No Prior Existing Conditions but Dead Anyway

[indigo girl]

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/48007842.html

Who would think that a normally healthy woman would die so swiftly from influenza in June?

Could you ever have imagined such a thing? No wonder her family and friends are in shock.

So why did it happen?

Barbara Davis, 48, was healthy just a week ago. She had dinner with her mother Josephine last Friday night. But just hours after that dinner, Josephine got a phone call.

"My friend, he called me and told me Barbara was real sick. And I said, "Well, she wasn't sick when I left, so what's the matter?" Josephine Davis said.

Barbara told her mother that she was ok. But the next day, things got worse. She had trouble breathing, and she was shaking. She could barely walk into the hospital.

"She tried to talk to people, but she just couldn't talk," Josephine Davis said.

Doctors treated her for two days, but they couldn't save her. They believe she died from swine flu.

"They've never seen nothing like that, what she had. That infection just went through her body, attacking her kidney, her lungs, her liver. Everything," said Josephine Davis.

The Milwaukee Health Department confirmed on Friday a Milwaukee adult with no underlying medical conditions died from swine flu, though they haven't confirmed Barbara Davis was that victim.

Barbara's family knows all too well how serious swine flu can be.

"Everybody is just in a shock. The people that I talked to today, they are frightened. Because it happened all of a sudden," Josephine Davis said.

More than 1,800 people have caught swine flu in Milwaukee alone. The city's Health Department is stressing that if you are mildly ill with flu symptoms, you should call your doctor. If your symptoms are serious or if you have mild symptoms that are getting worse, you should see a doctor right away.

http://www.wisn.com/health/19751526/detail.html

The Milwaukee County Medical Examiner said 48-year-old Barbara Davis died Thursday in the ICU after being diagnosed with the flu strain.

The health department said, unlike Milwaukee's first swine flu victim, Davis did not have any "underlying medical conditions" that would have put her at a greater risk for the disease.

http://www.flutrackers.com/forum/showpost.php?p=248304&postcount=7

This post was written by Dr. Gratten Woodsen, MD commenting over at flutrackers on this unfortunate woman's case.

The decedent is described as having fulminate multi-organ failure that developed rapidly resulting in death 48 hours after onset and despite intensive medical therapy in an ICU including all the bells and whistles.

The attending physicians told the mother that they had never seen anything like this before and I believe them. So did she. No one has seen anything like this since 1918. In 1918 many doctors said the say thing after dealing with their first cases of Spanish Flu and for them too it was a great surprise at least until those that didn't die from the virus themselves had seen it so many times that it was no longer unique.

There are numerous descriptions from the 1918 pandemic that match the one above but no where else in medical history do we find anything remotely similar. This is why the doctors in Milwaukee were so shocked by what they saw.

How many other North American victims had similar pathology? Why have the autopsy and clinical findings from the deaths in Mexico, the US and Canada been suppressed?

I know from press reports that there have been other US deaths where multi-organ failure was present. Is this common among those who have died of Swine Flu or rare? Are the findings similar to those seen in 1918 or not?

(hat tip flutrackers/skatman)

[indigo girl]

Morris Plains, New Jersey

http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20091125/UPDATES01/91125060/1005/NEWS01/Morris+man+sick+for+about+10+days+before+dying+from+suspected+H1N1

Somebody sure dropped the ball on this case. I really feel for this man's family.

Leonard Vine said his son first complained of feeling ill around Nov. 6 and visited an urgent care center.

"They supposedly pooh-poohed the whole thing and sent him home," he said, adding his son on Nov. 10 saw a second doctor who couldn't figure out what was wrong.

By Nov. 13, things got worse.

"He wasn't feeling good, he could barely breathe," Leonard Vine said.

His son, who worked at Honeywell in Morris Township, was admitted to Morristown Memorial that day.

The hospital listed David as critical-"He had double pneumonia and they think he had the swine flu," Leonard Vine said, adding Morristown urged they "absolutely" should fly to New Jersey to be with him.

