Another Run on Masks?

ATLANTA—The swine flu could infect 50 percent of the
American population, lead to 1.8 million hospital admissions and
cause up to 90,000 deaths by year’s end, according to an
ominous report from the President’s Council of Advisors on Science
and Technology.
 
That’s under a worst-case scenario, but even so, the federal
government is pushing drug makers to get a vaccine ready before the
expected peak of H1N1 infections in mid-October.
 
Up to 40,000 U.S. deaths are linked to seasonal flu each year, with
most of the fatalities among people over 65. But U.S. Health and
Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said the new flu virus
is “unusual” because it seems to affect children and
young people more harshly than others. She will decide whether to
launch a voluntary vaccination campaign when all clinical trials
for the H1N1 vaccine are complete.
 
“We’re going to have people hospitalized and we will,
unfortunately, have more deaths,” Sebelius said.
 
In May, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention rolled
out a massive effort to contain the H1N1 flu, consumers across the
country went on a buying spree for masks
and hand gel in an attempt to protect themselves from the virus.
With the flu’s resurgence, some providers think that could
happen again. 
  
Michael Normand of Northshore Medical Supply in Houston said the
company had people on a waiting list the first time around. Now if
customers come in for masks, he said, there will be a limit on the
number of boxes they can purchase.
 
“Last time, we got pretty much everyone covered who wanted
some. But we are more stocked up than last time and we are
prepared,” Normand said.
 
Although the CDC Web site states no mask or respirator can
completely protect against contracting influenza, health officials
have said if used correctly, a mask rated N95 or above that fits
snugly on the face can filter out small airborne particles.
 
For more information on H1N1 and seasonal flu, including guidance
for health care professionals on preparation and response, check
www.flu.gov.