'Swine Flu Dorms' Sprout at Colleges Nationwide

Campus is 'a perfect breeding ground for disease'

(NEWSER) - Colleges all over the country are welcoming back students—and dealing with an uninvited visitor: swine flu, Bloomberg reports. From the South to the Plains states, schools are reporting hundreds of cases—at Mississippi State University, more than 250 people have flu-like symptoms. “Envision 200 young people being stuffed into the basement of a smoky fraternity,” an official says. “What a perfect breeding ground for disease.” More»

Guests stuck in swine flu hotel pass the time with pizza, parties

(NEWSER) - The 300 guests and staff quarantined in Hong Kong's Metropark Hotel since Friday are getting used to life in captivity, the Wall Street Journal reports. The captives—confined since a Mexican guest tested positive for swine flu—complain about boring food and missed business deals, but some have organized beer and pizza parties to pass the seven-day quarantine period. More»

(NEWSER) - Hong Kong has quarantined an entire hotel after a guest was diagnosed with swine flu, the Wall Street Journal reports. The territory's chief executive said he opted to err on the side of caution in an attempt to contain the spread of the disease. Roughly 300 guests are trapped inside; they're allowed to roam freely through the hotel but are being encouraged to stay in their rooms and avoid contact. The patient is in isolation at a hospital. More»

Watchdogs accuse WHO of colluding with drugmakers

(NEWSER) - Was the H1N1 pandemic exaggerated? European officials are putting heat on the WHO over its handling of the pandemic, alleging the organization caused unnecessary panic and wasted millions of dollars. Reports released by an EU watchdog and the British Medical Journal go even further: they accuse the WHO of being influenced by drugmakers who stood to profit from unnecessary influenza preparation, the Washington Post reports. More»

Unused shots are near expiration date

(NEWSER) - More than 71 million doses of the H1N1 vaccine purchased by the federal government to combat an expected flu pandemic will have to be discarded if they go unused, which seems increasingly likely. Those doses were packaged for individual use, which dramatically decreases their shelf life. Of the 229 million doses bought for $1.6 billion, about 91 million were administered. The US will donate some of the rest to poor nations and keep about 35 million doses in bulk form. More»