I’ll lay odds he was obese...
He was given an experimental drug:
“Mr. Wiener, 55, had been “overwhelmed” by the illness, despite beginning a course of treatment with an experimental drug, Ribavirin, after he failed to respond to other antiviral drugs, according to Ole Pedersen, a spokesman for Flushing Hospital Medical Center, where Mr. Wiener had been a patient since Wednesday.”
http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2009/05/18/new-york-reports-its-first-swine-flu-death-may-17-2009-assistant-principal-new-york-city-public-school-mitchell-wiener-experimental-drug-ribavirin-overwhelmed-by-the-illness/
Another “experiment”...he was administered a “special vaccination.” It had to experimental because they’re just now testing the vaccines.
“At Flushing Hospital Sunday night, Mary S. Meguerditchian, 60, whose husband has been recovering from a stroke on the same floor as Mr. Wiener, said the family had seemed optimistic about Mr. Wiener’s chances on Saturday. But on Sunday Ms. Wiener had told her that a “special vaccination” had been administered to Mr. Wiener, “but it didn’t work,” Ms. Meguerditchian said.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/nyregion/18swine.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&ref=health
“Mr. Wiener had a history of medical problems that may have put him at greater risk, the officials said. His family said that he had suffered from gout but that it was under control with medication.”
Photo here...looks like he might have been overweight:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/nyregion/18swine.html?_r=1&ref=health