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Swine flu deaths hit home
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This is local news for me folks...
Saugerties man who had swine flu is dead
KINGSTON - A Saugerties man who had tested positive for swine flu died Wednesday night, according to the Ulster County Executive's Office.
The man, who was not identified by officials, had been hospitalized with underlying medical conditions, and had a confirmed case of H1N1 virus or swine flu. Officials stressed the man had several conditions that likely interacted, leading to his death.
"There were multiple underlying health conditions going on," said Vincent C. Martello, assistant deputy county executive/communications, "... all of which contributed to the individual's death."
Case is 1st Ulster fatality
This is the ninth confirmed case of swine flu in Ulster County and the first death there associated with the virus. Martello said the other confirmed cases in the county have been mild, and the individuals have since recovered.
Out of respect for the man's family and their privacy, no further information was made available to the public, according to a press release from the county.
Ulster County Executive Mike Hein expressed his sympathies and said, "Our hearts and prayers go out to the family and friends of this individual, and we will continue to partner with the local medical community and do everything possible to reduce the spread of this disease."
The county Health Department advises the best way to prevent the spread of all forms of flu is for individuals and families to continue to exercise precautions, such as frequent hand washing, staying home and keeping children at home when ill, and contacting your family physician if flu symptoms are present.
High-risk individuals, including young children and those with medical conditions, such as asthma, cardiovascular disease, morbid obesity and liver dysfunction, should be closely monitored for flu-like symptoms and should seek immediate medical attention whenever symptoms are suspected.
There have been 2,582 cases of swine flu, also known as the H1N1 influenza virus, reported in the state as of July 10, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Of those cases, at least 41 have been confirmed in Dutchess County, according to the state Department of Health.
Last week, the World Health Organization reported nearly 95,000 cases of swine flu, including 429 deaths worldwide.
Experts estimate swine flu to be about as dangerous as seasonal flu, and there usually isn't a high demand for those vaccines. Still, regular flu kills up to 500,000 people a year worldwide.
While the death is tragic, Martello said the number of cases puts the confirmed rate of infection at a tiny fraction of one percent of the Ulster population. He added there have been no clusters of the virus found.
"It needs to be put in perspective," he said.
[link to www.poughkeepsiejournal.com]
...nicely downplayed.
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