Whats the definition of a “probable” and “confirmed” case?
The CDC has specific definitions for these words: Confirmed refers to a person with a fever and coughing or shortness of breath who has been confirmed by laboratory tests to be infected with the swine flu virus. Probable refers to a person who had a flulike illness (fever, coughing, shortness of breath) who has tested positive for influenza A, but is not positive for either of the Type A flu viruses that have been circulating this winter. The vast majority of these “probable” cases will later be confirmed as swine flu. Suspected refers to a person with a flulike illness (fever, coughing, shortness of breath) who also meets one of the following criteria: • Became ill within seven days of close contact with a person with confirmed swine flu. • Became ill within seven days of traveling to a community with at least one confirmed swine flu case. • Lives in a community with at least one confirmed swine flu case. Other news organizations use descriptions including “possible,” “presumed,” “lik
