A woman from the Topeka area has died from the H1N1 influenza virus, bringing the number of Kansans who have died from the infection to 18.
The 48-year-old woman’s death was reported to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment on Saturday, and her infection was confirmed in the KDHE laboratory on Tuesday.
The woman did not have any underlying health condition that placed her at greater risk for severe complications of influenza, KDHE officials said.
The symptoms of swine flu are similar to symptoms of seasonal flu and include fever of 100 degrees or higher, body aches, coughing, sore throat, respiratory congestion and, in some cases, diarrhea and vomiting.
Swine Flu Pandemic
An outbreak of H1N1 Swine Flu was reported in Mexico in April 2009. By the end of May, it had spread across the U.S., with all 50 states reporting cases.
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chzypoof1 (anonymous) says…
Can we please get a comparison of how many people have died of general Influenza, rather than H1N1? I don't feel like the media is giving a fair representation of the ratio.
poof
snoopy_79 (anonymous) says…
on average 36,000 people die nationwide from the seasonal flu....
I'm almost positive that the number for H1N1 is below this.
shadowbox66044 (anonymous) says…
According to the CDC, the swine flu deaths are at 4000, and that's just in America.
appleaday (anonymous) says…
The seasonal flu outbreaks don't usually begin until late December at the earliest and mostly in January and February. So, as yet, there is nothing to compare.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
If I understand correctly, a statistic that is at least as relevant as "how many died" is the number of healthy (no underlying or complicating factors) people dying of H1N1 vs the number dying of "regular" flu strains. It sounds like H1N1 is much more likely to kill healthy people in the prime of their lives. This is what's so alarming about this strain.
Not that the lives of the very old, very young, immunocompromised, or those with other predisposing causes are any less valued, but it does give a very sobering perspective since we don't expect otherwise healthy people to die of the flu--and many healthy young-to-middle-aged adults won't worry about getting the vacc., thinking they have nothing to worry about.
What this says to me is that it is important that they do their best to increase the supplies of innoculation to the point where everyone who wants it can get it and they no longer need to restrict access--and that the CDC and local health depts need to get the word out so that those of us who don't usually bother with ful shots will take this one more seriously. (Guilty as charged!)
Ironically, while I do understand how this strain is different and feel I should get the shot this time, I am not currently allowed to, as I am not in a "target" group. When someone very close to my own age, who was apparently as healthy as I am dies of this flu strain, I'm wondering why we are not all in the target group for the inoculation.
MyName (anonymous) says…
Another thing that is interesting about H1N1 is the fact that it seems to be affecting older people less than other strains. Which could indicate that something similar to this strain has been around before and older americans already have antibodies for it.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
That's true--I think I read that something went through in 1956 or thereabouts and that those who were around then may still have antibodies from that.
pace (anonymous) says…
I wonder how many of the people who don't think H1n1 is serious, don't believe in global warming, environmental dangers, evolution and are against gay marriage. Could they have an entirely different brain pattern? Is a subspecies developing in our community?
Wash your hands, stay home if you have a fever.
KUHOOPS (anonymous) says…
The virus is called H1N1, not swine.
middlemgmt (anonymous) says…
Py - I agree and I hope all those who want the shot can get it soon.
Pywacket (anonymous) says…
Pace~ You're very charitable--you think they have brains?
middlemgmt~ Amen to that. Funny thing is, they seem to have plenty in Dg Co--I know that they had way more on hand at the Eudora and Baldwin clinics than needed for the limited population they allowed. It would've been great if they had vaccinated all the parents who showed up with the kids for those clinics.
I do understand, and I'm not faulting them--they had no idea how many would show up & they needed to reserve what they had for anybody in the allowed groups who showed. Still frustrating, though...
redmoonrising (anonymous) says…
First of all, in response to ComradeRedRooster, have you or a family member been hospitalized lately? I was and I can tell you that before it's all done, my surgery and five day stay will most likely be over $100,000. I didn't have anything like dialysis but did have a couple of extra procedures that most likely tacked on $8,000-10,000 each. One test I had done before surgery was over $8,000 and it took less than 30 minutes.
As to H1N1, it's just getting started folks. It's incidence seems to be increasing daily. The main point is that it is world wide and has the chance of becoming pandemic, if it hasn't already. And it is more likely to kill than the regular flu. I had the Asian flu of 1956 and all these years later I can never remember being so sick for so long. I'm guessing that my age group has picked up a lot of antibodies along the way but not our children and younger genereations, maybe up to age 50?
jafs (anonymous) says…
Multi,
That's why it's a good idea to go to the doctor sooner if you have symptoms of possible H1N1.
If you wait and suffer through it and pneumonia, then you will be in much worse shape (obviously).
Anti-viral medications are only effective within the first 24-48 hours of getting a virus.
According to the info I've gathered from various sources, H1N1 has very similar symptoms to regular flu, but more intense (higher fever, etc.). Some have described it as feeling the most sick they've every felt.
So if you feel like you have a bad flu with a high fever, go to the doctor immediately.
gr (anonymous) says…
"means that you either have to go bankrupt or die if you get sick?”
It's a free country. Why didn't she have insurance? If she did have insurance, what if it didn't pay for it? You make no sense (@ person on other thread).
"I wonder how many of the people who don't think H1n1 is serious, don't believe in global warming, environmental dangers, evolution and are against gay marriage."
You forgot to list Y2K.
"The virus is called H1N1, not swine."
Yeah, it should be called - pork flu.
How many died of the flu? How about listing how many died of the pork-flu vaccine?
http://www.globalresearch.ca/index.ph...
"The medical authorities revealed that the government had ordered two different vaccines, one for government and army, one for the general public."
Reminds you of something in this country...
I heard someone talking about a Dr. Oz doing a publicity stunt on TV. Wonder how many shares of SIGA he has options on?
Click on doc1.html or on Reporting:
http://sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/11...
RKLOG (Mark Andrew) says…
Wow, no rumors here.