Swine flu deaths reported in region
Local school officials deny rumors of casesBy ZACH SUBAR, The Leader-Herald
Two deaths last week in Albany and Warren counties have been reported as the first deaths attributed to swine flu in the Capital Region.
In Albany County, Health Commissioner James Crucetti says an adolescent who died of complications related to a long-term illness last week was confirmed to have H1N1 influenza, more commonly known as swine flu.
Patricia Auer, Warren County's health services director, says an adult died at Glens Falls Hospital on Saturday as a result of the infection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Monday that the flu is widespread in 48 states and hospitalizations and deaths continue to increase.
Meanwhile, local school officials say they have not heard of any confirmed swine flu cases in their districts.
Greater Johnstown School District Superintendent Katherine Sullivan said she has been in touch with Fulton County Public Health Director Denise Frederick, and no student has tested positive for swine flu.
"We will report it [to the county Public Health Department] if we have a case," Sullivan said.
She said the district has recently "had more absences than we typically would have."
The Gloversville Enlarged School District already has reported a nearly 5 percent increase in high school absences so far this year.
Rumors also have been circulating about the virus in various local school districts. Broadalbin-Perth Central School District Superintendent Stephen Tomlinson sent a letter home with students Oct. 23 that addressed such rumors.
"I am writing to inform you that the rumor that Broadalbin-Perth schools are closed because of a large number of students with H1N1 (swine) flu is simply that: a rumor," Tomlinson wrote. "All schools are open and fully staffed, and to date we are not aware of any laboratory-confirmed cases of H1N1 in our community."
The school district's Web site says the district also is seeing "higher absenteeism than is typical for late October."
Officials with public health departments in Fulton and Montgomery counties could not be reached for comment today.
St. Mary's Hospital in Amsterdam recently established new visitation policies that prevent children ages 12 and younger from entering the hospital's patient ward. The hospital also has restricted visits by those with flu-like symptoms.
Nathan Littauer Hospital in Gloversville also has established new visitation policies in its hospital wards.
The hospital now prohibits children ages 12 and younger from visiting patients in the hospital, and is restricting visits by people who have flu-like symptoms or an acute illness.
Visitors are expected to wear a mask if they are asked to do so by a hospital employee. No more than two visitors are permitted in a room at any given time.
Littauer Vice President of Operations Susan Kiernan said the hospital could make an exception to this new policy "if there are special circumstances."
She said, however, "that is up to the discretion of the nursing supervisor."
The Montgomery County Sheriff's Office has prohibited members of those same groups-children 12 and younger as well as those who exhibit flu-like symptoms-from visiting the county correctional facility.
Fulton County Residential Health Center Facility officials said today they are encouraging people who feel ill to not visit the building, since some residents could be susceptible to contracting a virus such as the swine flu.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
|
Jr88fanNY
|
|
|---|---|
|
11-04-09 12:08 PM
|
I know a child that was sent to St Mary's by her doctor and tested for H1N1. So they can test there for it. Not sure where these rumors are coming from. Also to note many of the deaths from the H1N1 the patients in most cases have other conditions that contribute to their death. If they did not have the other condition(s) more than likely they would have survived it. Too much information is being left out when deaths from the flu are being reported.
|
|
Preacher
|
|
|
11-04-09 11:01 AM
|
mikegville - I can't wait to read your next paper puiblished in the New England Journal of Medicine. There is no other "seasonal" flu here right now. No reason to test. period.
|
|
Crista2008
|
|
|
11-04-09 8:54 AM
|
Do you know what the funny thing is that a man just died in St Marys last week from swine flu and that is not in the papers and my sister in law took her kids who had flu like symptoms to the st marys to have them tested for swine flu and they told her they have no test at that hospital for that, and on another note a mother took her 12yr old daughter to St Marys for almost a month with flu like symptoms and they told her she was fine last week mother got sick of taking her to them and they say nothing wrong so she took her to Albany Med the told her after running some test that she has H1N1 and only has 24hrs to live. No a 12yr old girl has just lost the rest of her life due to neglect from St Marys Hospital.
|
|
ADKlvr
|
|
|
11-04-09 8:25 AM
|
As with most things nowadays....I think the media hype puts everybody into a panic. The flu season comes around every year and every year people die from it. Dont fall prey to the hype..wash your hands, eat healthy, stay away from crowds like you would during any flu season.
|
|
jimsanya
|
|
|
11-04-09 2:28 AM
|
Well, if it is not the swine flu, then it must be the Rumanian root rot.
|
|
Discobulous
|
|
|
11-04-09 12:04 AM
|
This is the little piggie's retribution for all those Easter hams we ate.
|
|
PickleChick
|
|
|
11-03-09 9:32 PM
|
We were told that it was 90+% that we had H1N1, but not testing was taking place. Per the Dr., the only lab for an accurate test was in CA, and that it would take 14 days to get the results, so it was a waste of $$ for the test, as you'd treat it the same way. My son was sick with it for 9 days.
|
|
Discobulous
|
|
|
11-03-09 6:49 PM
|
That's not very comforting.
