Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Second death in Utah

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Second death in Utah

    I don't believe this has been reported before. Utah is showing a second death now:

    http://www.thespectrum.com/article/2...nues+to+Spread

    H1N1 Continues to Spread
    NEWS RELEASE • THE UTAH DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH • JUNE 4, 2009
    Post a Comment
    Recommend
    Print this page
    E-mail this article
    Share
    Del.icio.us
    Facebook
    Digg
    Reddit
    Newsvine
    Buzz up!
    Twitter

    What’s this?SALT LAKE CITY – As the Novel H1N1 influenza virus continues to spread throughout Utah, with some patients suffering severe illness, public health officials are stressing the importance of limiting the spread of the disease.
    Advertisement

    The Utah Department of Health (UDOH) today reported a total of 489 confirmed cases in the state, 35 individuals have required hospitalization, and two have died.
    The majority of individuals infected with the virus have recovered from their illness without complications and without the need for medical attention. However, some individuals are at greater risk of suffering from severe illness. Public health officials, physicians, and the general public should take precautions to prevent these individuals from becoming infected.
    “Pregnant women, children under the age of five, and people with pre-existing chronic medical conditions seem to be in the ‘high-risk’ category,” said State Epidemiologist Dr. Robert Rolfs. “Most of the hospitalized cases, and both of the deaths, fall into these high-risk categories; it’s important for these people to seek medical care if they are ill with an influenza-like illness. And for anyone else who may be sick, and who lives with someone who is high-risk, it’s important that they take steps not to infect others.”
    Dr. Rolfs also said physicians who see high-risk patients who are exhibiting symptoms of influenza should not wait for laboratory confirmation of Novel H1N1 influenza to begin antiviral treatment. At this time, most people with influenza have the Novel H1N1 virus. Symptoms of the virus are similar to seasonal influenza and include a fever of 101 or higher, cough, sore throat, headache, body aches, extreme fatigue, and possible nausea and vomiting.
    Everyone can help limit the spread of disease by practicing basic good hygiene—washing your hands frequently, sneezing into your elbow, blowing your nose into a tissue and discarding it properly.
    And if you or your children become ill, stay home from work and keep your children home from school, parties, and other group activities. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends staying home for 7 days after your symptoms begin or until you have been symptom-free for 24 hours, whichever is longer.
    This week, the World Health Organization reported 19,273 cases, including 117 deaths, in 66 countries throughout the world. Nationwide, CDC reported 11,054 cases, including 17 deaths, in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
    “The H1N1 epidemic continues to unfold and remains unpredictable,” said UDOH Executive Director Dr. David Sundwall. “It is by no means over, so public health at all levels will remain very vigilant in tracking cases and monitoring those patients who are most seriously ill with the virus,” he added.
    Sundwall also emphasized that health officials are watching to see if the virus changes and becomes more virulent by the time the fall influenza season arrives.
    For updated information on Novel H1N1 influenza visit www.health.utah.gov/h1n1.


    pflu
    Wotan (pronounced Voton with the ton rhyming with on) - The German Odin, ruler of the Aesir.

    I am not a doctor, virologist, biologist, etc. I am a layman with a background in the physical sciences.

    Attempting to blog an nascent pandemic: Diary of a Flu Year

  • #2
    Re: Second death in Utah

    http://www.sltrib.com/news/ci_12520634?source=rss

    A second Utahn has died after testing positive for H1N1 swine flu.
    The patient died last week and was under age 18. The Salt Lake Valley Health Department has not yet provided further details about the death, but warned in a news release that, unlike nationally, the number of cases in the county are on the rise.
    There were 330 confirmed cases of swine flu in Salt Lake County, as of Thursday, with a total of 489 statewide.
    Wotan (pronounced Voton with the ton rhyming with on) - The German Odin, ruler of the Aesir.

    I am not a doctor, virologist, biologist, etc. I am a layman with a background in the physical sciences.

    Attempting to blog an nascent pandemic: Diary of a Flu Year

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Second death in Utah

      Utah child's death tied to H1N1 virus

      <!--subtitle-->Health ? Officials warn the new flu strain has not peaked yet.
      <!--byline-->By Heather May
      The Salt Lake Tribune

      <!--date-->Updated: 06/04/2009 05:14:05 PM MDT
      <!--secondary date-->


      <SCRIPT language=JavaScript> var requestedWidth = 0; </SCRIPT>
      <SCRIPT language=JavaScript> if(requestedWidth > 0){ document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').styl e.width = requestedWidth + "px"; document.getElementById('articleViewerGroup').styl e.margin = "0px 0px 10px 10px"; } </SCRIPT>A child is the second Utahn to die after testing positive for H1N1 swine flu.
      The Salt Lake Valley Health Department reported the death Thursday. The child, between the ages of 5 and 18, died this week and had a "pretty severe underlying chronic condition" and respiratory problems, according to Dagmar Vitek, the department's medical director.
      Those illnesses would have put him or her at a higher risk of developing serious complications from the flu. The child was homeschooled, according to the health department. He or she was hospitalized at Primary Children's Medical Center and died less than 24 hours later.
      Most of the 489 cases in Utah continue to be mild, much like seasonal flu, according to the state Health Department. Still, Salt Lake County is warning that while the H1N1 flu seems to have plateaued in much of the rest of the country, it is still on the rise here.
      "I don't think we have peaked yet," Vitek said. "The [influenza] type A tests that come back positive are going up, up, up. It's out there in the community and people really have to be aware of that."
      Nationally, around 36,000 people die from seasonal flu-related causes. So far, there have been 17 U.S. deaths related to the H1N1 flu -- not counting Utah's latest death -- with more than 11,000 confirmed cases, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
      About 350 Utahns die of seasonal flu-related causes each year, with an average
      of two pediatric deaths. This year, one child has died of the seasonal flu, according to the state health department.
      The new H1N1 flu, for which there is no vaccine, continues to spread most rapidly among Utah's young: Most of Salt Lake County's 330 confirmed cases are between the ages of 5 and 24, with an average age of 16.
      The state health department is reporting that pediatric demand for the antiviral Tamiflu, which is used to treat the symptoms of seasonal and swine flu, "increased substantially" this week. "At this time, suppliers do not expect to face any shortages," the health department said.
      Vitek hopes the spread will halt as school ends this week and next.
      Still, "it's not only schools. [It includes children] in sports teams and dance clubs. They share their bottles and they don't wash their hands. They're little germ factories," she said.
      Salt Lake County has the most cases in the state and the most hospitalizations, with 33 of Utah's 35 hospitalizations.
      Vitek said a majority of the hospitalized cases involve underlying conditions that increase the risk of complications, including heart disease and diabetes. In fact, 72 percent have such a condition, are obese or are under age 2.
      The most common risk factors among Utah's severe cases are asthma and pregnancy.
      The first Utah death tied to the new flu strain occurred May 20, when 21-year-old Marcos Antonio Sanchez died in the University of Utah Hospital's intensive care unit. Health officials said he suffered from "several" underlying health conditions; he was overweight and had sleep apnea. He tested positive for the new flu before his death.
      hmay@sltrib.com

      Utah’s independent news source since 1871, The Salt Lake Tribune covers news, entertainment, sports and faith for Salt Lake City and the state of Utah.

      Comment

      Working...
      X