H1N1 infections reach 57 million
About 57 million people in the United States have come down with swine flu infections, resulting in 257,000 hospitalizations and 11,690 deaths, according to new data out today from the CDC.
The estimates are from last April, when the outbreak first began, through Jan. 16 of this year and are an increase from the 47 million figure reported through mid-November.
The new numbers are actually the mid-level of a wide range of estimates. The range of infections goes from 41 million to 84 million, and the number of deaths from 8,330 to 17,160.
As we've reported before, children have been disproportionately affected by the H1N1 virus, with the latest estimates totaling nearly 20 million infections among people less than 18 years old.
While infections have certainly slowed since last fall, the virus is still spreading and will continue for months, public health officials continue to warn. It's not too late to get your swine flu shot.
