Posted on 10/09/2009 11:51:50 PM PDT by nickcarraway
19 new swine flu deaths last week sends H1N1 child death toll through the roof
Swine flu has taken the lives of 76 children in the United States including 19 in the past week, health officials said Friday, suggesting that the H1N1 virus could be unusually harmful for its youngest victims.
The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. H1N1 deaths could dramatically outpace that number, experts said, if swine flu continues to spread at the rate it has so far.
Children are especially susceptible to catching the virus and suffering its consequences more severely, according to the CDC. Kids with asthma or heart conditions are also at high risk.
More than 600 have died from swine flu and upwards of 9,000 have been hospitalized due to the viruts, health officials said.
in my area, there is no testing for swine flu...people come in with symptoms and if they are admitted to the hospital, they get tested for regular flu.....
Peanut allergies, too, perhaps?
I'd be curious to know how many of those 19 in the past week had other health issues. How many had it last week and DIDN'T die? I don't trust the vaccine. Getting over the Swine Flu also gives one immunity. Should I have to subject my healthy kids to the vaccine for the supposed safety of not-so-healthy people?
My nephew (15) was diagnosed with swine flu (supposedly he was tested.) He felt bad on a Thursday after school, my sister had him at a walk in that night, and he was diagnosed. The entire family was put on Tamiflu. His fever finally went away on Saturday, and his doctor gave him permission to return to school on Monday. The cough lasted for another week, and no one else in the family caught it.
yes, they do test for the diagnosis of swine flu...
Has anyone seen an article about immunity if you had the ‘76 version of the flu or the ‘76 vaccine? I have been looking for some antigenic similarities, but couldn’t find any comparative articles. Never had the flu or the flu shot, unless it was given in a flurry of vaccines by the Army. Are these children dying of ARD or what?
A high School friend of mine had her entire family sick with swine flu. They were put on medication and were fine after a week. I think this entire thing is ridiculous. 77 chuildren out of 100 million...of course I feel for the family, but I wonder what the true story is from these 77.
I’ve read that if you were born in 1957 or before, you might have some immunity. It is definitely hitting younger healthier patients, more than the elderly. Yesterday there was a report from a retirement community in an area where swine flu was going around, and not one of the 1000 elderly members had contracted it.
The “cytokine storm” (ARD implications) may be why it’s more fatal to those that are young, and previously healthy. The better your immune system, the worse it could be if the cytokine storm scenario is right.
Does anyone think that the vaccine is a payback to the drug companies? I’m not sure, that’s why I thought I’d see what everyone else thought. I just can’t figure out why they are pushing this so much. It seems the death toll is no different than the regular flu. Anyone have the stats?
I've seen the 600 total deaths and 67 children figures several times in the last couple of days. Only once did I see added that it is estimated that around 1,000,000 Americans have had swine flu. 600 deaths out of 1,000,000 infected = .0006.
These stories that only discuss deaths without mentioning the number who have had swine flu border on irresponsible. It's still a mild flu, but still there is the concern that it could mutant into something more deadly because of its unique characteristics.
People should stay informed about the developments with swine flu.
Don't have the reference at my fingertips but the 76 flu and H1N1 are totally different strains. The 76 vaccine does not provide immunity. The term "swine flu" is an unfortunate misnomer in the current case, they are different bugs.
I don't subscribe to the conspiracy theories about his.
I think the genuine concern here is that if the H1N1 mutates, it could be another Spanish Flu situation.
Yes, IF it mutates and IF it becomes more deadly.....lots of IFs. But, something like the 1918 Spanish Flu will happen again....its only a matter of time.
The vaccine may mitigate this from happening.
The Swine flu doesn’t seem like a threat. Is it more severe than the everyday flu? It doesn’t seem to be. My theory is not a conspiracy theory, it’s merely an observation of how things work in Washington.
I don't get it. When a handful of people died from spinach contaminated with samonella and when one peanut processing plant was criminally negligent and a couple dozen more died, there were calls for major revisions in food handling. Congress passed a sweeping piece of legislation because of the peanut case. The news laws, which are extremely expensive, won't do anything. Criminals who ignored the current laws were responsible for the peanut deaths
But the flu? Either the deaths are dismissed as "oh well..they had other issues which made them die" or "oh well...people die every year from the flu".
