Cornell student dies of swine flu

[link to www.cornell.edu]

Statement from President David Skorton on death of student
5:30 p.m., Sept. 11, 2009


Dear members of the Cornell community:

It is with deepest sadness and regret that I inform you of the loss of one of our students today at Cayuga Medical Center. Warren J. Schor, 20, died of complications related to H1N1 influenza. The university has been in close contact with Warren's family, and we wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to them and to his many friends. Please keep them in your thoughts in the following days.

We ask everyone to be alert to the risks related to certain underlying health conditions and the more severe symptoms that should trigger prompt consultation with your health care provider. Students, if you have concerns about your health please contact Gannett Health Services by phone 24/7 (255-5155). I urge all members of our caring community to follow, for your own health and for others, the flu prevention and public health recommendations we have been promoting.

Counseling and support services are available to all members of the Cornell community. Students can reach Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) on campus by calling 255-5155. The Faculty and Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) is available 24/7 by calling 800-327-2255 and selecting option 1. For Cornell United Religious Work (CURW), call 255-4214.

Please check the flu-info site (cornell.edu/flu) for updates on H1N1 flu, and use our flu phone line (607-255-0101) and flu-info ([email protected]) mailbox with questions and concerns you may have.


David Skorton

[link to www.democratandchronicle.com]

Cornell student dies of H1N1

ITHACA — A 20-year-old Cornell University student has died of complications of the H1N1 virus, university officials said Friday.


Warren J. Schor, a member of the Zeta Beta Tau fraternity who was living at the fraternity house on Edgecliff Place on North Campus, died Friday at Cayuga Medical Center. Schor, of Clinton Corners near Poughkeepsie, was a student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, according to Cornell's online directory.
The campus has dealt with a flood of incidences of the disease but no deaths until now.


As of Friday, the school's health service had reported dealing with more than 520 cases, many of which have been students calling in from home, said Vice President for Communications Tommy Bruce.

"One of the things I wanted to say is to reassure everyone that Cornell has been working really hard at this issue," Bruce said Friday. "We have been prepping for a pandemic for three years, and since this season has come around, we've been working around the clock."

He said privacy regulations prevented discussion of whether there were any other health issues that contributed to Schor's death.

All flu cases that are identified currently are assumed to be H1N1, since the seasonal flu is not known to be circulating this early in the season.
Zeta Beta Tau, a historically Jewish fraternity, could not be reached Friday for comment.


Cornell President David Skorton released a statement Friday evening informing the campus and media of Schor's death.
"The university has been in close contact with Warren's family, and we wish to convey our heartfelt condolences to them and to his many friends," Skorton said.
"Please keep them in your thoughts in the following days."


At Cornell, the InterFraternity Council earlier this week enacted a seven-day moratorium on all parties, hoping to stem the rate of occurrences of the illness.
The Cornell Daily Sun, the student newspaper, published a letter to the editor Friday from two Cornell administrators, Vice President for Student and Academic Services Susan Murphy and Dean of Students Kent Hubbell, applauding the move as a "reasonable response."
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Tompkins County Health Department Director Alice Cole said the real problem at parties is not the gathering of people together but the drinking games that students often play, in which they share drinking and eating utensils.

"The message that we continue to promote is to promote healthy behaviors," Cole said.

Cole said that compared with the number of cases of H1N1 being contracted, the number of people dying from it are very low.
"Most people get a very mild form of the disease, it progresses and they get better," she said.

Those most at risk for complications may have another condition, such as asthma or kidney disease, she said.Ithaca College has reported more than 25 cases identified by the Hammond Health Center, and Tompkins-Cortland Community College has also reported incidences.
One U.S. college, Washington State University's Pullman campus, had more than 2,500 phone and in-person contacts with students complaining of flu-like symptoms over a period of about 10 days at the beginning of the semester. However, no deaths have been reported there.
Those who are ill should consider getting medical attention if they have a temperature more than 100 degrees, or experience difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, sudden dizziness, pain or pressure in the chest, a change in their level of consciousness, or severe or persistent vomiting.

It's probably a safe bet that the unfortunate Warren had some serious, pre-condition.

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