Text Size

Email Post

Print Post

Comments (2)

Save Article

file photo

New York - New Yorkers were able to breathe a breath of fresh air Friday when Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there were no new confirmed cases of the swine flu, or what officials calling the H1N1 virus. Yet plenty of people are still afraid the virus is spreading, causing a paranoia that’s clogging up the system at local hospitals.

During an afternoon news conference, Bloomberg and City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden said those who had come down with the swine flu in New York City were on the mend and probable cases appear to have only minor flu symptoms.

“What we’re reassured by is we haven’t seen severe illness. That is what we had been very concerned about. It doesn’t mean we won’t, but it’s reassuring a week in that we haven’t seen a single case of severe illness with flu,” said Frieden. “But we do expect to see it continue spreading in the community.”

That expectation has blossomed into widespread concern. Parents have been flooding local emergency rooms with their children, paranoid that they may have contracted the swine flu.

“Obviously, please, don’t go to the hospital unless you are seriously ill. All that’s likely is that you’re going to clog the system and you may very well infect other people,” said Bloomberg.

Dr. Andrew Racine of the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore says the hospital is seeing 30 percent more patients since the swine flu outbreak. He says many of the children have fevers, allergy symptoms, or minor ailments that don’t require hospital visits. The result is long waits which is problematic for patients who really need medical attention.

“There are some people who are bringing in their children who might not be ill, but are sitting next to someone who might be ill, but are sitting next to someone who might be. And then three days from now or four days from now that child actually will be ill,” said Racine. “It’s not just parents who are reacting, it’s institutions like schools and daycare centers and workplaces all of whom think, ‘Oh my goodness, we have to have children before they come back to school,’ which is not the case.”

More of today's headlines

“Jerusalem - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has chosen a U.S.-born expert on Middle Eastern affairs, Michael Oren, as the Jewish state's new ambassador to...” Jerusalem - Israel Picks U.S. Immigrant for New Washington Envoy “Israel - Warplanes bombed tunnels beneath the border between the Gaza Strip and Egypt Saturday killing two Palestinians, after militants fired several mortars at Israel...” Israel - Air Strikes Kill 2 in Gaza Tunnel after Rockets Fired from Terrorists Strikes Inside Israel