Flu cases drop again. 2,362 Lab Confirmed cases

Flu cases, as reported to the CDC have dropped again to 2,362 laboratory confirmed cases (FluView: http://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/fluportaldashboard.html).

This marks 5 consecutive weeks that lab-confirmed cases have dropped.  But, since CDC keeps revising numbers for previous weeks, this is hard to pin down.   Research requires keeping previous sets of reported numbers to compare with current numbers.

But, the big picture is that out of US population of 312 million, only 2,362 cases have been confirmed.

We are still waiting for major media outlets to pick up this story.  They continue to trumpet the CDC’s flu scare message.

By the numbers…

For Week 5 (ending Feb 2, 2013)

A (H3)                                                   1026

2009 H1N1                                              74

A (Subtyping not Performed)                   640

B                                                             622

TOTAL                                                   2,362

Confirmed flu cases drop for fourth straight week in 2013

Laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza have dropped for the fourth week in a row, according to a report published by the CDC (FluView: http://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/fluportaldashboard.html).

Despite hard evidence of a declining flu season, CDC is still preaching the gospel of “flu is widespread” with the media playing along as willing lap dogs.  And, nearly every news story trumpets the benefits of flu treatments such as Tamliflu and Relenza, even though a review of clinical trials provides compelling reasons to doubt the efficacy of these treatments.

Also, news reports rarely mention hard numbers.  The public might become wary of the “flu is widespread” story if the number of laboratory confirmed cases were widely published.

However we will happily report them here:

Number of laboratory-confirmed cases for 2013 -

week     1              6287

week     2              6104

week     3              4427

week     4              2701

One wonders how long the CDC will be able to keep up this charade. 

CDC confirmed flu cases show steep drop

Reported laboratory confirmed flu cases were down sharply for the most recent reporting period (ending Jan 12, 2013). 

CDC reported that out a total 12,360 specimens only 3,638 were positive for influenza (source FluView: http://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/fluportaldashboard.html).

Breakdown:

A (H3)                                                   1,603

2009 H1N1                                              45

A (Subtyping not Performed)            1,355

B                                                              635

But, it is hard to know what to believe when it comes to reported numbers.    Numbers for weeks 51 and 52 of 2012 have been revised (up) since they were first released.  So, the numbers for the week ending Jan 12, 2013 may be revised in the future.  It is troubling why the numbers are being tinkered with.  CDC receives a certain number of specimens per week.   This number should not change.  But, it appears that CDC is releasing numbers before the final counts are in (thus lessening their usefulness). 

As previously reported on this blog, the hysteria surrounding flu this season appears to be overblown.  And now the hard numbers are bearing this out.