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.

[LesbianThespianGymnasticMidget]

I up my C and Niacin in flu season. I also use hand sanitizer. High doses of zinc if I feel any symptoms. Fingers crossed since the flu has skipped me for years and years and years.

[TChris]

You don't understand. They had more pressing needs:

SERIOUSLY!!??

You're going to take the sad news of a school teacher's untimely death and armchair-judge her imaginary financial decisions???

Damn, there are some cold-blooded jerks on FR.

[Sacajaweau]

Thanks for posting. There is a generic, too.

[Safetgiver]

delayed picking up the prescription due to the $116 copay,.....Oh, Horseshiite!!! Fake news. She was probably too sick to remember and go out to pick the crap up.

[Extremely Extreme Extremist]

In addition, it’s important to take a good multivitamin and Omega 3 fish oil. I work 2 jobs and am constantly on the go, so unfortunately I don’t have time to adhere to the gubmint’s socialistic food pyramid. Several nights a week, my meal consists of a TV dinner, and I hate eating fruit outright. So, it’s vitamin supplements for me.

[DrGunsforHands]

There have been stories about people taking Tamiflu and dying right aftterwards.

[Pollster1]

I get a flu shot every year, and most years I don’t get the flu. This year, I had the flu, and it was a rough one - lasted a month. It was only terrible for a few days, but it took me far too long to fully recover.

[foreverfree]

One of my coworkers lost her son (a 12th grader) to the flu about 3 weeks ago. Our boss has given her as much time off to recover emotionally as she feels she needs. Very sad, that and this.

ff

[Safetgiver]

a free flu shot....They only work on flu that isn’t prevalent THIS year.

[Qiviut]

Members of our church had a baby (8-12 month range) die this past week - was taken to the pediatrician & returned home, died the next morning.

[lightman]

What is outrageous is that Tamiflu is only available by prescription.

Once the Flu reaches CDC “widespread” status in a particular County it should automatically become OTC.

Cramming sick people together in MD’s waiting rooms just to get a Tamiflu scrip invites the public health disaster we are witnessing.

[JustaCowgirl]

I know. My doctor said don’t take Tamiflu, the risks outweigh the benefits. In general, I think he’s probably right.

[ReagansShinyHair]

Other articles say they could totally afford the cost of the medicine and she just felt it wasn’t necessary, and her husband went back and bought it a half a day or so later. The type of flu that she had might not even have been the type that Tamiflu helps.

[iontheball]

I guess teachers don’t have credit cards?
___________________________________________
The problem is that this flu is not your normal influenza. I'm sure she could have paid for the medicine, but when she saw the co-pay she figured she could just tough it out. While there is no guarantee that the medicine would have made a difference, when you get this one, you don't want to fool around and convince yourself that it can't be that much worse than all the other ones you have survived in the past. If, by one means or another, this sucker gains the upper hand over you, you might not escape its grasp. One thing that's different is that this one progresses swiftly from onset to where you are gasping for your next breath.

[Safetgiver]

Absolutely. He was required every year to get a flu shot so he wouldn’t spread it to the students.

[Celerity]

I’m really scratching my head with this flu outbreak.

I need details and questions answered. How are these people dying within a few days - or even within 24 hours - of getting the flu ?!

Is their heart stopping or something ? I need to know what happens with this flu that is so different than any other flu I’ve suffered.

I haven’t taken my family out of the house in 2 weeks - literally - because everyone is sick with this. I wear a mask at the store and have sequestered the family. This is scary stuff !

It’s like Captain Trips or something.

[Husker24]

We’ve had a couple of people miss 3 days of work because of this, its no joke. Ive been lucky so far.

[Celerity]

“Shopping on Amazon.”

I’m doing it so I don’t have to go out to the store. We’ve been avoiding people in general for weeks. Luckily my wife and I work from home and on the phone all day.

[Paladin2]

Last year’s Flu Shot had the same generic Strains as this year’s shot.

My polio shot(s) from being a Kid in the 50’s seemed to have worked for decades so far....

[unread]

I caught that flu in mid December.. spent 6 days in the hospital... But I'm in my mid 70’s with bad lungs.. I guess I'm lucky to be here...