Another death in B.C. as severe A/H1N1 sends 15 more to hospital

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.vancouverite.com/2009/10...s-severe-swine-flu-sends-15-more-to-hospital/

Another death in B.C. as severe Swine Flu sends 15 more to hospital

By Salim Jiwa

VICTORIA, B.C. ? Swine Flu has resulted in more hospitalizations in B.C. in the past fortnight than any other period since the start of the Pandemic in April.

Eight people have died so far in B.C. with an additional death being reported in the B.C. interior. Canada?s death toll now stands at 80 with the Government of Canada announcing that eight of those deaths were in British Columbia.

The B.C. Ministry of Health said 14 people suffering severe Swine Flu symptoms were admitted to hospital between Oct. 6 and Oct. 12. Another patient has also been hospitalized in addition to the 14.

A bulletin released by the government for the week prior to Oct. 6 showed severe Swine Flu had resulted in the admission of 11 people to hospital for that period.

Combined, the two week period has resulted in 26 Swine Flu patients with severe illness who have been hospitalized.

Since April, 78 people in B.C. have been sent to hospital. The past two weeks have produced one-third of those hospitalizations. Of the 78, 26 have been admissions to ICU for critical care.

The latest bulletin also reports a death in the B.C. interior but the government?s figures released this week do not add up with known fatalities. The government of Canada reports eight deaths in B.C.

?Since Oct. 6, there have been 14 new severe cases of H1N1 identified in B.C. ? five in Interior Health, four on Vancouver Island, three in Vancouver Coastal Health and two in Fraser Health ? with one new death in Interior Health.?

?In total, BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has confirmed 78 severe H1N1 cases in British Columbia since April 2009, including:

o Thirty-one in Fraser Health, including three deaths.

o Fourteen in Interior Health, including two deaths.

o Five in Northern Health.

o Nineteen in Vancouver Coastal Health, including one death.

o Nine on Vancouver Island, including one death.

?Of these 78 lab-confirmed cases admitted to hospital, 24 of those have been admitted to the ICU. Two new cases have been admitted to the ICU in the last week.?

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Another death in B.C. as severe A/H1N1 sends 15 more to hospital

Source: http://www.calgarysun.com/news/canada/2009/10/14/11393661-sun.html


Wednesday, October 14, 2009
H1N1 toll hits 79 with death in B.C.

By ELIZABETH THOMPSON, NATIONAL BUREAU

Last Updated: 14th October 2009, 2:45am

OTTAWA -- The H1N1 flu virus claimed another victim last week as federal health officials said Canadians will likely have to wait until November for vaccinations against the potentially deadly bug.

Federal Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said one person died in B.C., from H1N1, bringing to 79 the number of Canadians who have died from the virus since it was first reported in Canada in April. B.C. is where the largest outbreaks in the country are currently being reported.

"This week we are seeing increased levels of influenza activity," Aglukkaq told reporters in a conference call from Iqaluit.

Aglukkaq said the areas of B.C. most affected by the H1N1 outbreak are the South Island, Lower Mainland and cases are spreading up into the province's interior. As of late last week, 64 people were hospitalized, she said.

However, it was the question of when Canadians can get vaccinated against H1N1 that dominated yesterday's press conference, fuelled by word that Aglukkaq may be prepared to sign off on the new H1N1 vaccine by Oct. 19 and vaccinations could start as early as Oct. 26.

Other countries, such as the U.S., have already begun vaccination programs.

Dr. David Butler-Jones, head of the Public Health Agency of Canada, called reports the vaccine could be available before November "speculative." While he did not completely rule out the possibility it could be available early in some areas, he said they are still on target for the vaccine to be available to all Canadians in early November.

To date, almost one-million doses of the vaccine have been produced at GlaxoSmithKline's facility in Ste-Foy, Quebec, he said.

Butler-Jones' comments came as a study published online yesterday by the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggested time could be of the essence when it comes to the H1N1 virus.

Researchers concluded delays of 30 days or more in vaccinating people reduced the effectiveness of vaccinations in combating the virus.

ELIZABETH.THOMPSON@SUNMEDIA.CA

 

[Shiloh]

Re: Another death in B.C. as severe A/H1N1 sends 15 more to hospital

Source: http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128329


Swine flu claims 8th B.C. victim
Last Updated: Thursday, October 15, 2009 | 8:18 PM ET

Ashley Miller died Sunday. (CBC)

The B.C. Centre for Disease Control has confirmed that a woman from the city of Mission is the province's latest swine flu fatality.

