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the fear of flu was enough to divert a DC bound jumbo jet.
Today, a passenger from Germany complained she felt ill and the pilots landed right away in Boston, runny nose, a sore throat.
We transported her to the Mass General Hospital.
Early estimates indicate the H one N one strain is slightly more contagious than the typical seasonal flu, infecting roughly one out of every four people who live with a flu patient.
Genetic testing, however, shows it is a less lethal strain than feared.
We do not see the markers for virulent CE that we're seeing in the 1918 virus.
That flu pandemic swept the world, killing an estimated 50 million people.
Upon news of this outbreak, prescriptions for anti virals jumped 800% and the government is spending $250 million two by 13 million Maur courses of Tamiflu and Relenza.
President Obama explained the move in a special Cabinet meeting.
Even if it turns out that the H one N one is relatively mild on the front end, it could come back in a more virulent form during the actual flu season.
If that happens, some public health experts are expressing concern about whether hospitals could handle the onslaught.
We really have not made much progress in our hospitals in the United States being able to surge up to increase capacity in a hurry, so this allows us to watch this thing move.
The man spearheading flew preps at Health and Human Services says hospitals will never have enough beds to handle a pandemic.
It's just not cost effective to build those facilities and have them sit empty.
He is confident, though, that there are enough medical supplies and doctors, and they can be shifted around the country as needed.
Because most countries are now advising against travel to Mexico, Airlines are starting to slash service, some by as much as 50%.
Katie All right, Nancy Cordes.
Thanks a lot.