Swine Flu Panic Fades, Schools Reopen

Even as the number of confirmed cases of swine flu in the state jumped dramatically - from 9 to 82, thanks mainly to catching up on a backlog of probable cases - the apparent stemming of the spread of the disease, as well as the relatively low-grade nature of the cases, has led to the decision to reopen many of the area schools that closed last week. One of those schools is Rogers Park's Kilmer Elementary, the first school to close. Of the nearly three dozen schools across the area that shut their doors due to the disease, only two remained unopened as of today. CDC officials stated that the current strain of H1N1 Influenza A (aka swine flu) is no worse than the seasonal flu, and only one U.S. citizen death and two deaths in the United States overall from the outbreak. [Tribune]