UN swine flu tally approaches 40,000

"The United States remains the most infected country with 17,855 cases. The US death toll was reduced by one to 44 following an unspecified closer analysis."

You appear to be about 50 behind the actual US death toll. Here is a link to the actual US numbers as of this morning:

http://en.wikiped...d_States

There are some extremely serious gaps in reporting and methods of gathering information. The MMWR and press report reveal lack of coordination, slow information dissemination and even CDC policy recommendations for health care workers on the front lines. States are now only reporting about hospitalized cases, the estimates of those going to clinics and ERs seeking treatment are simply that, estimates.

Disturbingly, Tamiflu and antivirals side effects are preventing hospital workers from those prophylaxis uses on nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Some stop it while others simply refuse it. Guidelines on protective gear for hospital workers treating H1N1 cases are not complete. Eye protection isn't used uniformly, debate over the use of respirators vs face masks still goes on and many workers are not using some of these common sense measures to prevent contracting or spreading within the hospital setting beyond rigorous hand-washing. Isolation of patients also require proper negative pressure ventilation to prevent spread throughout hospital air systems.

Hospitals are notoriously bad in policy regarding sicktime for its workers. CDC are now asking they change policy to prevent further spread of this virus to vulnerable patient and from patient to worker to worker to patient, as evidently has now been documented.

http://www.cdc.go...0618.htm