Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

New Zealand

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sunday-star-t...t-healthy-Kiwi

Originally Posted by www.stuff.co.nz

A 27-YEAR-OLD man who died of suspected swine flu on Friday may be the first New Zealand victim of the pandemic who did not have any other medical problems.

Stephen Russell Lavelle, an electrician from Invercargill, was flown to Auckland Hospital last week and died early on Friday.

The Ministry of Health was yesterday working to confirm whether Lavelle died of swine flu, and whether he had any other health problems.

Spokesman Peter Abernethy said this should be confirmed in the next few days.

But one of Lavelle's relatives claimed he was struck down by swine flu despite having no other medical problems. The relative started a discussion thread on TradeMe message boards just hours after Lavelle died, saying she was in shock because Lavelle was a healthy person who had not even caught a cold this winter.

"How does a previously healthy young man of not even 30 years old die of swine flu? ... He was in hospital a week, and they couldn't do a darn thing."

Swine flu is more dangerous in people with underlying medical conditions, and Lavelle's death came as the New Zealand Medical Journal published reports that swine flu was more infectious here than first thought. Instead of every two sick people infecting three others (rate based on data from Mexico), in New Zealand, every sick person was infecting nearly two others. Based on this transmission rate, 79% of New Zealanders would catch swine flu, although not all would fall sick.

(hat tip flutrackers/chuck)

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

Indigo Girl,

I am curious.

What do you and the Flu Trackers think (I know no-one knows!) our fall flu season will look like?

Are you making any special preparations?

Thanks so much for all the info you provide here.

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

My impression is that we will be very, very busy!

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

I forgot to say that I am already working in a major medical center which has alread seen 3 swine flu deaths recently this summer. Staff is starting to get sick.

Probably the best way for me to help contribute in this hugh facility is to try educate in a responsible way, and advocate for promoting change in the way risks are being communicated in my hospital. That may be the best that I can do. I am known as a quiet person, but I am quietly persistant, and I know my subject well. There are areas where the hospital could be doing a better job, and this is what I can work on.

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

Originally Posted by indigo girl

But, what we are seeing in some places, Utah comes to mind, is that officials are choosing not to divulge disturbing facts regarding severe cases.

Originally Posted by indigo girl

This is a very unsettling trend, and is not unlike the censorship that we are seeing in Indonesia where we must depend on grieving family members talking to the media to know that someone who was previously healthy has died from influenza. Only this is not Indonesia. This is here in our own country, and we pay the salaries of the public health officials that are deciding what, or what not to tell us about recent deaths.

This is very scary stuff...almost something you'd watch in a bad 'made-for-tv' movie. It's one thing for someone with a compromised immune system to get sick and die, but someone who is otherwise healthy getting sick enough that they die from it gives me the heebie jeebies. For me, anything censored by "officials" makes me think cover up which is a whole other set of heebie jeebies.

Thanks for all the articles you are posting....

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

IG,

I am having difficulty. Many people here at work ask my advice about the new vaccine when available. I have always advised the seasonal flu shot.

However, I remember the last time. I was a unit secretary in ICU and I remember the guillane-B cases........

What are you advising people who ask about the new vaccine for when it may be avaialable?

And may I ask what you persoonally intend with regard to the new vaccine?

Thanks so much.

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

Originally Posted by CrunchRN

IG,

I am having difficulty. Many people here at work ask my advice about the new vaccine when available. I have always advised the seasonal flu shot.

However, I remember the last time. I was a unit secretary in ICU and I remember the guillane-B cases........

What are you advising people who ask about the new vaccine for when it may be avaialable?

And may I ask what you persoonally intend with regard to the new vaccine?

Thanks so much.

I don't give medical advice, of course.

I can only give out what information is currently available on the new vaccines. As with anything we put into our bodies, you have to weigh benefit against risks. For those with a prior existing health problem such as pregnancy or lung disease, this pandemic virus could result in a fatal outcome for some but not all.

There is no way to know who will become seriously ill, and who will be able to recover without any intervention. Most people will be able to get through the infection feeling very sick but eventually do return to homeostatsis. Just having a seasonal influenza can just about incapacitate you for a period of time, however, because that is the nature of influenza infection, never anything to take lightly.

