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SAN FRANCISCO (CBS 5) ―
Since April, 350 pregnant women in California have been infected with the H1N1 Swine Flu. 38 were so sick they had to go to intensive care units, and three have died. One Bay Area woman who went to intensive care due to H1N1 spoke exclusively to CBS 5 HealthWatch.
31-year-old Lori Tritto of San Francisco showed off the ultrasounds that are posted on her fridge. The scans reveal the baby is a boy. Tritto is 27 weeks pregnant, and she's glad to be home.
Three weeks ago, Tritto was at UCSF Medical Center in intensive care, infected with the swine flu and struggling to breathe.
Both Tritto and her husband were very scared. "There were two times where I was very close to being intubated," Tritto recalled. "They were going to come back in thirty minutes and if my oxygen wasn't better that was going to be it and that was very scary."
Tritto is a surgical oncology nurse at UCSF, but the last thing on her mind was a swine flu infection.
She said the experience was a major shock, adding that "I think my husband and I are still trying to figure it out."
Dr. Allison Bryant of UCSF is an assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and treated Tritto. She said that at UCSF, concern was high, explaining how this swine flu is a new condition and a new disease to many health care providers.
Dr. Bryant said little is known about how the new H1N1 virus acts in pregnant women. However, she said, "we know when a woman has the flu or pneumonia when a woman doesn't get enough oxygen that the fetus may also suffer and be compromised."
Tritto had this message for pregnant women: Take swine flu very seriously. It can be devastating and if you are infected, act quickly. That means call your doctor if you have symptoms. A fever, a cough and sore throat are the most common. In addition, be mindful of your surroundings, practice good hygiene and stay away from sick people.