Among eleven patients I saw last Monday with recent and fairly classic symptoms, none required admission to the hospital. So, even among the immunocompromised, it appears to have the usual virulence.
Vaccines take some time to produce.
We need to assure that there will be antivirals available, particularly for HCWs in emergency room and outpatient clinic. From past experience, if there is an outbreak that carries a significant risk of death, HCWs won't come to work. They will be panicked by the press reports like everyone else. Perhaps, more likely and so more important, real measures to prevent influenza in HCWs during an outbreak might reduce transmission to patients, where mortality is much more likely. All rights reserved.