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Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010 | 1:31 p.m.
The Southern Nevada Health District reported today that a woman died within the past week from the H1N1 virus, also known as swine flu, bringing the total number of deaths in Southern Nevada to 36.
The patient was a 29-year-old woman with underlying health conditions, the health district said. It was Southern Nevada's first H1N1-related death of 2010.
There have been 3,421 reported cases of H1N1 in Southern Nevada since Aug. 31.
The health district has received 152,100 doses of the H1N1 influenza vaccine. The vaccines are now offered to the general public.
The initial target groups for injections included pregnant women, those who have contact with or care for children younger than 6 months of age, health care and emergency medical services staff, all people from 6 months to 24 years, and people ages 25 through 64 years who have health conditions putting them at higher risk of medical complications from influenza.
If this article is about the 29 year old female that died at Desert Springs Hospital the information is wrong. She did not have underlying health conditions. She was my best friend. She went to the hospital on a Friday and was told she had pnemonia and sent home. She went back on Monday in an ambulance because she was having trouble breathing. She died 28 days after going to the ER on Friday. She had no health problems what so ever before getting sick.
To say she had underlying health conditions makes it sound like the H1N1 wouldn't have been that bad if she had been healthier. She was heathy. The Health Distric should get their facts straight.
I agree with crywithem although I do not know the victim or the facts.
I have been getting the feeling based on my following the reports that in recent months the doctors have been falsely reporting that people dying from H1N1 all have "underlying medical conditions."
Maybe their purpose is to prevent a panic but there has clearly been a reduction of "healthy" people dying from H1N1 being reported which is inconsistent with prior reporting.
I don't know if this is just a Vegas thing or is happening nationwide, but it is suspicious.
I am with crywithem. If this is the woman that died at Desert Springs hospital, I was close friend also. She did NOT have underlying health issues that lead to this virus hitting her harder. This makes it sound like you should only be worried about this flu if you have some other health problems. She was in peak health, and had died less than 4 weeks after getting sick. Trust me, she put up one heck of a fight to beat this. If she had had underlying medical conditions, I don't think she would have lasted as long as she did. She also did not die this year. It was not in the past week; it was a week and a half ago. The health district needs to get their facts straight before publishing them, and the newspaper should not be reporting information that has not been verified as being accurate.
"Underlying health conditions" include not just cancer, autoimmune disorders, asthma and other serious health conditions but also includes weight, smoking, alcohol consumption, diet, etc. all of which seriously jeoporadize the immune system in combatting any virus or bacterial infection. Usually it is not the flu alone that threatens the person's life but the secondary complications like pneumonia. According to the account of an above commentor, I question the hospital's early release of this woman (on Friday). Was there a test run for H1N1 virus? Were there any drug related interactions or complications?
Along with crywithen amd AmerliaLM, if it is the woman who died at Desert Springs, she was perfectly healthy when hit with this illness,no underlying issues. Desert Springs did NOT test her for H1N1 as they should have. She also passed away on Christmas Eve, not in 2010. Such a shame that they have released this untrue information.
It took Desert Springs 4 days to diagnose my Pulmonary Embolisms.
"Underlying health conditions" means either no health insurance or incompetent doctors, or a combination of both.
When she went to the hosptial on Monday they tested her for H1N1 and got the results back on Thursday of that same week that she had it. They never tested her on Friday for it because she wasn't running a fever.
I agree vegasm I think they do consider underlying health condition no health insurance or incompetent doctors, or a combination of both.
You hit the nail right on the head vegasm! I also take issue with the over use of the term "underlying medical conditions" as it falls just short of being some weak justification that somehow it's OK that someone who did not "take care of themself" die?! BUT competency IS the core issue here!! The woman who lost her life on Christmas Eve at Desert Springs to the H1N1 virus was a my friend too and I can attest to the fact that she was as healthy as they come w/NO UNDERLYING HEALTH CONDITIONS!! I cannot state unequivacably that the doctors are to blame but neither was my friend - which again is what the whole "underlying medical conditions" alludes to. I am not a doctor nor was I privy to any information of later complications after the infiltration of the virus but I DO know that they initially misdiagnosed her and sent her home failing to test for H1N1 which definately puts the medical competency into question. That said, I am sure of this... the Las Vegas Sun article REAKS of incompentency and is "AT LEAST" irresponsible reporting devoid of FACT and it not only minimizes the severity of this virus but
it denigrates the memory of this young HEALTHY woman who tragically lost her life through NO fault of her own!!!
This is scary, which is why I have a suggestion which could help stave off H1N1, since young children are the #1 spreaders of germs- Germ Smarts for Kids. The kids learn how to both avoid AND keep from spreading germs. Since my child learned this at daycare, we no longer play the "pass the germs" game! We have only had 1 cold all fall after our child learned with this program -- last year same time 3.
The sad thing is she got H1N1 from one of the two children that she took care of at a daycare. :-(
I'm surprised that this Tiffany Gibson hasn't come on here to defend her journalistic integrity since it's come into question. As a fellow writer, I'd expect more of a professional.
It should be noted that when swine flu was first being reported the media stated that "healthy" individuals had died from the virus. They later had to retract those statements after learning that each and every individual had underlying conditions predisposing them to complications. I am not saying this young woman was extremely unhealthy but considering that the majority of Americans are far from the epitome of health it is not a leap for medical reports to state that an individual had underlying health conditions. In August 2009, health agencies were advised to "assume" every flu related doctor/hospital visit was H1N1 with no necessity for testing, hense, the blown out pandemic figures. Why this woman was not also "assumed" H1N1 positive with pneumonia complications in the first place is a mystery. Test turnaround times are roughly between 24 - 48 hours, unless the hospital has a molecular lab on site which means single digit hours for results. The majority of hospitalized H1N1 patients survive their ordeal. The hospital could have possibly administered drugs that were counter effective. That is speculation.
She did not have underlying health issues is the whole problem with this. She was not a smoker, she did not use drugs, she was not overweight, she did not have asthma or diabetes or anything like that. She was 29 years old and in great physical shape. The health district is trying to not scare people by telling them the truth; that people who are healthy can die from this virus just the same as anyone who does have health issues. It's ridiculous. They almost make it sound like it's her fault which is just plain wrong. She was completely healthy and you could ask anyone who knew her personally and they would tell you the same thing. She was healthy, and she was taken from this world too soon. She was a truly beautiful person, inside and out, and it makes me made that they are insinuating that she almost was to blame. It's just wrong. It is a tragedy and so many people are mourning the loss of this beautiful, bright, enthusiastic, happy, loving woman way too soon.
Amelia, I join you in mourning the loss of this beautiful person taken much too soon from us. She was my niece. You and the rest of us are in a world of hurt right now. But you have to think level headed. There "were" underlying health concerns ... I am not talking about an irresponsible lifestyle but just life. No one has perfect health, not you, not me and not her. Do I think that alone led to her death? Absolutely not! I am angered by how she was "medically" handled, not thoroughly diagnosed (H1N1 with pneumonia) and how valuable time was lost. Typically more or less healthy people, like her, recover from swine as well as other flu strains. I am not a medical professional, just a mom who does a lot of health related research. I wish I could go back in time and fix this but I can't. Human error (whether purposeful or not) has taken a precious person from us. Where do we go from here? We can become bitter or allow ourselves to be comforted by our memories, our current relationships and in our connection with God. This will not be an easy path for any of us but one we must take none the less. God bless you, Amelia, and everyone else who loved her!