The centre has declined to identify the victim of the H1N1 virus, but CBC New has learned she was Ashley Miller, 26, who died Sunday, two days after she was admitted to Abbotsford Regional Hospital.

Miller is the eighth B.C. resident to die from swine flu.

Authorities from the centre and the Fraser Health Authority are investigating Miller's medical history to determine if she had any underlying conditions that could have contributed to her death, according the centre spokesman Roy Wadia.

The previous seven swine flu victims in B.C. all had underlying medical conditions, according to the centre.

 

[Chuck]

Re: Another death in B.C. as severe A/H1N1 sends 15 more to hospital

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/2009/10/15/bc-swine-flu-ashley-miller.html

Swine flu kills young B.C. mother
Last Updated: Friday, October 16, 2009 | 6:56 AM PT

Health officials have confirmed the eighth death in B.C. from swine flu, and they say the province is now in the midst of a second wave of the pandemic.

The latest victim is Ashley Miller, 26, of Mission, who died Sunday, two days after she was admitted to Abbotsford Regional Hospital.

All seven previous B.C. swine flu victims had underlying medical conditions that made the flu infection lethally severe, according to the website for the B.C. Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC). It wasn't yet clear what Miller's health status was.

Miller's friends said she was fit and healthy before becoming ill about a week ago. One friend said her death was very sudden, mysterious and sad.

She leaves behind a one-year-old daughter.

"The investigation is underway to determine the full medical history, but we haven't received a case report yet, so we don't have confirmed information," said Roy Thorpe, spokesman for the Fraser Health Authority.
'Significant rise' in infections

The BCCDC said 78 people in the province have been sent to hospital because of swine flu, and officials are expecting more deaths from the virus.

"We are seeing a significant rise in the number of cases, especially in these past few weeks," BCCDC spokesman Roy Wadia told CBC News.

"It's safe to say that our province is well into our second wave of this flu at this time," Wadia said.

Officials expect the vast majority of swine flu victims will suffer mild to moderate symptoms and not require hospital stays.

A study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association found a "striking" tendency for severe infection among females, a finding the journal said has not been observed in other studies of the pandemic.

The study found that 67.3 per cent of the 168 patients in the study were female, and the average age was 32.2 years .

 

[Chuck]

Re: Another death in B.C. as severe A/H1N1 sends 15 more to hospital

http://www.theprovince.com/health/Young+Mission+died+Sunday+H1N1/2108209/story.html

Young Mission mom who died Sunday had H1N1 flu

By John Colebourn, The ProvinceOctober 16, 2009 6:55

Health officials in the Fraser Valley have confirmed a young woman who died in hospital on Sunday had the swine flu.

But Fraser Health Authority spokesman Roy Thorpe Thursday said while tests have concluded the woman who is from Mission had the H1N1 virus, it has yet to be determined if that strain of flu killed her.

?We do have confirmation a person who had the H1N1 died within the Fraser Health Region,? said Thorpe.

The woman is believed to be 26, and had a year-old child.

Media reports say the mother of a one-year-old daughter became ill for approximately a week with an undiagnosed problem.

She went to hospital in Mission and on Sunday was transferred to the Abbotsford Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, where she died.

Thorpe said the health authority will wait for further tests before they make public the woman?s cause of death.

?There is an investigation under way to determine the person?s medical history,? he said.

According to the latest ministry of health bulletin, 14 new severe cases of H1N1 have been identified in B.C. since Oct. 6 ? five in Interior Health, four on Vancouver Island, three in Vancouver Coastal Health and two in Fraser Health ? with one new death in Interior Health.

?The majority of lab-confirmed cases in B.C. have been mild or moderate in severity, with the patients either having already recovered or currently recovering,? said the bulletin.

The weekly report now includes only severe confirmed H1N1 cases.

In total, the B.C. Centre for Disease Control has confirmed 78 severe H1N1 cases in British Columbia since April 2009.

Medical health officers say doctors are seeing an increasing number of patients exhibiting symptoms that could be H1N1 flu.

Recent data indicates roughly half of patients exhibiting flu symptoms may not have H1N1.

Health officials also say people with health conditions such as diabetes or heart problems, or pregnant women, should consult their doctor if they get the flu.