This flu is different. It is killing healthy young people. And its got a long way to go before it is over. Aside from that, the regular flu will hit too. So deaths this year will be above average.
But hey...people die all the time so, so what, eh?
Since the CDC is only counting deaths since September, and pretending that the ones since April “don’t count”, these numbers are an undercount. The real number is something like 120 something.
And this is likely an undercount as well.
They are only counted ones that test positive. And the tests are not always accurate, and sometimes patients die without a good test, and also if they have other medical problems sometimes those are listed as the CAD.
There are a lot of "stakeholders" that have interests to be protected, or expanded, and this event provides a rationale.
And, after all, it's real. It IS a flu pandemic, the first since 1968. People DO die from it. It HAS certain epidemiologic features that are interesting, especially the rapid spread.
Yes, it's true, the illness is (mostly) mild. If there were no international, national, state, and local "pandemic flu emergency plans", a lot of this activity wouldn't be happening.
Ever since the concern about "bird flu" (H5N1 A/Hanoi/1997) was raised, there's been a lot of "what if" thinking. 9/11 liberated an ocean of money for emergency planning at many levels. The result was that there are plans "on the shelf", everywhere, meant to be activated at the time of the next flu pandemic.
Of course, the (wrong) embedded assumption was that the next pandemic strain would both spread rapidly AND cause severe disease. As it turns out, H1N1 A/California/2009 DOES spread rapidly, but DOESN'T cause severe disease.
But, when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. The propensity of bureaucrats to look to the next round of funding explains their desire to please their immediate superiors.
And, many positions in the Federal bureaucracy either remain vacant since January, or are occupied by people who, shall we say, have agendas of their own.
I don't accept any of the grand conspiracy theories. Bureaucracy, grant-seeking behaviors, and human nature are sufficient to explain it all.
The actual total US number of deaths is over 1000. THey started recounting. The CDC is full of s***. For instance, one young man - last name Healy, (or Healey) who recently died in Ohio or Indiana, died of swine flu. Docs told the parents the cause. Now the Public Health people are saying it wasn’t swine flu because his last test wasn’t positive. THe first test was. After Tamiflu, and the course of the disease, he tested negative. But that’s what caused his death.
They want was few deaths as possible, so the numbers are manipulated.
Whereas the 36,000 fatalities a year is a round number, based on statistical modeling and has nothing whatsoever to do with any actual deaths of people who tested positive with flu. Also 90% are over 65.
The CDC is merely juggling numbers to prevent - yup - the dreaded “panic”. THe result is no one is informed and it takes digging to find out even partially what’s going on.
If there is a flue-related fatality, I’m sure they test to determine the precise cause of death.
With those who simply have the flu, testing is far more limited.
What would peanut allergies have to do with how well a child’s immune system fights off the flu?
The figure of one million having the flu is also a bogus number. It is not based on seroprevalence studies. It is based on a 1000 phone calls to random people in NYC during allergy season asking them if they’ve had coughing, sneezing or respiratory symptoms. It was done last spring.
The CDC is a political organization and Frieden is a political animal among animals.
This flu is hitting various areas hard and still adapting to humans. Even yesterday the CDC started changing its tune and warning that fatalities of young people are starting to go way up. CYA for them.
Just so you know: the drug companies would much rather NOT deal with the flu vaccine, and do not make much—if any—money on it. Several years ago Wyeth tried to get OUT of the flu vaccine business, but the gummint would not let them. I know, I know...the drug companies are pure evil and you won’t believe me anyway, but I had to write this.
Thank you! I completely forgot about the bird flu! It makes a little more sense to me. But, should the vaccinations be manditory? People die from secondary infections of the common cold. This is not the same risk as polio, hepatitis, smallpox etc.
CYA is the iron law of bureaucracy.
This is especially true when the slot above you is vacant, which is a big problem right now.
People are afraid to make decisions (more so than usual), and so decisions are delayed - and when they happen, they are either too radical or too cautious.
“The “cytokine storm” (ARD implications) may be why it’s more fatal to those that are young, and previously healthy. The better your immune system, the worse it could be if the cytokine storm scenario is right.”
The only way to reduce the cytokine storm is to reduce the amount of viral replication, so that the immune system doesn’t leave as much leftover junk from its normal job of killing viruses.