They arrived Nov. 14, and by then he was in a medically induced coma. The Vines said David had been healthy, and were unaware of any pre-existing medical conditions.

His parents said samples were taken to be tested and he passed away three days later.

(hat tip pfi/aurora)

[indigo girl]

Welland, Ontario

http://www.wellandtribune.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2193099

Even if the health departments are not releasing information on these deaths, the families want to be heard. They are using the media and even obituaries to tell the story of how their loved ones have passed away so unexpectedly.

Although patient confidentiality regulations prevented the health department from releasing the name or age of the man, an obituary for Raymond Banks, published in his hometown Owen Sound newspaper, says the 35-year-old father of four young children died Sunday after a "courageous battle with H1N1."

Raymond's mother Linda Banks told the Owen Sound Sun Times on Wednesday the family included the cause of death in the obituary to instill in people how serious the pandemic strain of influenza can be.

"We would like people to realize that this was a healthy young man. We put it (the obituary) in the paper that way to make people pay attention."

Her son learned he had the flu at a Welland clinic on Oct. 27, she said — adding she's concerned that the clinic sent him home after making the diagnosis.

"This has got to stop. Clinics are still sending sick people home," she said.

(hat tip pfi/miker)

[indigo girl]

Honolulu, Hawaii

http://www.kitv.com/news/21728735/detail.html

Joshua Nevis fell ill in June with a fever. His mother said it came on suddenly.

"And I noticed that he looked pale. So, I went to check on him and he was unresponsive. I called 911. I did CPR while I waited for the paramedics to arrive and I couldn't tell if there was a pulse," Erica Neves said.

Paramedics treated Joshua Neves and took him to Kapiolani Medical Center. He died in the ICU from acute respiratory distress and pneumonia brought on by H1N1, his parents said.

"Our son was healthy. He was a strong healthy boy. For something like this to have devastated his body; it's very hard to comprehend," Erica Neves said.

"I go from playing with him on a Wednesday to opening up the obituary and seeing my son's face, and seeing a person who passed away at 75, a person who passed away at 101, a person who passed away at 85, and then a No. 3 next to my son's name. That's beyond comprehension," Max Neves said.

(hat tip pfi/aurora)

[indigo girl]

Nova Scotia, Canada

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/11/26/ns-death-man.html

A man in his 40s with no underlying medical conditions is Nova Scotia's sixth death related to the swine flu virus.

Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief public health officer, said it was a tragic reminder of the seriousness of the H1N1 influenza virus. He urged all Nova Scotians to get vaccinated.

"Everyone is at some risk of getting H1N1, and we are seeing otherwise healthy people come down with severe and debilitating illness," Strang said in a statement.

(hat tip pfi/monotreme)

[indigo girl]

Calgary, Alberta

http://www.calgaryherald.com/entertainment/Father+victim+urges+shots/2275149/story.html

As nearly 50,000 Albertans head to H1N1 vaccination clinics every day, the father of a once-healthy 16-year-old with swine flu who is now on life support is urging people to join the rush for a shot.

The otherwise healthy teen contracted H1N1 before the vaccine became available, and is now on a ventilator, dialysis and a specialized device to add more oxygen into his blood.

Michael, who is still in a coma at Foothills Hospital, has pneumonia in both lungs and has lost 40 pounds since the ordeal began.

(hat tip pfi/homebody)

[indigo girl]

Cocoa resident 5th in Brevard to die from swine flu

http://www.floridatoday.com/article/20091201/NEWS01/912010319/1006/Cocoa+resident+5th+in+Brevard+to+die+from+swine+flu

A 46-year-old Cocoa man is the fifth local person to die of swine flu, the Brevard County Health Department reported Monday.

Donald Athman was vacationing in San Diego when he became ill. He died Nov. 9 at a hospital there, according to Dr. Heidar Heshmati, Brevard health director.

Heshmati said Athman, who was single, was in good health when he left.

(hat tip pfi/pixie)

[indigo girl]

Altha, Florida

http://www.thecountyrecord.net/archives/483-H1N1-claims-Altha-man.html

He seems to be saying that a cytokine storm event took place. In not so many words, your healthy

immune system's massive response to the virus is what can do you in.

