Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

TexasTowelie

(111,293 posts)
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 06:50 PM Dec 2013

Flu cases spike in Texas, 13 dead in Houston area

Source: AP

Officials are reporting a spike in flu cases in Texas with more than a dozen deaths in the Houston area, most of which were caused by the H1N1 strain that's also known as the swine flu.

According to a count compiled by KHOU in Houston, 13 people have died in the Greater Houston, including a teenager (http://bit.ly/1fKUsjA ). Kathy Barton, spokeswoman for the city's health department, says the teenager was infected with the H1N1 strain of the virus. About 95 percent of the Texas influenza A cases are H1N1.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says Texas is one of four states with "high" activity of influenza-like illnesses.

State health officials say influenza has become widespread across Texas.

Read more: http://www.statesman.com/ap/ap/health/flu-cases-spike-in-texas-13-dead-in-houston-area/ncWn3/

26 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Flu cases spike in Texas, 13 dead in Houston area (Original Post) TexasTowelie Dec 2013 OP
Rick Perry doesn't care. alfredo Dec 2013 #1
Oops. blkmusclmachine Dec 2013 #5
It's God's punishment for Obamacare. alfredo Dec 2013 #12
When people have no insurance they EC Dec 2013 #2
I looked at the CDC website and the other 3 states with high flu activity are meadowlark5 Dec 2013 #3
H1N1 is scary Marrah_G Dec 2013 #4
And wash those hands shanti Dec 2013 #23
Obama did it! SCVDem Dec 2013 #6
I had the flu last eek JesterCS Dec 2013 #7
One of my pet peeves is people saying they had the flu NickB79 Dec 2013 #9
True influenza is respiratory in nature du_grad Dec 2013 #13
Real influenza is scary Marrah_G Dec 2013 #24
It looks like I will survive this time! Caught it Monday, fever broke last night and I sweated so Dustlawyer Dec 2013 #8
Is the flu shot working? SCVDem Dec 2013 #10
HINI shots are available to prevent this, What's the situation down there? Up here, freshwest Dec 2013 #11
I believe that the shots are being offered at various pharamacies, TexasTowelie Dec 2013 #16
Free here in the northern burbs of NYC for 60+... Jerry442 Dec 2013 #18
This message was self-deleted by its author freshwest Dec 2013 #20
How horrible. Generally think of kids and elders, not the prime of life. Did FNN cover this? n/t freshwest Dec 2013 #21
Costco was offering them for $15. n/t winter is coming Dec 2013 #25
The holiday travel in and out of Texas will most certainly spread this... eom Purveyor Dec 2013 #14
It's already spreading out from the Houston area. TexasTowelie Dec 2013 #15
My sister says one of her customers died yesterday in San Antonio from the flu. Rozlee Dec 2013 #22
This is what cutting back or refusing to expand Medicaid gets you. The virus doesn't know if you kelliekat44 Dec 2013 #17
Study Finds Widespread Contamination in Chicken mitty14u2 Dec 2013 #19
got to get my free shots! i keep putting it off. madrchsod Dec 2013 #26

EC

(12,287 posts)
2. When people have no insurance they
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 07:26 PM
Dec 2013

don't get care and you've got a spread of flu...I figured it would happen eventually. I wonder what the other 3 states are.

meadowlark5

(2,795 posts)
3. I looked at the CDC website and the other 3 states with high flu activity are
Reply to EC (Reply #2)
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 07:35 PM
Dec 2013

Missouri, Mississippi and Alabama.

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)
4. H1N1 is scary
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 07:44 PM
Dec 2013

Hopefully they can keep the clusters contained.

Washing your hands and trying to avoid your hands on your face can go a really long way in keeping yourself a bit safer. I know people like to think these things are no big deal and it can't/won't effect them, but a few simple precautions can help to avoid a world of hurt.

I lost a friend in the swine flu pandemic. She was only 33. She went to the hospital and two days later she was dead. So be careful. Teach your kids to be careful.

~hops off my soapbox~

/lecture over

shanti

(21,670 posts)
23. And wash those hands
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 02:50 PM
Dec 2013

after you come back from shopping/being out and about. I am religious about that, considering all the hands that touch products in a store.

