Paradigm Shift Intervention Monitoring
twitter
Live feed of underlying pandemic map data here
Commentary
Severe pH1N1 Cases In West Georgia Raise Pandemic Concerns
Recombinomics
Commentary 11:25
April 2, 2010
It is mostly those with chronic illnesses that end up hospitalized for flu in West Georgia.
The above comments describe severe H1N1 cases in west Georgia, raising concerns that a new H1N1 wave has begun and the H1N1 is producing more severe and fatal cases. On Monday the CDC hastily called a press briefing to discuss the sharp spike in hospitalized cases in Georgia, and March 24 the GA department of health issued a press release on a spike in hospitalizations and deaths. Both agencies urged vaccinations for residents.
The spike in deaths was supported by P&I data for Atlanta, which also showed a sharp spike over data from last year. The differences were greatest for weeks 10-11, when there were 28 deaths in 2010, compared to 6 deaths in 2009.
Sequence analysis and low reactor data have raised concerns that a new wave would produce more severe and fatal cases, which is supported by the latest P&I data for the US, which is above the epidemic threshold, even though no states are reporting widespread influenza, and only three are reporting regional levels. P&I data suggests that the number of H1N1 confirmed or extrapolated deaths are gross under-estimates, and the latest P&I data for the entire country suggests unreported deaths are continuing to mount.
Release of March H1N1 sequences from severe and fatal cases in Georgia would be useful.
Media Links
Recombinomics
Presentations
Recombinomics
Publications
Recombinomics
Paper
at Nature Precedings