[alyscat]

We see a lot of probable, but those don't always translate to guaranteed. The flu is spreading and likely to go to a stage 6, but pandemic does not necessarily mean deadly, just widespread. Normal flu is anticipated, and probably is rarely submitted to the CDC (since a cold doesn't have a fever and a flu does, so it's fairly easily diagnosed and treated with the usual suspects).

Right now the numbers are so erratic because (IMHO) to keep "panic" down, they're only showing lab confirmed cases. Well, we don't usually have lab confirmed cases during the usual flu season. (see above for why) -

The H1N1 at this point is mild in the US and easily treated - what will happen when it goes south for the winter (as flu usually does) and gets incubated and mutated in that population and comes back to us for flu season (after all, that's how they determine which strands to put in the flu vaccines, they use the most recent/prevalent from the southern hemisphere strands - which is why they get it wrong sometimes) - is anybody's guess.

Best to stay alert, stay healthy, use common sense, and not get too emotionally involved in all this. We're getting "good" real time information. Use it to your advantage.
alys