Well, the way things are going (the fact that this particular virus has sustained and effective human to human transmission - i.e. Grade 6 pandemic) coupled with the fact that it is plausibly predicted to infect 60-120 million people in the US this year the odds of having H1N1 given a clinical diagnosis of "flu" are quite in flu's favor.
And, as has been the case with previous highly infective pandemic influenzas, the season flu (Inf A, Inf B) will not just be eclipsed, but rather replaced by this new guy. Of course that will only be the case in the short term (a few years) until H1N1 gradually becomes the seasonal flu. Also, given the prevalence of this new virus, the demand for confirmatory testing (via PCR) has far outstripped the capacity to confirm and may deplete reagents. Conventional wisdom currently is to defer diagnostic testing to hospitalized patients and particularly high risk patients. Expect that otherwise fit and healthy people with suspected H1N1 to be sent home from ED's and told to remain well hydrated, take Tylenol, and try not to interact with too many other people until a few days after symptoms resolve because the majority of flu patients will be able to fight it off with conservative management.
was that too much?
