Results tagged “swinefludeath”

The Health Department updated its data summary of swine flu cases and deaths yesterday, revealing that six more people have died from the H1N1 virus. This brings the total of NYC swine flu deaths to 38. The only other details the Health Department offered is that the victims were between the ages of 25 and 65 and that there are a total of 1,262 confirmed cases so far. Overseas: The United Kingdom's Health Secretary says the country could see 100,000 cases a day (!) by the end of next month while China is rethinking its strategy as local provinces have been seeing outbreaks. A WHO official in China said, "The majority of H1N1 cases in China are still imported, but there have been some cases of local transmission and community clusters. Social distancing can help to limit the spread of the virus, as can more public education on how people can protect themselves and others against H1N1."

Yesterday, the Health Department announced two more New Yorkers died from swine flu, only noting that they were between 25 and 65 years old. So far, 32 people in NYC have died from the H1N1 virus and the Health Department believes the disease is waning, stating, "Community transmission of the H1N1 virus appears to be declining in New York City, as emergency departments report lower numbers of visits due to influenza-like illness." However, Reuters reports, "Germany's federal agency for infectious diseases said on Tuesday there were signs the H1N1 swine flu virus had started to mutate and warned it could spread in the coming months in a more aggressive form." The head of the Robert Koch Institute for infectious diseases Joerg Hacker said there was concern about swine flu's development in Australia and South America, "It's possible the virus has mutated. In autumn the mutated form could spread to the northern hemisphere and back to Germany."

Today, the Health Department announced that seven more deaths have been linked to the H1N1 virus, aka swine flu. The total number of swine flu-related deaths is now 23. From the Health Department: "Of the 20 deaths for which background medical information is available, 16 (80%) have occurred in people with established underlying risk factor for developing severe influenza or complications. The newly confirmed deaths have not all occurred during the current reporting period (June 12-16), and most involve people who were hospitalized in late May, at the peak of the outbreak." (Which means the Health Department's belief that swine flu is waning could still hold.) Newsday reports, "A young woman who had just given birth became the first apparent death from swine flu in Nassau County Tuesday... A pregnant woman between age 20 and 30 was admitted to a hospital June 5 with fever and respiratory symptoms and was confirmed to have swine flu. Her baby was delivered by Caesarean section that day and the woman was transferred to the intensive care unit two days later. She died yesterday." The baby is reportedly doing well.

The NYC Health Department released data yesterday suggesting "community transmission" of swine flu (aka H1N1 virus) is on the decline, because emergency room visits have declined: "As expected, however, hospitalizations and fatalities continue to occur. As of June 11, the Health Department had recorded 567 hospitalizations and 16 deaths. The latest death occurred in a person aged 40-49."

On the day the swine flu officially a pandemic, the NYC Health Department raised the number of swine flu-related fatalities to 15. And one of the victims was Sarah Michel, an 11-year-old and sixth grader at IS609K in Borough Park. Her mother told the Daily News, "It's just terrible. I don't know what to say. We're all grieving right now. We're all mourning my little girl."

The Health Department announced that it "has linked three additional New York City deaths to H1N1 flu, bringing the total number to 12. The 3 newly reported decedents include one person aged 30-39, one aged 50-59, and one over 65." This brings the total of fatal cases to 12. The Health Dept. also added, "While most of New York City’s H1N1 flu deaths have involved people with established risk factors for flu complications, influenza is sometimes fatal in otherwise-healthy people." So far, they are 820 confirmed cases of swine flu and 530 hospitalizations.

A ninth person has died from swine flu, according to the NYC Health Department: "The death occurred in a person in their mid-50s with an underlying condition that increased the risk of severe illness from flu." So far, 428 New Yorkers have been hospitalized and there are 694 confirmed cases of swine flu. Yesterday, acting director of the CDC Dr. Richard Besser said that people could very well be getting two flu shots—one for the regular flu, another for the H1N1 virus—this fall, because health officials expect the swine flu to come back, "My biggest concern is complacency, a sense that we dodged a bullet here. I don't think we can let our guard down." He added that the CDC would take the summer to examine the effect of the school closures, "Clearly, schools can be seen as an area where there's a multiplier effect. But you also have to understand what happens when the schools close. Where do the children go? Do they become less of a multiplier or more of a multiplier? I don't know that we have the answers to any of that."

