The Flying Pig Lands in Corvallis

H1N1 has hit my little burg with a bang: 2 hospitalized, 6 suspected cases. As I noted in an earlier post, this might not be a bad thing. If a lot of people get this flu when it's in a milder form, there should be both some resistance to re-infection and (as a result) lowered virulence when and if a more dangerous mutation emerges as we move toward the winter flu season.

On the other hand, I'm just a little infuriated to see that the state has refused to pay for antivirals as part of it's OHP coverage. OHP is Oregon's health plan for low income and vulnerable folks- especially kids. I'm not sure I understand the rationale here, but I am pleased that our hospital, Good Samaritan, has announced that it will provide the drugs to those suspected of H1N1 infection whether or not they're covered by insurance, state-provided or otherwise.

Followup: (7:47 PM) This probably deserves it's own post, but I'm feeling lazy. A new GAO report has declared that the US is unready for the next (potential) wave of swine flu.

WASHINGTON — The federal government isn't prepared for a potential outbreak of swine flu this fall, a Government Accountability Office report released to Congress concluded Wednesday.

Furthermore, said the GAO, Congress' nonpartisan investigative arm, federal agencies haven't addressed nearly half of the 24 recommendations it made last month.