Explained further here: https://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-forum/toll-mounts-researchers-441405.html

Marcus Dale Whiddon, 25, passed away Friday at Bay Medical Center. According to the Calhoun County Health Department, he died of complications from the H1N1 virus.

In a young healthy person who hasn't encountered a similar virus, their immune system tries to attack H1N1 on it's own with a vengeance. Dr. Charbonneau compared it to a military attack - you go in to kill the enemy, but wipe out a lot of good stuff in the process. And when your system is recovering after the attack, complications can develop.

"[Whiddon] was a strong, husky guy and he had a strong, husky immune system and that's ultimately what will kill people with this," says Dr. Charbonneau.

(hat tip pfi/aurora)

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

Interesting information.

Things seem to have quieted here. Less people and their kids sick at work. No deaths on the news for the last week.

They announced today that the H1N1 vaccine is available free to anyone that wants it.

I wonder if it will recur during the usual flu high season in late december/January?

[indigo girl]

Interesting information.

Things seem to have quieted here. Less people and their kids sick at work. No deaths on the news for the last week.

They announced today that the H1N1 vaccine is available free to anyone that wants it.

I wonder if it will recur during the usual flu high season in late december/January?

It seems to have peaked in certain areas, is what I am reading. However, they are expecting a third wave after the holidays. There are still many, many susceptible hosts, and as long as there are, this is likely to continue. We need lots of herd immunity, but we don't have it yet. People are still waiting for vaccine availabilty in some place unlike where you are. My best friend in Pennsylvania had to drive an hour away to Reading to get her little kid the Flumist. She still has to get him the second dose and an injection for herself. It was not available for her as she is not considered high risk.

This may just be the calm before the storm or maybe not. Who knows? Flu is unpredictable. In the meantime, I am reading Alan Sipress's well researched new book, The Fatal Strain. I now fully understand why virologists are very worried about the swine flu and bird flu mixing. If people knew just how uncontrolled the bird flu situation is, they would all be begging the govt to create a vaccine for H5N1 like now already. If that virus gains increased transmissibility there will be no stopping it for all of Asia is already infected but lying about it. They have been covering this up for almost 10 years. No wonder that virus is making its way thru Europe and African. You can expect

those govts to keep it under wraps as much as possible as well. Flu outbreaks are always political situations a WHO official privately admitted to Sipress.

[CrunchRN, ADN, RN]

I was wondering about the mixing issue just the other day. There seems to be no press about bird flu any more and I would bet most people think it is a non issue.......

[indigo girl]

I was wondering about the mixing issue just the other day. There seems to be no press about bird flu any more and I would bet most people think it is a non issue.......

No doubt that they do think it is not an issue just as all of those countries that looked the other way while milions of poultry became infected in their countries, hoped it was not an issue either. The Vietnamese govt knew for two years that the disease was in their country, and did nothing until finally the first human deaths started to occur.

They could have acted, and they chose not to for economic reasons. We may

someday have to pay the price for this failure to respond.

They have all done too little, too late. It is now impossible to stop the spread except in limited ways. This is likely the biggest biological threat of a lifetime. Will it happen? There is no way to tell at this point, and anyone that pretends any different is just giving an unsubstantiated opinion.

I will still be following what information is available. Much of it is translated, and when we hear of suspected cases especially in Indonesia, we seldom learn of the outcome. One thing is certain. There will be human cases because the wild birds as well as the poultry are frequently infected.

https://allnurses.com/pandemic-flu-forum/bird-flu-suspected-412461.html

[indigo girl]

West Sussex, UK

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/sussex/8391458.stm

Nine years old, and healthy prior to this...

Health chiefs in West Sussex have now confirmed that the schoolgirl's death was linked to the H1N1 flu virus.

Her mother Sharon Boor said Brittany had been fit and healthy and urged people to take up the swine flu jab.

She said: "Brittany didn't have any underlying conditions and wasn't in an at risk group for swine flu.

(hat tip pfi/homebody)