A fever is what keeps the virus from replicating in the body. Obviousy, a very high fever can be dangerous but most people with the flu have a fever below 102-103, which is uncomfortable as heck but not dangerous.
The first advice of the medical profession is to “kill the fever”, which is the worst thing you can do, as it allows the virus to replicate.
Thanks for your sensible post. I got my seasonal flu vaccine last week and aside from a sore arm for half an hour suffered no ill effects. I’ll get the H1N1 shot as soon as it’s available in my area. Truly, as a pathologist I do not understand the anti-vaccine attitude some people have.
If you were in the Army during the month of October you probably took a flu shot.
I plan on getting my seasonal flu shot next week. I have been getting a flu shot every year since they STOPPED using a live virus and I have never gotten sick. I am puzzled by people saying they get sick from the vaccine. Unless of course, they are retelling the story of how sick they got when a live virus was used. Do you know what year they stopped using a live virus?
>>yes, they do test for the diagnosis of swine flu...<<
Not that I know of here in MI.
It’s a symptom based diagnosis. I just heard a Principle on the radio that said they ask about symptoms when the parents call in.
I did.
That’s the reason why they are pushing the vaccine on the young and not the seniors. They are gambling that the seniors have the immunity.
>>But, something like the 1918 Spanish Flu will happen again....its only a matter of time.<<
I don’t believe that.
Many who died from Spanish Flu, died from secondary infections that can now be treated by antibiotics.
We also do not have a bunch of soldiers living in close quarters (ships) being transported for weeks to and from the war.
It isn’t rational to say that we will repeat the Spanish Flu epidemic.
>>This flu is different. It is killing healthy young people. And its got a long way to go before it is over. Aside from that, the regular flu will hit too. So deaths this year will be above average.<<
I haven’t seen the references that this flu is killing young healthy people, with NO underlying health problems.
Even the people Down Under, who just lived through winter are saying that it’s no worse than a seasonal flu. If fact, down there, they have found that aboriginal patients have it worse.
That’s a new fact to me.
Also, Keep up with other H1N1 update stories on this thread: H1N1 flu victim collapsed on way to hospital [Latest H1N1 updates downthread] thanks to DvdMom and others.
I don’t have a problem with people getting a flu shot.
I don’t have a problem with people saying they never get sick.
I DO have a problem with people telling other FReepers they are crazy because they did get sick after the flu shot.
If anyone has a bad reaction to a medication, it should not be continued. Period. And other FReepers should suggest talking to one’s own Physician rather than the “there’s no way” attitude.
Someone could be allergic to a filler or have some other underlying problem.
My husband is a doctor AND in the military so he always has to get the darn shot and he gets sick EVERY time!
The “regular” flu kills 50-60K each year, I am so tired of the “swine flu” hype I want to SCREAM!!
I’ve experienced an immune reaction after a flu vaccine, myself. Aches and pains, congestion, just generally wiped out for a few days, like coming down with a mild case of the flu.
I didn’t say crazy, that is your word. All I have ever asked is when did they get the shot. A dead virus does not give a person the flu. Other reactions are certainly possible.
I had a reaction to a flu shot but it was not a case of the flu. It was a strange skin reaction that lasted maybe 1 hour. The skin over my entire body felt very cold. I had gotten that flu shot at a pharmacy and when i asked my E&T doctor about it, he said that it might have contained a preservative that the vaccine that he gave did not. I will never get a shot from anyone other than my E&T.
No, other FReepers have called people crazy. It’s something that should not be done here.
If one has ANY reaction, consult your Physician.
And your husband should know.
My husband, my kids and myself will not be getting any shot.
We are healthy, we homeschool and will take the risk.
I did consult my doctor and he said possibly preservatives, he also gives me 1/2 the vaccine and I come back in 4 days for the other 1/2. We have done that for the last 2 years and I have had no repeat of the skin reaction. The only question about being allergic is to ask if you are allergic to eggs, which I am not.
I keep asking if the people who say they catch the flu from the vaccine are talking about since the virus has been a killed virus or if the flu symptoms were from shots when the virus was alive. Still I get no answer to my question.
Nine Reasons Why Detailed on the Link - Plus a Video
Maybe because
1. they don’t know, their doctor does
2. even if they did have the information, they should be consulting with their physician, not someone on the internet.
