Jun 11, 2009 7:34 pm US/Eastern
Bruno: Swine Flu Costing NYC $10 Million
NEW YORK (CBS) ―
New York City's top emergency management official says the swine flu outbreak has already cost the city $10 million.
Commissioner Joseph Bruno at the Office of Emergency Management gave the figure while testifying at a City Council hearing Thursday.
Health Commissioner Dr. Thomas Farley says the health department alone has spent $4 million.
Farley also says if the city were hit with a more severe strain of flu, it would stretch city services.
Farley took over as commissioner this week for Dr. Thomas Frieden, who left to head the Centers for Disease Control.
Fifteen New Yorkers have died from swine flu, more than half the total reported 27 deaths in the United States. The Health Department says that hundreds of thousands of city residents may have contracted the illness.
The Health Department said most of the patients hospitalized with swine flu belonged to groups that had a higher risk of severe illness or complications from influenza, including:
- People who are over 65, under age 2, or pregnant
- People with chronic lung problems, such as asthma or emphysema
- People with chronic heart, kidney, liver or blood disorders
- People with neurological disorders that can cause breathing problems
- People with diabetes
- People whose immune systems are weakened due to illness or medication
- People under 18 years who are on long-term aspirin therapy.
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Q&A: What Is Swine Flu?
CDC Swine Flu Facts Sheet
Learn At Home Student Guides
CBS News Interactive: Fighting The Flu
CDC Emergency Updates Via Twitter
Swine Flu Twitter Live Search Results
David Burnia's Swine Flu Watch On Twitter
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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