Yesterday, the Health Department confirmed that an eighth New Yorker died of swine flu. The victim was over age 65 and had underlying conditions that made the flu more dangerous. The NY Times reports that the underlying conditions can "include being over 65 or under 2, having respiratory or immune system problems or being obese," (previously mentioned conditions also include heart disease, pregnancy, diabetes, kidney problems, blood disorders, emphysema, liver problems). Health Department spokeswoman Jessica Scaperotti said people with the flu and underlying conditions or severe symptoms should seek medical attention, "While most of New York City’s H1N1 deaths involve people with established risk factors, influenza can be fatal in otherwise healthy people." In other news, four assistant prosecutors at the Bronx DA's office may have swine flu—none of the cases is confirmed yet but the office is being cleaned—and an inmate at Rikers filed a notice of claim against the city, because of the swine flu-prompted lockdown in his area (it's unclear if he has swine flu).

The Health Department says the two swine flu fatalities reported yesterday were people in their 40s. So far, six of the seven fatal NYC swine flu victims had "underlying conditions" that contributed to his/her death; the seventh death is still being investigated. The NY Times reports that the Health Department revealed "some 80 percent of the more than 300 people hospitalized with swine flu since mid-April have one or more underlying conditions that put them at risk. Asthma, which affects 10 percent of New York City children, is by far the most common underlying condition, affecting some 41 percent of those hospitalized." Risk factors include a compromised immune system, heart disease, pregnancy, diabetes, kidney problems, blood disorders, emphysema, liver problems and obesity. Some parents are upset their children are being turned away from hospitals or doctors' offices without swine flu tests, but NYU Department of Medicine's Martin Besser tells the Daily News, "The [city] Health Department is striking a very reasonable balance. We have to husband resources for people who are the most ill."

After yesterday's news that an 11-week-old baby with swine flu died, the city's health department said that while the child did have swine flu, so far it's unclear whether swine flu was the cause of death; the medical examiner's office will perform more tests. And while the Daily News reported the baby's name and residence—Steven Montanez of the Bronx—yesterday, the city declined to provide the name citing privacy laws. The NY Times also reports that the ME's office confirmed that the cause of death for assistant principal Mitch Wiener was swine flu, but "tests on [Wiener] , had listed 'significant and contributing' factors: obesity and hypertensive and arteriosclerotic heart disease." (Hello, underlying conditions?) The number of confirmed swine flu cases in NYC is 538; 229 have been hospitalized.

With the city's announcement yesterday that two more people died from swine flu, New Yorkers are still, naturally, worried about the swine flu. The NY Times visited Maimonides Medical Center in Brooklyn, where "The hospital created a flu clinic in an area that usually accommodates patients who have been admitted and are waiting for a bed. It was filled on Tuesday with people in masks being evaluated for flu." An average May 2008 day in the Maimonides ER would have about 263 patients—on Monday, there was 480. The hospital's ER chairman said, "The consensus among these physicians is that the influenza is mild but the patients are unusually scared."

The Health Department has announced that another NYC resident has died from swine flu. While her name has not been released, we're told that it is a woman in her 50s, who had an underlying condition that may be at play in her passing. The first victim to die in Queens, Assistant Principal Mitch Weiner, had a pre-existing condition that made him more susceptible to the disease. At least one other swine flu patient is known to be in critical condition at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital Center in Morningside Heights. A Health Department spokeswoman said, “As we see more cases in the community we are going to see more severe illness and possibly death. If you’re sick right now with flu, you probably have H1N1.”

Last night, a 16-month-old boy with flu-like symptoms died at Elmhurst Hospital Center. According to the Daily News, the hospital said 200 people were also there with flu-like symptoms. The Centers for Disease Control will investigate whether swine flu was the culprit.

Yesterday, I.S. 238 assistant principal Mitch Wiener passed away, becoming the first NYC fatality of the swine flu. Wiener's illness was disclosed last week, when his school in Queens closed along with others. Mayor Bloomberg said, "His death is a loss for our schools and our city," and called him a "well-liked and devoted educator."