WASHINGTON (AP) — President Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients.

The declaration, signed Friday night and announced Saturday, comes with the disease more prevalent than ever in the country and production delays undercutting the government’s initial, optimistic estimates that as many as 120 million doses of the vaccine could be available by mid-October.

Health authorities say more than 1,000 people in the United States, including almost 100 children, have died from the strain of flu known as H1N1, and 46 states have widespread flu activity. So far only 11 million doses have gone out to health departments, doctor’s offices and other providers, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials.

Administration officials said the declaration was a pre-emptive move designed to make decisions easier when they need to be made. Officials said the move was not in response to any single development.

Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius now has authority to bypass federal rules when opening alternative care sites, such as offsite hospital centers at schools or community centers if hospitals seek permission.

Some hospitals have opened drive-thrus and drive-up tent clinics to screen and treat swine flu patients. The idea is to keep infectious people out of regular emergency rooms and away from other sick patients.

Hospitals could modify patient rules — for example, requiring them to give less information during a hectic time — to quicken access to treatment, with government approval, under the declaration.

The complete article can be found at USAToday

Below article clippings via: Yahoo News
ATLANTA – U.S. health officials say swine flu could strike up to 40 percent of Americans over the next two years and as many as several hundred thousand could die if a vaccine campaign and other measures aren’t successful….

…In a normal flu season, about 36,000 people die from flu and its complications, according to American Medical Association estimates. Because so many more people are expected to catch the new flu, the number of deaths over two years could range from 90,000 to several hundred thousand, the CDC calculated. Again, that is if a new vaccine and other efforts fail…

…The World Health Organization says as many as 2 billion people could become infected over the next two years — nearly one-third of the world population…

…WHO officials believe the world is in the early phase of the new pandemic.  First identified in April, swine flu has likely infected more than 1 million Americans, the CDC believes, with many of those suffering mild cases never reported. There have been 302 deaths and nearly 44,000 reported cases, according to numbers released Friday morning.
Because the swine flu virus is new, most people haven’t developed an immunity against it. So far, most of those who have died from it in the United States have had other health problems, such as asthma.

Additional information and informative links:

News Articles: Tamiflu resistant viruses
Tamiflu-resistant swine flu case found in Canada
First case in Americas of drug-resistant swine flu: reports
Tamiflu-Resistant Swine Flu Virus Found in Hong Kong

Flu Warnings: Flu Chief
AP Interview: Flu chief: Pandemic in early stages

The WHO and CDC have stopped daily reporting of deaths/cases as the numbers get harder to delineate and too large. Current death toll was somewhere near 700 with a recent jump of 66% from the last count. Margaret Chan is warning this could be the biggest flu pandemic ever seen.
Global swine flu death toll now over 700: WHO
First defense against swine flu – seasonal vaccine

Nature and Science released studies showing that the virus is vastly different from the common seasonal flu.
Swine flu virus linked to more lung damage: lab study

As of yesterday April 25, 2009 we have the following:

• 80-something deaths in Mexico, 1000+ infected per official report.
• Unofficial reports of many more deaths and infected.
• Confirmed cases in California (7), Texas (3), Kansas (2), suppressed news of up to 200 cases in New York but some confirmed now (8), likely cases in London, Montreal.

Below are some helpful links:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/8018428.stm

TX: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/6391960.html
NY: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn…042502404.html
CA: http://www.reuters.com/article/bonds…46290520090425
MN: http://www.northlandsnewscenter.com/…/43699217.html

UK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/feedarticle/8474221

http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/recommendations.htm – Tamiflu isn’t known to be ineffective per the CDC.

CDC: http://www.cdc.gov/swineflu/