Swine Flu Activity Down

November 20, 2009

ABC News

By Courtney Hutchison

Health officials and health care providers in many areas of the country are breathing a sigh of relief — albeit a cautious one — as the number of confirmed cases of H1N1, as well as flu-related emergency room visits and ICU cases, begins to decline.

While there is still widespread flu activity in many regions, surveillance data in at least seven states suggest that this fall’s surge in H1N1 flu activity is starting to subside. Additionally, ABC News heard from 30 hospitals throughout the country that say flu activity is down.

“We might actually be beyond the peak,” Dr. Pascal James Imperato, Dean of the SUNY School of Public Health told ABC News’ David Muir. Imperato, who has studied influenza for 37 years, says the decline in flu activity may indicate “the beginning of a downswing.”

And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in a comment to ABC News, said that 2009 H1N1 activity is declining in a number of areas around the country, though they caution that levels are still well above what is expected for influenza at this time of year, and could surge again.

“The wave has crested in our region. The real question now is how long the wave will continue to roll ashore,” said Frank James, health officer for San Juan County, Wash. “We could still be seeing cases into the winter months.”

In Maryland, health officials have reported declining levels of hospitalization for swine flu since a spike last month.

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