White House advisers: H1N1 flu may infect half of U.S.

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By Steve Sternberg, USA TODAY

The global flu pandemic expected to return to the USA this fall is likely to infect as much as half the U.S. population, flooding hospitals with nearly two million patients and causing 30,000 to 90,000 deaths, according to the first official prediction of the scope of the coming epidemic.

The report, released Monday by the White House, was prepared by the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology beginning in late June at President Obama's request. It concludes that the expected resurgence of the new form of H1N1 flu, also known as swine flu, "poses a serious health threat to the United States."

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