‘H1N1 could kill up to 90,000 Americans by year-end’

Washington: The Obama administration's advisory group on science and technology has said that the H1N1 virus could cause as many as 90,000 deaths in the US by the end of the year.      The deaths would be concentrated among children and young adults, said the report. "By the end of 2009, 60 to 120 million Americans would have experienced symptomatic infection; nearly one to two million would have been hospitalised, with 150,000-300,000 cared for in ICUs; and between 30,000 and 90,000 people would have died,'' said the report on 'US preparations for 2009-H1N1 Influenza'. In contrast, the typical seasonal flu kills around 35,000 annually. AGENCIES  Sandeep Gaikwad (28), a resident of Chandivli who was the first swine flu patient to be put on the ventilator in the city, succumbed at Powai's Hiranandani Hospital on Tuesday, taking Mumbai's H1N1 toll to 9 till now.