If the swine flu virus tracks how previous pandemics have unfolded, a leading medical official says that within the next 12 months, some 5 million Floridian could contract the virus.
Dr. Richard Hopkins, acting state epidemiologist, said Thursday that pandemics are deadly because so many people get ill. However, he points out that more than 30 percent of the population was infected in previous pandemics.
Florida has about 3,000 confirmed cases so far and some 22 residents infected with the H1N1 virus or swine flu have died.
Health officials believe that the actual number of persons with the virus could be higher if one takes into account the unreported cases. Public schools are set to open over the next few weeks and officials are anticipating a rise in the number of swine flu cases and deaths.
