very concerned. As should pregnant women and women with children under 2 years old according to the CDC. People with diabetes or people receiving chemotherapy should also be very concerned. This new flu is very serious for these groups of people.The CDC also says that from April to the middle of June, 73% of those hospitalized with H1N1 had one or more underlying health conditions. The CDC report goes on to say that of the patients hospitalized, 7% of them died and 68% of those who died had underlying health conditions. These facts can be found at the

CDC website.

Still, those who are not worried at all, have a responsibility to think about those around them. If their children have flu-like symptoms, they should stay home and they should take the proper precautions to prevent illness by washing hands and encouraging good manners and hygiene. After all, those who are not worried and/or do not fall into an at risk category, should still consider the health of those around them.

Should we panic? Not at all. When H1N1 was declared a national emergency, it wasn't meant to panic anyone. President Obama declaring H1N1 a national emergency serves a purpose. It allows small hospitals and doctors with small budgets, as well as health insurance (especially state health insurance) a little more flexibility and a faster response as far as needing more equipment, beds or staff. The point of declaring H1N1 a national emergency was to allow individual states to receive federal help faster, should they need it.

The seasonal flu and H1N1 have comparable death rates. So what makes H1N1 something to be concerned about? The seasonal flu seems to cause death more often in the elderly but H1N1 has been more prevalent in children. With our children going to school and being exposed to the germs of so many other children who may or may not be infected, the likelihood of H1N1 being spread rapidly among children and their families does seem higher.

There is no reason to panic about H1N1, but it is necessary to insist the public be aware of the dangers and take extra precautions to ensure that they, and those around them stay healthy. More information about H1N1 can be found on the CDC website.

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