I’m glad you consulted with your doctor. Everyone should. No one should be telling ANYONE on the internet that they are “foolish”, “crazy” or “uninformed” for having a reaction to a med. It’s unethical. Speaking for one’s self is great. Telling someone that your experience is THE experience or that their experience is impossible can cause problems.
Our whole family had it a few weeks ago along with a number of people I knew at work and their families. It just felt like regular old flu and we all recovered within 2-3 days except for residual cough. I reported it to our doctor but we didn’t ask to be seen because we were getting through it fine without medical assistance.
The CDC is still showing the same dozen “swine flu cases” in our county as several months ago and the number is at least tripled based on the cases I know of personally.
Isn’t there any middle ground between he drug companies are evil, or they are infallible?
The swine flu vaccine?
“Just so you know: the drug companies would much rather NOT deal with the flu vaccine, and do not make much—if any—money on it. “
Apparently that’s not true anymore.
From the WSJ:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB125417905531847679.html
“Amid rising concern about the threat of influenza pandemics, three big drug makers announced deals Monday that give them rights to new flu vaccines, placing bets on one of the pharmaceutical industry’s brightest, but riskiest, segments.
The deals reflect the growing conviction among pharmaceutical executives that vaccines against a variety of maladies, long an industry stepchild, will become an increasingly important source of growth to replace aging blockbusters that are poised to lose patent protection.”
Oh yes...been some alarming cases. Progress of the disease among those who need hospitalization is alarming. One boy in Alaska, 10 I recall, with no underlying health issues was sent home on a Thursday at noon by a school nurse and died Friday night in ICU. A Marathon competitor from New Zealand, 40ish, died of it while visiting Canada. Been many others. Don't want to give the impression we're about to face a 1918 event. No indication of that yet. But this is not the normal flu.
Flu Pandemic Forum keeps track of the cases. For an overview Monotreme's Blog is interesting.
CDC: 76 kids dead from swine flu
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Last Updated: 3:29 PM, October 9, 2009
Posted: 3:29 PM, October 9, 2009
http://www.nypost.com/p/news/national/cdc_kids_dead_from_swine_flu_tBFf2NdVT0q9qp4oUjHvGI
ATLANTA — Health officials said Friday that 76 children have died of swine flu, including 16 new reports in the past week — more evidence the new virus is unusually dangerous in kids.
The regular flu kills between 46 and 88 children a year, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data.
With swine flu cases increasing throughout most of the country, more deaths are likely, Dr. Anne Schuchat said at a press conference Friday.
She noted that 37 states now are reporting widespread swine flu cases, up from 27 a week ago.
Children who’ve died from swine flu - OCTOBER: 10/1 - 5-year-old Trinity Olivares, Sandoval County, NM
Underlying conditions: None
Co-infections/Complications: Never ran a fever, heart stopped
Symptom onset to death: SAME DAY
Reported on PFI: 10/1
Sources:
http://www.koat.com/health/21177413/detail.html
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1172715.shtml?cat=520
__________________________________________________
10/1 - Infant, Roosevelt County, NM
Underlying conditions: None
Reported on PFI: 10/1
Sources:
http://www.koat.com/health/21177413/detail.html
__________________________________________________
10/1 - 16-year-old LaTowyn Gaston, Tulsa County, OK
Underlying conditions: None
Co-infections/Complications: Dehydration from flu
Symptom onset to death: Fell ill Thursday and died Friday
Reported on PFI: 10/2
Sources:
http://www.kjrh.com/content/news/breaking/story/Influenza-death-reported-in-Tulsa-County/HsoUQcv2TkCPiyOf8L9qIw.cspx
__________________________________________________
10/1 - 17-year-old Kierra Lopez, Chaves County, NM
Underlying conditions: None
Reported on PFI: 10/2
Sources:
http://www.newswest9.com/Global/story.asp?S=11250156
__________________________________________________
10/1 - 4-year-old Nathan Stone, Cumberland Co, TN
Underlying conditions: Yes but nothing that would affect his immune system
Co-infections/Complications: Pneumonia
Symptom onset to death: 2 weeks
Reported on PFI: 10/5
Sources:
http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=11261492
__________________________________________________
10/3 - 14-year-old Patrick Wheeler, Cabell County, WV
Underlying conditions: None
Co-infections/Complications: Parents speculate pneumonia
Symptom onset to death: missed school Thurs and Fri
Date school opened in the area: August 26th
Reported on PFI: 10/4
Sources:
“A Cabell Midland High School student dies of a confirmed case of Swine Flu.”
