This story from the news service’s Maggie Fox reports that young people from the ages of five -14 remain the group still most likely to be affected by H1N1.

Earlier this week, the World Health Organization (WHO) called attention to the number of H1N1 cases globally, saying that while there appeared to be a decline in H1N1 in the Americas, a third wave of this pandemic influenza was possible—not predicted, but possible.

As the Americans were hit first and hardest, that could be part of the decline seen now. With novel strains such as H1N1, the only guide can be history. What happened before?

This report is from Qwest, a diagnostic testing company. You likely have seen the Quest boxes outside your doctor’s office, waiting for pick-up, if you had an appointment at the end of the day.

Reuters

“Results from flu tests show the pandemic of swine flu is definitely on the downswing in the United States, researchers at Quest Diagnostics said Friday.

“The report supports what U.S. health officials have said — the H1N1 is ebbing across much of the United States, having reached a second peak in October.”

..”The company analyzed 170,000 flu tests taken between May and December to map out two peaks in the U.S. epidemic — one in April and one at the end of October.

“Between this peak week and December 9, testing rates fell by 75 percent. In the most recent week reported, December 9, testing rates were equivalent to volumes experienced in late August, when the second wave began,” the company said.”

Source: Reuters, December 1, 2009