2 hospitalized in NYC with suspected swine flu

Mayor Michael Bloomberg says two people in New York City have been hospitalized with suspected swine flu. Bloomberg says the two people hospitalized include a 2-year-old boy in the Bronx and a woman

News 12 Staff

Apr 29, 2009, 2:51 AM

Updated 5,638 days ago

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Mayor Michael Bloomberg says two people in New York City have been hospitalized with suspected swine flu.
Bloomberg says the two people hospitalized include a 2-year-old boy in the Bronx and a woman in Brooklyn. The two did not have contact with any students at St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, which is the main center of swine flu cases in the city. According to Bloomberg, both people are recovering and the woman was released from the hospital. Bloomberg also mentioned that the 2-year-old's older brother was exhibiting some symptoms of swine flu, but is recovering.
City Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden also says there are ?many hundreds? of schoolchildren sick with suspected cases of swine flu. According to Bloomberg, of the 380 students at P.S. 177 in Queens, 82 called in sick Tuesday with symptoms of the flu. One of the students who called in sick has siblings who attend St. Francis, Bloomberg says.
State health officials in California have reported three otherpossible cases, and Indiana authorities have confirmed one, bringing the total to 68.
The World Health Organization says some students in New York infected with swine flu had not traveled to Mexico and must have contracted the disease from returning classmates.
"This is a rapidly changing situation where other states and [The] Centers for Disease Control will be making announcements as things are clarified there," says New York State Health Commissioner Richard Daines.
Swine flu is suspected in up to 152 deaths in Mexico, with 20 deaths confirmed so far. The virus, which began in Mexico, has spread to at least six other countries. The WHO has raised its alert level from Phase 4 to Phase 6, two steps below pandemic stage. Officials discourage nonessential travel to Mexico, and arriving travelers are being questioned at the Mexican border.
New Zealand has confirmed swine flu in 11 people who recently returned from Mexico, and a man in Israel has also been confirmed with the virus. Spain confirmed its second case Tuesday.
None of the cases outside of Mexico have been fatal.
Symptoms of swine flu include a fever of more than 100 degrees, coughing, joint aches, severe headache, vomiting and diarrhea.
The Associated Press contributed to this article.
WorldHealth Organization