Not just swine flu - new cold virus may lurk, too

[Chemisse]

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Runny nose, fever, cough, even pneumonia -- the symptoms sound like swine flu but children hospitalized at one U.S. hospital in fact had a rhinovirus, better known as a common cold virus, doctors said on Tuesday.

Hundreds of children treated at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia had a rhinovirus, and federal health investigators are trying to find out if it was a new strain, and if this is going on elsewhere in the country.

"What began to happen in early September is we started seeing more children coming to our emergency room with significant respiratory illness," said Dr. Susan Coffin, medical director of infection control and prevention at the hospital.

Doctors and parents assumed it was the new pandemic H1N1 swine flu, which would be expected to re-emerge as schools began in September. But it was not, Coffin said in a telephone interview.

The hospital, unlike most hospitals in the United States, runs a test that can diagnose 10 different respiratory viruses, including influenza but also rhinoviruses, parainfluenza viruses and other germs that make kids sick.

"The data showed us it wasn't H1N1 but instead was this rhinovirus infection," Coffin said.

The CDC says while swine flu is above epidemic levels, only 30 percent of cases of so-called influenza-like illness that are tested actually turn out to be H1N1.



http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE5AG52F20091117?feedType=RSS&feedName=healthNews&rpc=69



Only 30 percent turn out to be H1N1?! I thought we were going under the assumption that pretty much all the flus were swine flu at this time.

[necso]

1. "We're still testing the strains from the {particular rhinovirus} outbreak,

but from what we've seen so far, it doesn't appear that there's a single predominant strain."

That's interesting. It'd be nice if we were able to routinely do a lot more (exact) testing, so as to get a better idea of what cold and flu viruses are actually circulating at any point. (While colds are typically less serious, they're still of interest -- and who knows what the future holds.) But this is the sort of common good we as a people seem unable to well-serve anymore.

Oh well.

...

The CDC data I've seen recently shows the novel H1N1 flu virus to be greatly predominant among identified flu-viruses. A large percentage of the samples tested, however, apparently don't test positive for flu. (Not to be critical, but if I was in charge, I wouldn't be able to rest without knowing what these other infections were, even if non-life-threatening.)

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm

...

To emphasize:

"Coffin and CDC officials say it is important for people not to assume if they or their children have flu-like symptoms that it was swine flu and that they do not need to be vaccinated."

[Chemisse]

2. I agree - it seems like we are missing out on a good opportunity

To understand how a new virus acts in a pandemic. By not testing as many people as possible, scientists will only be able to look back on this and guess.

[Techn0Girl]

3. State Health Statisrics show that only FIVE percent of cases are H1N1...

As conducted in a study by CBS NEWS...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=222x76861

The CDC has STOPPED compiling H1N1 infection rate cases since August and refused to give CBS News their stats prior to that time.

CBS News then went to 50 state health departments and compiled the stats on their own. The stats show that roughly only FIVE percent of suspected H1N1 samples sent to the CDC for confirmation turned up to be actually positive for H1N1.

[Why Syzygy]

4. Why the hell would people unrec this thread?

The denial and opposition to truthful discussion approaches clinically insane intensity.

[LeftishBrit]

5. There are lots of bad colds going around here...

Mostly easily distinguished from H1N1; but there is sometimes uncertaintly.

On a flippant note, what an unfortunate name for her: 'Dr. Coffin'!