The President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology predicts that as many as 120 million people are likely to exhibit symptoms of the H1N1 virus. Half of these people will seek medical attention, exposing countless healthcare workers to the disease, the panel reported. Furthermore, it expects that up to 300,000 patients could require intensive care services. Seasonal flu typically leads to 36,000 deaths and 200,000 hospitalizations, up to 90% of which occur in the elderly population. The science advisors predict up to 90,000 deaths and 1.8 million hospitalizations from H1N1, also known as swine flu.
