http://www.blueridgenow.com/article...icials-Brevard-man-had-swine-flu-when-he-died
Officials: Brevard man had swine flu when he died
Published: Friday, July 24, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 24, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.
BREVARD - County health officials have confirmed a 55-year-old Brevard man had the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, when he died at the local hospital on Tuesday.
The man was admitted to Transylvania Regional Hospital on Monday, July 20, with pneumonia and suffered flu-like symptoms for several days, according to Transylvania County Health Department Director Steve Smith.
Test results for H1N1 came back positive for the patient from the state lab in Raleigh today, Smith said.
Though the test confirms the local man had the H1N1 virus, further tests will likely be needed to see if that was the cause of death, he said. This is the first confirmed death associated with swine flu in Transylvania County.
The hospital has not released the patient?s name, but his family has been notified of the test results for the H1N1 virus.
?Our thoughts and prayers go out to the patient?s family,? said Becky Carter, chief operating officer and nursing director at Transylvania Regional Hospital. No other staff or patients at Transylvania Regional Hospital have shown signs or symptoms of the virus and no one else is being tested for possible infection, Carter said.
?We have consistently followed the state and federal guidelines for the detection and prevention of the spread of H1N1 to protect patients, staff and visitors at the hospital since the virus was first detected in the United States in April,? Carter said. ?With this patient being confirmed as having H1N1 while at the hospital, we will provide staff members who had unprotected (without a mask) close contact to the patient with Tamiflu as a precaution, per state guidelines.?
In addition, hospital patients are being screened for fever and respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat) that have no known explanation when they arrive at the Emergency Department or are admitted to the hospital, Carter said. Inpatients, who meet the testing criteria, will have a specimen obtained and sent to the state lab in Raleigh for testing.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, there have been at least 483 confirmed cases of swine flu in the state.
There have been five previous deaths in North Carolina linked to H1N1 to date including a 60-year-old Buncombe County veteran who died July 12 at the VA Medical Center in Asheville. Two other deaths were in Guilford County, one in Carteret County and one in Wilson County.
The state Department of Health and Human Services encourages everyone to follow five basic prevention steps:
1. Stay home if you are sick to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
3. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
5. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Officials: Brevard man had swine flu when he died
Published: Friday, July 24, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.
Last Modified: Friday, July 24, 2009 at 4:06 p.m.
BREVARD - County health officials have confirmed a 55-year-old Brevard man had the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, when he died at the local hospital on Tuesday.
The man was admitted to Transylvania Regional Hospital on Monday, July 20, with pneumonia and suffered flu-like symptoms for several days, according to Transylvania County Health Department Director Steve Smith.
Test results for H1N1 came back positive for the patient from the state lab in Raleigh today, Smith said.
Though the test confirms the local man had the H1N1 virus, further tests will likely be needed to see if that was the cause of death, he said. This is the first confirmed death associated with swine flu in Transylvania County.
The hospital has not released the patient?s name, but his family has been notified of the test results for the H1N1 virus.
?Our thoughts and prayers go out to the patient?s family,? said Becky Carter, chief operating officer and nursing director at Transylvania Regional Hospital. No other staff or patients at Transylvania Regional Hospital have shown signs or symptoms of the virus and no one else is being tested for possible infection, Carter said.
?We have consistently followed the state and federal guidelines for the detection and prevention of the spread of H1N1 to protect patients, staff and visitors at the hospital since the virus was first detected in the United States in April,? Carter said. ?With this patient being confirmed as having H1N1 while at the hospital, we will provide staff members who had unprotected (without a mask) close contact to the patient with Tamiflu as a precaution, per state guidelines.?
In addition, hospital patients are being screened for fever and respiratory symptoms (cough, sore throat) that have no known explanation when they arrive at the Emergency Department or are admitted to the hospital, Carter said. Inpatients, who meet the testing criteria, will have a specimen obtained and sent to the state lab in Raleigh for testing.
According to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, there have been at least 483 confirmed cases of swine flu in the state.
There have been five previous deaths in North Carolina linked to H1N1 to date including a 60-year-old Buncombe County veteran who died July 12 at the VA Medical Center in Asheville. Two other deaths were in Guilford County, one in Carteret County and one in Wilson County.
The state Department of Health and Human Services encourages everyone to follow five basic prevention steps:
1. Stay home if you are sick to keep from infecting others and spreading the virus further.
2. Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
3. Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners are also effective.
4. Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread this way.
5. Try to avoid close contact with sick people.