http://phys.org/ en-us Phys.org internet news portal provides the latest news on science including: Physics, Nanotechnology, Life Sciences, Space Science, Earth Science, Environment, Health and Medicine. (AP) -- President Barack Obama declared the swine flu outbreak a national emergency, giving his health chief the power to let hospitals move emergency rooms offsite to speed treatment and protect noninfected patients. http://phys.org/news175692709.html Medicine & Health Sun, 25 Oct 2009 12:32:10 EST news175692709 With the 2009 influenza season upon us, characterization of the epidemiology and duration of shedding for the nH1N1 virus is critical. Investigators from the U.S. Air Force Academy and the U.S. Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine Epidemiology Consult Service capitalized on a unique opportunity to gain valuable insights about the natural behavior of the nH1N1 virus, including shedding patterns, during a recent large-scale swine flu outbreak at the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA). Their results are reported in an article published online on October 20, 2009 by the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. It is the first published study of its kind. http://phys.org/news175235560.html Medicine & Health Tue, 20 Oct 2009 05:33:31 EST news175235560 (AP) -- It was six months ago that scientists discovered an ominous new flu virus, touching off fears of a catastrophic global outbreak that could cause people to drop dead in the streets. Doomsday, of course, never came to pass. http://phys.org/news174847205.html Medicine & Health Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:10:01 EST news174847205 (PhysOrg.com) -- In a study published September 28th ahead of print in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Health Perspectives, researchers measured oseltamivir carboxylate (OC), the active metabolite of the popular anti-influenza drug Tamiflu (oseltamivir phosphate), in samples of sewage discharge and river water collected near Kyoto City during Japan's 2008-2009 flu season. http://phys.org/news173644288.html Space & Earth Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:33:28 EST news173644288 (AP) -- Coughed on by somebody with the flu? Duke University researchers are developing a test to determine - with a mere drop of blood - who will get sick before the sniffling and fever set in. And they're turning to hundreds of dorm-dwelling freshmen this fall to see if it works. http://phys.org/news172771232.html Medicine & Health Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:10:27 EST news172771232 (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. says it can help schools get through swine flu. http://phys.org/news172333038.html Technology Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:30:02 EST news172333038 (AP) -- Pregnant women, health workers and people with risky health conditions will be the first to receive swine flu vaccinations, according to an agreement reached Friday by the world's seven largest economies and Mexico. http://phys.org/news171886623.html Medicine & Health Fri, 11 Sep 2009 11:40:01 EST news171886623 In a national survey of businesses that looks at their preparations for a possible widespread H1N1 outbreak, Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) researchers found that only one-third believe they could sustain their business without severe operational problems if half their workforce were absent for two weeks due to H1N1 (also known as "swine flu"). Just one-fifth believe they could avoid such problems for one month with half their employees out. The survey also found that while 74% of businesses offer paid sick leave for employees, only 35% of businesses offer paid leave that would allow employees to take care of sick family members, and even fewer would allow paid time off to care for children if schools/daycares were closed (21%). http://phys.org/news171727110.html Medicine & Health Wed, 09 Sep 2009 15:20:02 EST news171727110 (AP) -- Chilean authorities say they have destroyed 90,000 turkey eggs since swine flu was detected in the birds two weeks ago. http://phys.org/news171275814.html Medicine & Health Fri, 04 Sep 2009 09:37:31 EST news171275814 (AP) -- The World Health Organization said Friday that Tamiflu should only be given to particularly vulnerable people - a warning to countries like Britain where the swine flu drug is being handed out freely. http://phys.org/news170136711.html Medicine & Health Sat, 22 Aug 2009 05:22:29 EST news170136711 An outbreak of swine flu has been detected in two turkey farms in Chile, government veterinary services in the country said. http://phys.org/news170073702.html Medicine & Health Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:42:05 EST news170073702 (AP) -- At St. Francis Preparatory School this fall, the auditorium will double as a sick room. New York City might make students wash their hands several times a day. There will be unit on swine flu in health class. http://phys.org/news169644919.html Medicine & Health Sun, 16 Aug 2009 13:00:03 EST news169644919 To better understand the enemy they will face this fall, health investigators have been studying Milwaukee's swine flu outbreak during the spring and following the virus as it sweeps through the Southern Hemisphere. http://phys.org/news168020579.html Medicine & Health Tue, 28 Jul 2009 18:20:02 EST news168020579 As part of a series about Americans' response to the H1N1 flu outbreak, the Harvard Opinion Research Program at the Harvard School of Public Health is releasing a national poll that focuses