|
|
Seriously
|
|
|
11-03-09 6:44 PM
|
If you would go to the CDC site, you will find the information you are seeking as to why the testing is not being done for the H1N1 flu. This is the link. ***********cdc.gov/h1n1flu/guidance/diagnostic_tests.htm You should also realize that the test is very expensive, and the labs required to complete the testing may not be available locally.
|
|
refman
|
|
|
11-03-09 4:02 PM
|
I think the real story to report for the Fulton County area is whether or not testing is even being performed. I have heard testing was so backed up that they aren't doing it.
|
|
Discobulous
|
|
|
11-03-09 3:52 PM
|
I didn't know flus could explode. If so, I haven't heard any go off around here yet.
|
|
timertime
|
|
|
11-03-09 3:32 PM
|
it isn;t so much the fact of dying, it is people just want to know the truth that it is here in fulton county and not be sugar coated ot the schools saying they have no "confirmed" cases. It is actually ridiculous
|
|
mikegville
|
|
|
11-03-09 3:21 PM
|
You have 20x the chance of dying from the common flu than H1N1, they also include the AIDS-immuno compromised in those statistics too... That's why flu deaths have exploded in the past 20 plus years.. So basically if you have a healthy immune system you're chances of dying from this is very very small..
|
|
timertime
|
|
|
11-03-09 2:58 PM
|
ok, you almost make sense
|
|
RWEHVNGFUNYET
|
|
|
11-03-09 2:32 PM
|
OH MY GOD PEOPLE!!!! You have been watching WAAAAAAYYYY too much Science FICTION TV!!! Either that, or the connspiricy theorists have taken over. I just want all of you to know, if I'm in trouble STAY AWAY FROM ME!!!! I want calm and rational thought from my caregiver. This is a waste of binary code.
|
|
VABOYE
|
|
|
11-03-09 2:15 PM
|
Genesis-I am with you. I think it all has to do with MONEY.I also think it is scare tactics to push the vaccine to line the dug companies pockets. Everybody including doctors call everything with a little sniffle "the flu". Most generally it just a respiratory virus but not the Swine flu or Seasonal flu virus. To be ABSOLUTELY sure you must test specimens for the Swine flu or the Seasonal flu. My guess is that most insurance companies are not paying for them so therefore testing is not being done.. Everything revolves around money. Generally a true flu manifests itself in a very high fever, extreme fatigue, cough and body aches and a severe headache that last a good 5-7 days not one or 2 days.I truly believe people are over reacting-anything to panic the public.!!
|
|
IKnooow
|
|
|
11-03-09 1:57 PM
|
The CDC reported almost two weeks ago that most flu circulating at that time was probably H1N1 because it was too early for the typical seasonal flu. But flu is flu, generally mild, with the risk of becoming more serious in people with underlying health issues. It is all treated the same. There are antiviral medicines that can help, and vaccines that can help people resist the flu.
|
|
Genesis
|
|
|
11-03-09 1:36 PM
|
I know if you go to the ER with any cough or fever they automatically label it as you having the flu. Not the swine flu necessarily. Or at least that is not what they say but they do no test or anything to come up with this conclusion. Is there any tests that can be done to show if it is the plain old fashion flu or if it is the swine flu? If there is then why are they not being done? I took my daughter there for a sinus infection and they said yes she has that and the flu but she showed no symptoms of the flu in any way other then a slight fever for 24 hours. If you ask me most of it is nothing but scare tactics to push the vaccine!
|
|
timertime
|
|
|
11-03-09 1:32 PM
|
ok so peoples kids including mine have been sick with the so called "virus flu" as the doctors are calling it. I think myself and others would like to know if it is swine flu or not although i believe my child and half of gloversville high school have had or have the flu at this time. I think it is ridiculous that they are not even testing one out of every twenty kids....lets keep it a secret
|
|
TiredOfTax
|
|
|
11-03-09 12:55 PM
|
I do not think that it would help to know the numbers of confirmed H1N1 virus in our area, it simply does not matter. The treatment is the same for any type of Flu. Contact your doctor if you have severe symptoms What are the emergency warning signs? In children Fast breathing or trouble breathing Bluish skin color Not drinking enough fluids Not waking up or not interacting Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough Fever with a rash In adults Difficulty breathing or shortness of breath Pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen Sudden dizziness Confusion Severe or persistent vomiting
|
|
thebigs
|
|
|
11-03-09 12:46 PM
|
Rumors are that Fulton County has been asked not to test for it. I have heard that there are area children being treated for it, but are not confirmed cases because the area is not testing for it. As timertime said, it think that if they would start testing those showing symptoms then the area would have more confirmed cases.
|
|
TiredOfTax
|
|
|
11-03-09 12:17 PM
|
Nationally there has been 2916 deaths and 25,985 hospitalizations as of October 30th directly attributed to swine flu the CDC website has a situation update posted weekly.
|
|
Preacher
|
|
|
11-03-09 12:05 PM
|
Yes - The Spaniards
|
|
Discobulous
|
|
|
11-03-09 11:57 AM
|
Something wiped out the Incas too.
|
|
timertime
|
|
|
11-03-09 11:29 AM
|
if they would start testing some kids so that it could be confirmed i think they would see the swine flu is here.
|