A new study has confirmed that last year the H1N1 pandemic flu that clutched the United States was nothing more than most seasonal strains.

From April 2009 to April 2010, there were about 43 million to 89 million H1N1 pandemic flu cases, the U.S. Centres for Disease Control and Prevention informed. Out of these cases there were 12, 470 deaths and 274,000 were hospitalized.

Lead researcher Dr. Edward A. Belongia, from the Marshfield Clinic Research Foundation in Marshfield, Wisc. Said, “We found that the pandemic H1N1 virus disproportionately affected children and young adults, but the symptoms and risk of most complications were similar to those of seasonal influenza viruses.”

It was noted by researchers that a higher risk of hospital admission and serious complications were for young adults, children, people who had some medical condition and pregnant women, when infected with the pandemic virus.

Belongia noted that until now there have been no studies that could figure out whether the pandemic flu was deadlier or caused more critical illness than the simultaneously circulating seasonal strains.

He said that due to high transmission, there might have been a higher incidence of death or serious illness from the pandemic H1N1 infection.