Björn Zoëga, the director of the National Hospital, told Vísir that the next week will show whether the H1N1 virus – also known as swine flu – has peaked, or whether it will spread further.
As it stands now, numbers have been steadily rising – nearly a 45 people have gone to hospital from the illness, with 11 currently in intensive care. Zoëga believes that the illness could peak at this point or, on the other hand, up to 100 people could be hospitalized by it, with perhaps 30 in intensive care.
Zoëga said it was difficult to estimate how fatal the illness could be, although the elderly, young children, and people with lung conditions are especially vulnerable. However, it is believed that only about 1% of those who contract the flu actually seek medical attention from clincs or hospitals, so even complete numbers with regards to how many people catch the illness are unclear.