Flu Watch News.com

Federal officials said Thursday that colleges should consider suspending classes this fall if the H1N1 flu virus begins to cause severe illness in a significantly larger share of students than last spring … full story

New wave of virus expected after it flourishes in Southern HemisphereWhile flu viruses are notoriously capricious, making any firm predictions impossible, a new round could hit the Northern Hemisphere within weeks and lead to … Full Story      

Vaccination efforts are designed to help reduce the impact and spread of novel H1N1. The key populations include those who are at higher risk of disease or complications, those who are likely to come in contact with novel H1N1, and those who could infect young infants. When vaccine is first available, the committee recommended that [...]

… conference in Orlando to expect hospitals, emergency rooms and clinics to be overwhelmed by sick patients as the flu season begins in the autumn. … read more  

Dr. Jane Horton   As colleges and universities prepare to open the year with continuing warnings about the H1N1 virus, or swine flu, this promises to be a challenging year for student health centers. But Dr. Jane Horton, director of student health and counseling at Washington and Lee University, says that the keys for students to stay [...]

The H1N1 is sort of like a Frankenvirus – a form of Influenza A that combines the DNA of swine, avian and human flu viruses. And now those guys in charge are starting to smell smoke again, and see gray drifts rising on the horizon. There’s no siren sounding yet, but is it time to re-worry [...]

Information on the effectiveness of facemasks and respirators for decreasing the risk of influenza infection in community settings is extremely limited. Thus, it is difficult to assess their potential effectiveness in decreasing the risk of novel influenza A (H1N1) virus transmission in these settings. In the absence of clear scientific data, the interim recommendations below [...]

The U.S. military wants to establish regional teams of military personnel to assist civilian authorities in the event of a significant outbreak of the H1N1 virus this fall, according to Defense Department officials. read more