Morgantown High School Student Dies of A/H1N1 Flu

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.wvmetronews.com/index.cfm...&storyid=33170

10/26/2009

Morgantown High School Student Dies of Swine Flu
Lauren Boczek
Morgantown

A Morgantown High School student is dead after being hospitalized with the swine flu. The Dominion Post says 17-year-old Misty Cricks died yesterday afternoon at Ruby Memorial Hospital. Cricks starting showing symptoms about two weeks ago. She had been on a ventilator in the pediatric intensive care unit. An autopsy will be done to determine a cause of death. Cricks' mother says she was told the girl was brain dead.

If the autopsy shows she died due to complications from the virus, it will be the sixth H1N1-related death in the state. While flu cases are up 500 percent in Monongalia County, this would be the first reported death.

[Pathfinder]

Re: Morgantown High School Student Dies of A/H1N1 Flu

Health Department Says MHS Student Died from Type A Influenza

Posted Wednesday, October 28, 2009 ; 12:45 PM |
Updated Wednesday, October 28, 2009 ; 01:02 PM



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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>H1N1 flu is a subset of that type of influenza.
Story by Jessika Lewis

MORGANTOWN -- A Morgantown High School student died Sunday as a result of Type A Influenza, officials with the Monongalia County Health Department say.

They have not confirmed that Misty Cricks, 17, died from H1N1 influenza, but say H1N1 is a subset of the Type A virus.

She had another condition that weakened her immune system and she was hospitalized more than a week ago.
Officials at Morgantown High issued a statement Tuesday:
"It's devastating to lose a child. (Misty) was an important part of the school and will be sadly missed by the entire school community. Their thoughts and prayers go out to her family. She was remembered with a moment of silence yesterday," Principal Robert DeSantis said.

Misty will be recognized in the school yearbook and the school is undertaking some efforts to raise funds for her funeral, DeSantis said.

"It's a great loss," Monongalia County School Superintendent Frank Devono said. "If you lose any students its always a great loss to the school system and so we're presently working with counselors in that building to see if we need some additional help up there to be able to do some grief counseling."

The schools are continuing their battle against the spread of the virus. Devono said parents should keep their students at home if they have flu-like symptoms, or if they are like Misty and more prone to contracting illnesses.

The county has adjusted its attendance policy so there's no conflict about making the right choice.

"We're continuing to monitor our absences on a daily basis to kind of watch and determine where we stand," Devono said. "We believe that there is a virus in the school system, we don't know exactly what that is unless parents call back and confirm, but we are treating all flu cases as if they are an H1N1 virus."

He estimated 10 percent of the students are out sick. H1N1 flu shot clinics are planned this week through the county health department. An autopsy will confirm whether Misty is the first swine flu death in Monongalia County.

That would make six total for West Virginia.

http://www.wboy.com/story.cfm?func=viewstory&storyid=69264

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