I was born prior to 1956 so I may be less likely to have a less serious infection due to some prior existing immunity, so the thinking goes. Also I may have already had my brush with the virus when I had a serious case of conjunctivitis and general malaise 2 weeks ago. But, I am an asthmatic and that does increase risk for serious complications. Too bad I won't be able to get anyone to check me for antibodies! That would help me in my decision making process.

As we are all aware, this will be an untried vaccine, and that is making many uncomfortable. The clinical trials will be done, but on fewer people than we might like. It is likely that the full range of possible effects will not be known until after many, many people have already received the vaccine. There is no getting around this. It is just the way the situation is, we will likely be part of one of the largest clinical trials in history.

Our biggest reason as HCW for getting the vaccine is to protect our patients from us. And, to keep us at our posts when the public is getting sick, so that the very sickest can come to us for care. It does take time to get those antibodies however, and our flu season will most likely have already started before much of this proposed vaccine will be available. There are already cases occurring in our communities but nothing like what is probably going to happen this fall when the flu season returns.

I am still considering all of the pros and cons, myself. I am hoping that this will be a very safe and effective vaccine. I know that my risk factor with the virus is considerable due to reactive airway disease.

Have I covered everything? LOL! At any rate, I don't belong in the no prior exisitng conditions thread because I definitely do have a health problem. I'm just not dead yet but I could be!!

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

Thank you so much for that incredibly thoughtful calrification. I don't give medical advice either, but I do a lot of health teaching ( and BP monitoring atc...) for the researchers and tell them the pros and cons in these matters.

I have a researcher I am friends with and she has asthma also. She goes from fine to in big trouble very quickly so I have been discussing those pros and cons with her and that reinforces what I am telling her. I also made sure she saw a pulmonologist this summer to fine tune her regimen which was outdated.

I just caught the tail end of a news story no NBC last night...... I think they said that in late pregnancy it is a 50% mortality rate for mom? Have you heard that? I sure hope they said 15 and not 50..............

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

Nevada

http://www.kvbc.com/Global/story.asp?S=10818183

Originally Posted by www.kvbc.com

The death toll in Clark County due to the swine flu is now up to five people.

There has been a total of two deaths this week: a 35-year-old woman the health district says had no underlying medical conditions, and a 73-year-old man who was dealing with other medical conditions.

The health district does confirm that the number of H1N1 cases have been dropping.

Re: No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

British School Girl in Greece

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti....html?ITO=1490

She is still alive but in very bad shape exacerbated by not getting treated early enough. Why would her parents let this go for 8 days before seeking treatment? What were they thinking?

Originally Posted by www.dailymail.co.uk

Natasha Newman, 16, a pupil at Gordonstoun public school, is on a life-support machine after suffering lung damage and other complications.

The schoolgirl's battle comes are the government revealed the number of swine flu cases 'may have plateaued', with 110,000 new cases in England last week.

The data represent a 10% rise on the 100,000 new cases estimated in the previous weeks.

Natasha was admitted to hospital on the island of Cephalonia, but after her condition deteriorated and she lost consciousness she was flown to the country's main children's hospital in Athens on Tuesday.

Doctors at Ayia Sofia Hospital say Natasha had swine flu for at least eight days before seeking help.
Her parents Julian Newman, a businessman, and Nikki Broughton, a theatrical agent, were at her bedside.
Mr Newman said: 'Natasha is very bad. She had chronic respiratory failure. She has complications like pneumonia.'

Dr Lina Sianidou, head of the intensive care unit, said: 'There is no doubt that she is suffering from swine flu. She is in a critical condition and very much struggling.
'It is clear she had this new virus for at least eight days before she sought help and that has made her condition worse.'

Natasha is believed to have developed a dangerously high temperature and severe breathing difficulties, before losing consciousness.

The family live in Highgate, north London, but Miss Newman is a pupil at prestigious Gordonstoun public school in Elgin, Scotland, where Prince Charles attended.

Natasha, a keen musician, flew out to Cephalonia three weeks ago with her family for a month-long holiday. She is not believed to have any underlying health problems.

She is one of three swine flu victims in intensive care in Greece, authorities revealed yesterday. News of her condition sparked panic on Cephalonia, where doctors at the General Prefectural Hospital in Argostoli refused to treat her. Officials have tried to play down publicity in her case over fears it could spread more panic in a country where tourists have been blamed for spreading the virus.