Itsuo Inouye / AP Photo
Just when you thought swine flu was becoming passé: the CDC released new data on Saturday showing that the number of people infected with the H1N1 virus has climbed to 2,254 in 44 states and Washington D.C. A 53-year-old man in Costa Rica died of the flu, and was the first victim reported outside North America and a man from Washington state with a heart condition also died. The World Health Organization stated because there is no evidence of person-to-person transmission, a pandemic announcement won’t be necessary, but cautioned that if the flu spreads in the coming months or years, the virus could reach nearly 2 billion people. Japan, Australia, and Panama all recently announced their first cases as well. According to a Harvard study, nearly one in 10 Americans have stopped hugging and kissing close friends or relatives over concern about catching the flu.