Long Beach Man Dies from Swine Flu

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Long-Beach-Man-Dies-from-Swine-Flu.html


Long Beach Man Dies from Swine Flu
The man had an underlying medical condition

Updated 5:45 PM PDT, Thu, Jul 23, 2009
AP

A man in his mid-20s was confirmed Thursday as the first person in Long Beach to die from swine flu.

The man had an underlying medical condition and became sick in late June and was hospitalized, according to city health officials. He died earlier this month.

In the last three weeks, 15 other Long Beach residents have been hospitalized due to the H1N1 influenza virus, known as swine flu. More than 73 total cases have been reported in the city since the beginning of the outbreak.

Health officials noted that while a decline in swine flue activity occurred in May and early June, reports of the virus have increased statewide over the last five weeks.

Statewide, there have been more than 400 people hospitalized and more than 60 deaths due to the disease.

Health official urged the public to stay home from work or school if they have flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue.

Those with underlying medical conditions experiencing influenza-like symptoms should contact their doctor.

 

[peter m]

Long Beach Man Dies from Swine Flu

http://www.insidesocal.com/canalisreport/2009/07/long-beach-reports-swine-flu-death.html

I went to my local long beach newspaper, the Press telegram, to look up this news and i found it in a little- read local blogsite. Maybe 10 people actually read about the flu death in all of long beach today, out of population of 450,000. This news is not in any main news section.
And do not need to as i have far superior info feeds at my computer fingertips.

The Long Beach Health Department just reported the city's first swine-flu death. A story is forthcoming, but in the meantime here's the city's press release:

Health officials just received confirmation of the first fatality in Long Beach due to pandemic H1N1 influenza virus (previously known as swine flu). The patient was a man in his mid-20's with an underlying medical condition who became ill in late June, was hospitalized, but died of complications in early July.

In the last three weeks, 15 other residents of Long Beach have been reported as hospitalized due to pandemic H1N1, and more than 73 total cases have been reported in Long Beach since the start of the outbreak. After an initial decline in disease activity in late May and early June, H1N1 reports have been increasing throughout the state during the last 5 weeks, and disease activity remains high and widespread. Statewide, there have been more than 400 hospitalizations and more than 60 deaths due to pandemic H1N1.

The Health Department encourages people to see their healthcare provider if they develop flu-like symptoms (fever with cough and/or sore throat) and to practice the following healthy habits to prevent catching or spreading the flu:
· Wash hands with soap and water or a hand sanitizer frequently,
· Avoid close contact with people who are sick,
· Stay home if you are sick,
· Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze, or cough or sneeze into clothing (sleeves),
· Eat healthy food, drink plenty of water, exercise, get plenty of rest, do not smoke and avoid alcoholic beverages.
Although there is not yet a vaccine available for pandemic H1N1, production and testing of a vaccine are under way, and the Health Department is working on plans for vaccine distribution once it becomes available. For further information on H1N1, please visit the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's H1N1 webpage at www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/ or the Health Department webpage at www.longbeach.gov/health.

 

[peter m]

Re: Long Beach Man Dies from Swine Flu

I may be mistaken about the exact location of this SW flu news

I have to go out and get the actual newpaper(thursday edition)and see if it did make the front page or was in the first news section. If it did make either of those sections, then it should wake up quite a few folks in Long beach as the locals here actually do read or glance at the first page(s), even if it is at the local newspaper stand or liquor store.

Then we may start to see more and more concern, unrest, and shaky nerves filter down into the local population, and even more distrust of the gov 't authorities. The CA budget crisis, and subsequent cutbacks in many social welfare services, has made CA political & civic leaders very unpopular.