Sixth U.S. Swine Flu Death

May 18th, 2009 By: Michael van der Galien | Tags: ,

swine fluThe L.A. Times reports that a sixth American has died from the swine or Mexican flu (also called H1N1):

A school assistant principal who was sick for several days with swine flu became the nation’s sixth death linked to the H1N1 virus on Sunday, and the city’s first.

Earlier Sunday, New York City officials decided to close five more schools today for up to five days because of concern about swine flu, bringing the total number of shuttered schools to 11. Each had students with flu-like illnesses last week.

The assistant principal, Mitchell Wiener, worked at a middle school in Queens and had been sick for nearly a week before his school was closed Thursday, officials said. Flushing Medical Center spokesman Andrew Rubin said that Wiener had been on a ventilator and that complications besides the virus probably played a part in his death.

As of Sunday afternoon, health officials had reported five other deaths in the United States: three in Texas, one in Washington state and one in Arizona.

Although the swine flu has proved to be less dangerous than many initially feared, it still is a highly contagious and potentially life threatening illness.

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  1. c3
    May 18th, 2009 at 19:57
    Reply | Quote | #1

    Interesting. Review this table here: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5814md.htm

    I guess we missed the “killer flu” that killed 88 children last year (let alone the one that killed 77 children the year before)

  2. Michael Merritt
    May 19th, 2009 at 01:52
    Reply | Quote | #2

    When it comes to disease, fear-mongering is bi-partisan.

  3. c3
    May 19th, 2009 at 06:37
    Reply | Quote | #3

    WE’RE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!

  4. Brittani Rivers
    May 26th, 2009 at 01:21
    Reply | Quote | #4

    we are not gunna die! if we keep praying and staying focused on god nothing will happen. If we ask god into our hearts we will be with him forever and the swine flu will all go away!

    GOD IS GOOD!<33

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