Dec. 10, 2009 - H1N1 swine flu killed 10,000 Americans, sent 213,000 to the hospital, and sickened 50 million -- a sixth of the population -- by mid-November, the CDC estimates.

The CDC's new estimates reflect a flood of new cases from mid-October to mid-November, as the current wave of the U .S. flu pandemic was climbing to its peak. The numbers represent the middle of a range of estimates made using statistical calculations to correct for underreporting of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths.

"Sadly, there were nearly 10,000 deaths: 1,100 in children and 7,500 among young adults," CDC Director Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, said at a news conference. "That is much higher than we would see in a usual flu season. This is a flu that is much harder on young people and that has largely spared the elderly."

The new estimates suggest that about 15% of the population -- one in six Americans -- has had the H1N1 swine flu.

"That leaves most Americans not infected or vaccinated and still susceptible to H1N1 flu," Frieden said. "Even if there were a lot of infections without symptoms and adding in those who have been vaccinated, that still leaves a lot of people unprotected. Only time will tell what the future will hold -- but the more people who get vaccinated, the lower the probability of a third wave of the pandemic."

The 2009 have passed, welcome 2010...
Life is like a book, we will open a new book. Its pages are blank. We are going to put words on them by ourselves. The book is called "Opportunity" and its first chapter is New Year's Day .
BWER wishes happy new year, peaceful year to every one...