Impact of H1N1 on Young Women
October 13, 2009 - A Canadian study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on 10/12/09, notes that more than 2/3 of those who have fallen critically ill and died of H1N1 in Canada are young women.
The research notes that there have been 2 variants of the disease.: In 99% of cases, the disease is relatively mild with patients missing just a few days of work. However, in about 1/1000 cases, patients become gravely ill and require huge amounts of medical care.
The study, on 168 patients (67% female) admitted to the ICU, revealed that 1 in 6 died, 72% of them women, with an average age of 42.
According to the research, of the first 7,107 cases reported in Canada, 20% required hospitalization and 4% were admitted to the ICU. Of those admitted to the ICU, 67% were female and 30% were children. The average age of ICU patients was 32.
Mark M. Blatter, M.D.
Medical Director
Primary Physicians Research