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Source: http://www.mydesert.com/article/200...ws12/Swine-flu-related-deaths-hit-valley-hard
Swine flu-related deaths hit valley hard
Nicole C. Brambila ? The Desert Sun ? September 4, 2009
Coachella Valley residents account for half of Riverside County's swine flu-related deaths, county health officials said Thursday.
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Three of the county's six deaths were Coachella Valley residents, said Barbara Cole, director of Riverside County Department of Public Health disease control.
?At this point, I don't think I can draw any conclusions that three of them are from the Coachella Valley,? Cole said.
It is unclear where those who died had contracted the H1N1 virus, as reported on mydesert.com. Statistics are compiled based on residency.
Riverside County has roughly 252 confirmed cases of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, according to the county department of public health. Of those, 32 have been Coachella Valley residents.
Five of the six deaths occurred between the middle and the end of August. All of the valley's deaths happened within that time frame, Cole said.
Because of patient confidentiality laws, health officials only released the gender and age of the victims ? a 63-year-old female, a 46-year-old female and a 40-year-old male.
To put the deaths into perspective, more than 4,000 Californians die each year because of seasonal influenza.
Flu season typically begins in mid-October and runs through March. This year, however, the county has had cases of swine flu throughout the summer months.
?It's kind of tapered off, at least this week,? said Cindy Rojas, an infection preventionist with Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.
?Those patients that we are seeing, that are hospitalized, do have other complications.?
Riverside County has racked up nearly $40,000 in overtime costs responding to the swine flu outbreak.
The World Health Organization, which declared swine flu a global pandemic in June, first announced the novel influenza A virus in April.
The last flu pandemic ? more than 40 years ago ? was the Hong Kong flu in 1968. It killed roughly 1 million people.
Since Aug. 25 ? the latest data available ? the state has had more than 128 deaths and more than 1,500 people hospitalized with swine flu, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Nationally, about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes and 200,000 are hospitalized annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The public can guard against the flu with good hygiene practices. Washing hands regularly. Covering one's mouth when coughing or sneezing.
To date, the U.S. and its territories has had 556 swine flu deaths, according to the CDC.
Swine flu-related deaths hit valley hard
Nicole C. Brambila ? The Desert Sun ? September 4, 2009
Coachella Valley residents account for half of Riverside County's swine flu-related deaths, county health officials said Thursday.
Advertisement
Three of the county's six deaths were Coachella Valley residents, said Barbara Cole, director of Riverside County Department of Public Health disease control.
?At this point, I don't think I can draw any conclusions that three of them are from the Coachella Valley,? Cole said.
It is unclear where those who died had contracted the H1N1 virus, as reported on mydesert.com. Statistics are compiled based on residency.
Riverside County has roughly 252 confirmed cases of H1N1, commonly known as swine flu, according to the county department of public health. Of those, 32 have been Coachella Valley residents.
Five of the six deaths occurred between the middle and the end of August. All of the valley's deaths happened within that time frame, Cole said.
Because of patient confidentiality laws, health officials only released the gender and age of the victims ? a 63-year-old female, a 46-year-old female and a 40-year-old male.
To put the deaths into perspective, more than 4,000 Californians die each year because of seasonal influenza.
Flu season typically begins in mid-October and runs through March. This year, however, the county has had cases of swine flu throughout the summer months.
?It's kind of tapered off, at least this week,? said Cindy Rojas, an infection preventionist with Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs.
?Those patients that we are seeing, that are hospitalized, do have other complications.?
Riverside County has racked up nearly $40,000 in overtime costs responding to the swine flu outbreak.
The World Health Organization, which declared swine flu a global pandemic in June, first announced the novel influenza A virus in April.
The last flu pandemic ? more than 40 years ago ? was the Hong Kong flu in 1968. It killed roughly 1 million people.
Since Aug. 25 ? the latest data available ? the state has had more than 128 deaths and more than 1,500 people hospitalized with swine flu, according to the California Department of Public Health.
Nationally, about 36,000 people die from flu-related causes and 200,000 are hospitalized annually, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The public can guard against the flu with good hygiene practices. Washing hands regularly. Covering one's mouth when coughing or sneezing.
To date, the U.S. and its territories has had 556 swine flu deaths, according to the CDC.