Saturday 9 May 2009

Obese people most like to die of Swine Flu

"According to Cordova, many who died were patients suffering from
obesity, morbid obesity and diabetes, while children as a group
responded best to treatment."

So I am safe because I'm not obese and so are most of my family.


Mexico says most flu victims got sick before alert
May 8th, 2009 - 5:09 pm EST By Sindh Today | Category: UnCat, World

Mexico City, May 9 (EFE) Almost 90 percent of the 45 swine flu
fatalities recorded till date in Mexico began to feel the symptoms
before authorities knew of the existence of the new AH1N1 virus, the
country's health secretary said Friday.

Jose Angel Cordova told a press conference that most of those cases
were diagnosed and treated for pneumonia before the April 23
declaration of a health emergency.

At the same meeting with the press, the representative of the Pan
American Health Organisation in Mexico, Oscar Mujica, said that
without the preventive measures taken by the government, such as
suspending classes and other activities for several days, the epidemic
could have caused 8,605 deaths and 30,000 people hospitalized.

Mujica said that "while the epidemic appears to be stabilised," it is
"imperative" to continue with control measures.

According to the latest official figures, the number of confirmed
contagions rose from 1,204 Thursday to 1,364 Friday.

According to Cordova, many who died were patients suffering from
obesity, morbid obesity and diabetes, while children as a group
responded best to treatment.

Women account for 58 percent of the fatalities, and people between 20
and 54 are the hardest hit group, with 84 percent of the deaths.

The minister said that higher temperatures impeded the propagation of
the virus, while "the colder and drier it gets" the easier it is for
it to spread.

For that reason he was able to send a calming message to tourists
wanting to visit Mexico's coastal resorts, such as in the Pacific
states of Guerrero and Baja California, where hardly any cases of
contagion have been found.

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