Am I reading this right?

[beast]

in the past twenty days there has been 10,000 hospitalized and 900 + deaths?

9% mortality rate?

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                        U.S. Influenza and Pneumonia-Associated Hospitalizations
and Deaths from August 30 – September 19, 2009
                        Posted September 25, 2009, 11:00 AM ET
Data reported to CDC by September 22, 2009, 12:00 AM ET                     

Cases Defined by	Hospitalizations	Deaths
Influenza and Pneumonia Syndrome*	8,392	822
Influenza  Laboratory-Tests**	690	114
Totals:	10,082	936
*Reports can be    based on syndromic, admission or discharge data, or a combination of data    elements that could include laboratory-confirmed and influenza-like illness hospitalizations.                           **Laboratory confirmation includes any positive influenza test (rapid influenza tests, RT-PCR, DFA, IFA, or culture), whether or not typing was done.                           This table is based on data from  a new influenza and pneumonia hospitalizations and deaths web-based reporting system that will be used to monitor trends in activity. This is the third week  of data from this new system. The table shows aggregate reports of all influenza and pneumonia-associated  hospitalizations and deaths (including 2009 H1N1 and seasonal flu) since August  30, 2009 received by CDC from U.S.  states and territories. This table will be updated weekly each Friday at 11 a.m.  For the 2009-2010 influenza season, states are reporting based on new case definitions  for hospitalizations and deaths effective August 30, 2009.                           CDC will continue to use its    traditional surveillance systems to track the progress of the 2009-2010    influenza season. For more    information about influenza surveillance, including reporting of    influenza-associated hospitalizations and deaths, see Questions and Answers: Monitoring Influenza Activity, Including 2009 H1N1.                           The number of 2009 H1N1 hospitalizations and    deaths reported to CDC from April – August 2009 is available on the Past Situation Updates page.                           For state level information, refer to state health departments.                           International Human Cases  of 2009 H1N1 Flu Infection                         See: World Health  Organization.

Source: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/updates/us/

[beast]

9% over people hospitilized only.

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Is the pandemic strain of H1N1 more deadly than the seasonal flu?

It doesn't seem to be, but it's hard to say for sure. Public health officials keep track of how many people have died from H1N1, but without reliable figures on how many people have been infected, they don't know for sure what proportion of cases result in death.

In May, an international group of researchers analyzed the outbreak in Mexico and concluded the fatality rate there was 0.4%. About a week later, Dr. Anne Schuchat of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta said the fatality rate of H1N1 was "likely a little bit higher" than for the seasonal flu. The CDC estimates that seasonal flu contributes to 36,000 deaths in the U.S. each year, and the mortality rate varies between 0.06% and 0.24%.

Worldwide, pandemic flu has caused at least 2,837 deaths and 254,206 infections, which works out to a fatality rate of 0.1%, according to the World Health Organization.

Even if H1N1 is no deadlier than the seasonal flu, it will cause more deaths because it is likely to infect many more people.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/features/health/la-he-virus-qanda14-2009sep14,0,33423.story