on Americans' views and concerns about the potential for a more severe outbreak of Influenza A (H1N1) in the fall or winter. The polling was done June 22-28, 2009. http://phys.org/news166969838.html Medicine & Health Thu, 16 Jul 2009 13:40:28 EST news166969838 The recent global swine flu outbreak has underscored the critical need for good surveillance and rapid access to epidemiological data. The US military, starting with early monitoring efforts in the 1970s, has developed a broad-based influenza monitoring system. http://phys.org/news166187100.html Medicine & Health Tue, 07 Jul 2009 12:40:02 EST news166187100 Few people changed their behaviour in the early stages of the swine flu outbreak, finds a study published on bmj.com today. But the results do support efforts to inform the public about specific actions that can reduce the risks from swine flu and to communicate about the government's plans and resources. http://phys.org/news166098351.html Medicine & Health Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:26:28 EST news166098351 Google on Wednesday expanded "Google Flu Trends," its online tool for tracking influenza outbreaks, to Australia and New Zealand. http://phys.org/news163272745.html Technology Wed, 03 Jun 2009 18:32:54 EST news163272745 (AP) -- An ocean liner docked in an Australian city on Saturday despite objections raised by port officials over a swine flu outbreak on board that cut short a Great Barrier Reef cruise. http://phys.org/news162884187.html Medicine & Health Sat, 30 May 2009 06:37:04 EST news162884187 As two Stanford University researchers described their experience watching public reactions in the initial days of the H1N1 flu outbreak, it sounded like one of those nature films in which tiny fish dart back and forth in perfect unison -- thousands of individuals behaving as if they were one body. http://phys.org/news162672759.html Medicine & Health Wed, 27 May 2009 19:54:20 EST news162672759 (AP) -- The world's swine flu death toll reached 100 as two more New Yorkers died while infected with a virus that has sickened more than 12,000 people. http://phys.org/news162626778.html Medicine & Health Wed, 27 May 2009 07:06:44 EST news162626778 (AP) -- Flu experts are looking very closely at Britain - and some have decided that the U.K.'s swine flu-fighting tactics are seriously off the mark and may be hiding a much larger outbreak. http://phys.org/news162142713.html Medicine & Health Thu, 21 May 2009 16:39:30 EST news162142713 (AP) -- Drug giant GlaxoSmithKline said it has offered to donate 50 million doses of a pandemic vaccine to the World Health Organization in the event of a global flu outbreak, according to a company spokesman. http://phys.org/news161962615.html Medicine & Health Tue, 19 May 2009 14:37:37 EST news161962615 (AP) -- Swine flu and the possibility of a vaccine topped the agenda Monday as the World Health Organization opened its annual meeting amid concern that the virus continues to spread - and kill - around the globe. http://phys.org/news161845919.html Medicine & Health Mon, 18 May 2009 06:12:36 EST news161845919 (AP) -- For seven years, Dr. Thomas Frieden has been the nagging conscience of the nation's biggest city, the man who made sure New Yorkers couldn't smoke in bars or eat french fries cooked in artery-clogging trans fats. http://phys.org/news161629160.html Medicine & Health Fri, 15 May 2009 18:01:06 EST news161629160 (AP) -- A day after a swine flu outbreak shut down three public schools in New York City, officials said Friday the virus is spreading faster than seasonal flu does, but the symptoms have generally been mild. http://phys.org/news161616191.html Medicine & Health Fri, 15 May 2009 14:24:30 EST news161616191 (AP) -- President Barack Obama on Friday will name Dr. Thomas Frieden as director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, administration officials told The New York Times. http://phys.org/news161583368.html Medicine & Health Fri, 15 May 2009 05:16:39 EST news161583368 Pregnant women and newborns are at greatest risk in a flu epidemic, but more planning must be done to ensure that they receive priority treatment should an outbreak occur, according to a University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) and University of Pittsburgh study. The findings, published online in Emerging Health Threats Journal, raise concerns about the ability of hospitals to adequately treat this vulnerable population, particularly in light of the current H1N1 flu outbreak. http://phys.org/news161429710.html Medicine & Health Wed, 13 May 2009 10:35:58 EST news161429710 (AP) -- Millions of children, many wearing surgical masks, returned to scrubbed and disinfected classrooms Monday after a nationwide shutdown to curb the spread of swine flu in Mexico. The worldwide toll of deaths linked to the illness rose to 61. http://phys.org/news161258262.html Medicine & Health Mon, 11 May 2009 10:58:04 EST news161258262 (AP) -- As poor countries face a possible swine flu pandemic with only enough Tamiflu to treat a tiny fraction of their populations, some experts are calling for a simple but contentious solution: massive production of generics. http://phys.org/news161243834.html Medicine & Health Mon, 11 May 2009 06:57:53 EST news161243834 (AP) -- Nations need common rules for responding to flu outbreaks to prevent discrimination and unfair trade restrictions, Mexico's U.N. envoy said Friday, complaining that Mexican citizens and exports were being unfairly singled out. http://phys.org/news161028327.html Medicine & Health Fri, 08 May 2009 19:05:57 EST news161028327