http://www.wsaz.com/home/headlines/63458407.html?storySection=story
Posted: 10:12 PM Oct 3, 2009
__________________________________________________
Week ending 10/3 - 11-year-old, HSR 8, TX
Underlying conditions: Yes
Reported on PFI: 10/9
Sources:
http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/influenza/surveillance/2009/CurrentFlu.pdf
_________________________________________________
10/5 - 12-year-old boy, Shelby County, TN
Underlying conditions: Yes
Reported on PFI: 10/5
Sources:
http://www.memphisdailynews.com/editorial/Article.aspx?id=45198
__________________________________________________
10/6 - 11-year-old Mercedes Lewis, South Bend (Clay Intermediate), IL
Underlying conditions: None, healthy
Co-infections/Complications: Sore throat
Symptom onset to death: Less than 24 hours
Reported on PFI: 10/6
Sources:
http://www.wsbt.com/health/63601712.html
__________________________________________________
10/6 - 4 month old baby, San Bernardino County, CA
Underlying conditions: Unknown
Reported on PFI: 10/6
Sources:
http://www.sbsun.com/news/ci_13497228
__________________________________________________
10/7 - Teen, Santa Barbara County, CA
Underlying conditions: None
Co-infections/Complications: Pneumonia, Sepsis
Reported on PFI: 10/7
Sources:
http://www.dailynexus.com/article.php?a=19384
__________________________________________________
10/7 - 13-year-old Matthew Washburn, Black Forest, CO
Underlying conditions: Shaken baby syndrome
Co-infections/Complications: pneumonia
Reported on PFI: 10/8
Source: http://www.kktv.com/morenews/headlines/63821842.html
__________________________________________________
10/7 - 10-month-old baby, Sarasota, FL
Underlying conditions: Yes
Reported on PFI: 10/7
Sources:
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20091007/BREAKING/910079960/2055/NEWS?Title=Fourth-swine-flu-death-confirmed-in-Sarasota-County
__________________________________________________
10/7 - 14-year-old Breanna Calder, Bannock County, Idaho
Underlying conditions: Autism(?)
Co-infections/Complications:
Symptom onset to death: Few days
Reported on PFI: 10/7
Sources:
http://www.kpvi.com/Global/story.asp?S=11276367
__________________________________________________
10/7 - 15-year-old Marcus Triantafellu, Volusia, FL
Underlying conditions: Smith McGinnis syndrome/weakened immune system
Reported on PFI: 10/7
Sources:
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/orl-bk-swine-flu-death-volusia-100709,0,2444452.story
http://www.clickorlando.com/health/21226840/detail.html
__________________________________________________
10/7 - 5-year-old Catherine Gibson, Central TX
Underlying conditions: None
Complications: Brain swelling, Heart dysfunction
Symptom onset to death: 1 day
Reported on PFI: 10/9
Sources:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/2009/10/10/1010fludeath.html
_________________________________________________
10/8 - 14-year-old Michelle Fahle, Naperville, IL
Underlying conditions: None
Co-infections/Complications: “Flu Symptoms”
Reported on PFI: 10/8
Sources:
“Naperville North student dies” by Melissa Jenco | Daily Herald Staff
http://dailyherald.com/story/?id=327522
Updated: 10/8/200 10:47 PM
__________________________________________________
10/9 - 14-year-old Jon Fowler, Columbus, OH
Underlying conditions: None
Co-infections/Complications:
Symptom onset to death: 6 days
Reported on PFI: 10/9
Sources:
http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2009/10/09/h1n1_death.html
_________________________________________________
10/9 - Unknown child, Monroe Parrish, LA
Underlying conditions: Unknown
Reported on PFI: 10/9
Sources:
http://www.wwl.com/Louisiana-Swine-Flu-deaths-grow-to-20/5405942
_________________________________________________
10/9 - Unknown child, St. Tammany Parrish, LA
Underlying conditions: Unknown
Reported on PFI: 10/9
Sources:
http://www.wwl.com/Louisiana-Swine-Flu-deaths-grow-to-20/5405942
2,413 posted on Friday, October 09, 2009 8:55:28 PM by justsaynomore (What we learn from history is that we do not learn anything from history, - George Bernard Shaw)
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