Health Officials Predict Worst Of H1N1 May Be Over

Health officials in Allegheny County are predicting the worst of H1N1 may be over.

VIDEO: Allegheny County Sees Decrease In H1N1 Cases

Last week, the Allegheny County Health Department saw the highest number of swine flu patients at emergency rooms since the outbreak began. Immediately after, though, health officials said they saw a drastic drop in cases.

At about Oct. 23, 17 percent of patients seeking treatment at local emergency rooms had H1N1, health officials said.

That number is now down to 9 percent.

QUESTIONS: Have an H1N1 question? E-mail it to webstaff@wpxi.com. ANSWERS: Click Here to see general practitioner Dr. Mark Itskowitz's responses.

Health officials said they want to make it clear that 9 percent is still a high number, and they still recommend children, as well as pregnant women and health care workers, to get the H1N1 vaccine.

They also said another wave of illness could hit.

"We will have to wait and see if there will be another wave of influenza-like illness to hit a little later once the seasonal flu starts," said Guillermo Cole of the Health Department. "It remains to be seen what we will have on the heels of the H1N1 outbreak."

Many people suffering flu-like illness are questioning whether it is H1N1, Cole said. The Allegheny County Health Department said virtually all cases of flu right now, more than 99 percent, are H1N1.

Not a single case of the regular flu has been confirmed yet in Allegheny County, health officials said.