What about the 2009-10 H1N1 flu that was supposed to be similar to 1918? Turned out, it infected 25% of the world without us knowing it and ended up being about 20x less lethal than predicted?[/quote]
Could happen. I know they are just anecdotal, but here are the four cases I knew personally (four positive tests):
30s F – No hospitalization
60s M – No hospitalization
60s F – Hospitalized then back home
70s F – Hospitalized then back home
I’ve seen news articles where ER nurses have said that once people are hospitalized, they only leave in a body bag. Well that hasn’t been my experience so far.[/quote]
Those nurses are not wrong. And your observation is not wrong.
Please remember both your observation and the ER nurses’ observation are based on self selection.
Patients are so scared to present to the ER (especially in hotspots in NYC) that only the extremely severe cases are showing up, and those mostly end up dying. So those ER nurses are right.
Your personal anecdote is right too. But realize your cases are also self selected as well. How many of the 4 cases you know are obese and diabetic African Americans living in inner city apartments?
Remember we are all blindfolded people trying to describe an elephant by touch. The NYC ER nurses are describing a snake with two holes for a head, and you are describing a stump like a tree trunk. Both are right!
