North Texas teacher dies after getting the flu

Chron ^ | February 6th 2018 | William Axford

[Ennis85]

Heather Holland, a second-grade teacher at Ikard Elementary School with the Weatherford Independent School District died over the weekend, the Weatherford Democrat reports. Holland got sick about a week ago and took medication, but delayed picking up the prescription due to the $116 copay, according to the newspaper.

By Friday night, Holland's condition worsened and she was taken to the hospital. Her husband Frank Holland told the Weatherford Democrat that she died Sunday morning.

"She loved helping people, helping the kids, and the kids loved her," Holland's husband told the Weatherford Democrat.

Charlotte LaGrone, a spokeswoman for Weatherford ISD, told news station CBS DFW that counselors are available at the school for the rest of the week to help students and school staff cope with the sudden loss. She added that custodians started deep cleaning the district's schools in December to keep students from getting sick, and that the specific campus where Holland was employed had received an additional cleaning on Friday, Feb. 2.

This year's flu season has been particularly deadly, with flu-related deaths being reported across the nation. Last month, five flu-related deaths were reported in the greater Houston area. The CDC reports the flu is widespread across America this year and possibly won't peak until March.

[a fool in paradise]

People don’t get co-pays for over the counter drugs (but they can use medical cost savings accounts).

People who can get their allergy meds for $10 a month don’t like having to pay $25 a month and are happy to have to pay their doc for an office visit (and blood tests) to get a renewal of a prescription so they can by meds and get a “discount”.

[riri]

I have heard of the aura migraines but I never knew some people actually experience what you describe. That’s pretty wild.

[dragnet2]

They allege they have a billion invested in research. A billion is 1,000 million...lol. And many who've used it say it's not worth dodo.☺

[Shethink13]

Had Ms. Holland gotten a flu shot this year? Last stats I saw for this year had the unvaccinated accounting for 80% of deaths.

Source for this please...?

[Yaelle]

I think that is imitrex. I didn’t know they had patches now. Tried the stabber shots? Unpleasant but they work if you can’t take by mouth. I’d prefer the patches too though.

[Shethink13]

The flu shot may only be 30 percent effective at preventing flu this year, but it also does decrease severity which may be the difference between life and death.

Source please?

[Wissa]

Do you use a high-quality [strong!] oregano oil for your diffuser, how many drops, and for how long?

I use Now Brands 100% pure essential oil. Bought it from Amazon. For a diffuser I have a metal tea ball that I put in front of a small fan to spread the vapors through the air. I put 4-5 drops of oregano oil on a small piece of paper towel that I put in the tea ball. When I came down with whatever I had, I added the 4-5 drops a half dozen times through the day. Every couple of hours I replenished the oil on the paper towel. Added new oil just a couple of times the next day to knock down whatever germs might still be hanging around, even though I was feeling better already. I haven't used it since. I haven't been using it as a preventative.

I use it in a diffuser because I wanted to get the antiviral and antibacterial effects into my respiratory system where I assumed the germs were taking hold. I thought about taking some orally as well, but decided not to. I figured that it has such good antimicrobial properties that it would probably kill off too much good gut bacteria. Then I'd be no better off than people that get a prescription for antibiotics from their doctor.

[kelly4c]

I agree. I’m frequently bewildered at where the conversations end up on some of these articles. Tangents about aspects my mind doesn’t even register as being on topic

[a fool in paradise]

Americans pay full freight. Other countries get negotiated deep discounts on pharmaceuticals.

Americans are pressured to purchased Chinese and Indian made “generics” that may or may not be what you need.

Why aren’t the generics “good enough” for Canada and elsewhere?

[vetvetdoug]

Only an anti-viral can ameliorate the effects of the Orthomyxo virus. Tamiflu inhibits the neuramidase enzyme and therefore blocks or reduces the virus from replicating and that makes the virus less virulent. Tamiflu only works on RNA viruses that use reverse transcriptase. Vaccination to the specific strain of the Orthomyxoviridae is the only prevention. What I've seen here is a myriad of witch's brews and quackery. Being healthy and having a good level of D3 or vitamin C may help but if confronted with an infective dose of virions of the flu they will be ineffective.

[mewzilla]

https://www.popsci.com/kids-flu-symptoms-death

I should have added that the state applied to peds cases.

[a fool in paradise]

A week or longer with this flu from what I’ve heard. Several people I know report “feeling better” after nearly a week, going out and soon realizing that the needed more reconfiguration and wound up in bed (at home) 3 more days.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

And how does it do that?

You're a Mom and don't know how?

Moms are like secondary doctors.

[riri]

Yeah. actually, I just looked it up.

Are these stabber shots something you do yourself? Because that may be the answer.

[DoughtyOne]

Yes, you could see that coming a mile away.

[al_c]

$116 co-pay? Must have had an Obozo-care Bronze plan.

my wife has been teaching since 1989. We’ve always put her on my insurance plans. Schools in Texas have horrible plans. Always have.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

The sialic acid receptors that the influenza virus uses to get inside the cells and wreak havoc are exactly the same, regardless of whether or how much vitamin D you take.

Actually, you're wrong. I have a bachelor's degree in Health Information Technology and it does nothing of the sort. Vitamin D (D3, to be precise) has a component that shuts the Influenza A virus DOWN before it starts.

All the Tamiflu and even Vitamin C is no match for the flu. But Vitamin D is. It stops the flu before it starts.

[al_c]

She was a school teacher...she likely had the best of the best plans.

See my previous post above.

[Wissa]

Flu is a virus-—why would the MD give you antibiotics?

Because that's how they make money. They write prescriptions for stuff that the body's immune system will generally take care of on it's own in due course. Everybody is happy. The doctor makes money. The drug company makes money. And the patient feels comforted because the doctor has given him a prescription for MEDICINE. If the doctor would tell him that the illness will probably go away on its own in a few days but to get in touch with him if the condition gets worse, he'd probably be looking to find a new doctor. One that will give him a prescription for MEDICINE.

[mewzilla]

How many flu-associated deaths occur in people who have been vaccinated?

As previously explained, flu-associated deaths in adults are not a nationally notifiable condition, and so states are not required to report flu-associated deaths in adults to CDC. In contrast, flu-associated deaths in children are a nationally notifiable condition, and so jurisdictions (inclusive of state, city or local public health departments) do provide data to CDC on flu-associated deaths in children. These data generally include demographic information, flu laboratory test results, clinical information, and information on the child’s vaccination history, when it is available. During past seasons, approximately 80% of flu-associated deaths in children have occurred in children who were not vaccinated. Based on available data, this remains true for the 2017-2018 season, as well. For the latest surveillance data on flu deaths in children, see https://gis.cdc.gov/GRASP/Fluview/PedFluDeath.html.

The above per the CDC.