May 1, 2009 7:34 pm US/Eastern
No New Swine Flu Cases In City As Outbreak Slows
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The swine flu outbreak that has caused a week of concern and closed schools in our area appears to have stabilized. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and city Health Commissioner Thomas Frieden announced Friday that there were no new confirmed cases of the virus to report, though there were five new probable cases.
"It looks like we're getting through this in a nice way and I don't detect any fewer people in the subway or going into the stores or people canceling trips. The bottom line is, it is safe to come into the city and to go around and enjoy and work and get an education," Bloomberg said.
Bloomberg said one of the new probable cases of swine flu, also known as the H1N1 flu, comes from a student who attends PS 177 in Queens, which has been closed since Wednesday because of the outbreak. No new illnesses from that school have been reported since, however.
"The trend we have seen for the past week continues. Nearly all those who have contracted the H1N1 flu or who have had probable cases of the flu have had relatively mild cases and all have recovered or are recovering nicely," he said.
Bloomberg also noted that a recently hospitalized Pace University student suspected of having the virus had actually contracted the seasonal strain of the flu and has returned home.
"Just because you have the flu doesn't mean you have [swine] flu and we have no idea which percentage of cases are the seasonal flu versus this flu," he said.
Frieden said he has found few signs that the city's outbreak is spreading beyond a few pockets or getting more dangerous.
Almost all of the cases so far involve people associated with St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, which is set to reopen Monday after being closed all this week. About a third of the students there came down with flu-like symptoms, as well as many of their teachers and relatives.
The news comes following a Thursday night teleconference between the Office of Emergency Management and the City's Department of Health, produced a comforting assessment: the new H1N1 strain of the virus hasn't affected victims as seriously as it has in Mexico, where it's suspected of causing nearly 2,000 deaths.
"This is something that most people, when they get it in their bodies, are designed to counteract it, and they will come out of it just fine," Bloomberg said on Thursday.
Despite the latest developments from health officials suggesting a stabilization of the city's swine flu cases, parents and school administrators are still being extra cautious.
Five schools, all in New York City, remain closed, including St. Francis Prep in Queens, where the first cases of the virus were first detected in the city.
"There were hundreds and hundreds of students who were ill and virtually every one of them had mild illness and virtually every one of the m has recovered, or is recovering," said Frieden.
As of Friday, federal health officials have confirmed a total of 50 cases in New York and 141 in the U.S.
Frequently Asked Questions: What Is Swine Flu?
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