28 confirmed Swine Flu cases in New York, over 100 more suspected

New York City health officials have confirmed 28 cases of Swine Flu, and at least 100 additional people may have been infected.

The cases are centered around the St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens, where 17 students have tested positive for Swine Flu, and 100 students in total have complained of flu-like symptoms. What’s more concerning is that some relatives of the students have also come down with symptoms; the issue here is that Swine Flu can be contagious before symptoms are present, so those relatives may have exposed co-workers throughout the city.

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg told a press conference Monday that the positive was that the people with Swine Flu in New York have only suffered mild illness. He noted that the city doesn’t know “if the spread will be sustained,” but so far “there does not seem to be any outbreak” outside of the cluster based around the school.

The US government has sent antiviral drugs and face masks to the city as a precaution.

(image: European Pressphoto Agency/ NY Times)