Good advice!

 

SCVDem

(5,103 posts)
6. Obama did it!
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 08:36 PM
Dec 2013

You realize this is just a plot by the President to sell his Obamacare plan, right?



Any wagers on how long it takes Faux et al. to pick up this talking point?

JesterCS

(1,827 posts)
7. I had the flu last eek
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 09:47 PM
Dec 2013

4 days of diarrhea and 1 day of vomiting about half a dozen times. Ive never felt so sick =( It was horrid. But I'm feeling alot better. Not sure if it was H1N1 or just regular seasonal, but had terrible cramps days before.

NickB79

(19,113 posts)
9. One of my pet peeves is people saying they had the flu
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 10:25 PM
Dec 2013

When it's clear from their description it was merely a cold. I'm constantly telling coworkers that their weekend sniffles was not the flu. If you've ever had the flu, you KNOW what hell it can be.

You clearly had the flu. I hope you're feeling better

du_grad

(221 posts)
13. True influenza is respiratory in nature
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 02:23 AM
Dec 2013

You probably had an intestinal virus like Norovirus. Influenza comes on with a high temperature spike, then coughing that can turn into pneumonia.

I hope you're feeling better. Here is some info on Norovirus and influenza.

http://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/about/overview.html

http://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/symptoms.htm

Marrah_G

(28,581 posts)
24. Real influenza is scary
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 07:31 PM
Dec 2013

The high fever and shivers and the cough that seems to take forever to go away.

Dustlawyer

(10,493 posts)
8. It looks like I will survive this time! Caught it Monday, fever broke last night and I sweated so
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 10:04 PM
Dec 2013

much I had to air out the mattress and pillows. This shit is bad!

freshwest

(53,661 posts)
11. HINI shots are available to prevent this, What's the situation down there? Up here,
Fri Dec 27, 2013, 10:49 PM
Dec 2013
every place you go gives them, as far as i know, they're free. Am I wrong?

They're offered at drug stores like Walgreens, grocery stores like Safeway, etc. And COSTCO.

I prefer going to a doctor, but there should be no shortage. Public health clinics in Houston should have these...

FFS, did Perry shut those down, too?


TexasTowelie

(111,293 posts)
16. I believe that the shots are being offered at various pharamacies,
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 05:24 AM
Dec 2013

but most of them charge $20-$25 for the vaccination. I haven't heard about any vaccine shortages and health officials were urging people to get vaccinations when the first fatalities were reported.

I posted the news about the first deaths at http://www.democraticunderground.com/114210921 on December 18. A couple of days later I posted about the first death in Austin. One of the comments to that article indicated that it was a young woman barely in her 20s.

Jerry442

(1,265 posts)
18. Free here in the northern burbs of NYC for 60+...
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 09:56 AM
Dec 2013

...in a local county facility. For some others too, I think, like maybe people on disability. Everyone else has to pay. Pharmacies and tables set up at supermarkets are all charging, as far as I know.

Response to Jerry442 (Reply #18)

TexasTowelie

(111,293 posts)
15. It's already spreading out from the Houston area.
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 02:51 AM
Dec 2013

A young woman (barely 20-years-old) in the Austin area has already died.

I'm getting the impression that the flu was spreading among college students while they were taking finals--usually that's the time college students get sick due to weakened immunity related to staying awake at all hours (and maybe a bit of partying after the exams are completed).

Rozlee

(2,529 posts)
22. My sister says one of her customers died yesterday in San Antonio from the flu.
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 12:13 PM
Dec 2013

She was 56 years old and I think she died at one of the military hospitals. Yeah, I know. Kind of old considering the usual age demographics that H1N1 usually favors. But, she was perfectly healthy and within four days, she was gone, having eschewed going to the doctor until she couldn't breath anymore and had to be taken in by ambulance. I got H1N1 in 2009 when I was 48 and lost the function in one of my kidneys and I also wasn't in the right age demographic either. But, it was my fault for laying in bed for a week with a high fever and getting so severely dehydrated that my kidneys shut down. I don't know if the flu the woman died from was H1N1, but for a woman that was perfectly healthy to suddenly get so incredibly sick that she went home from work with the sniffles and a low grade fever Tuesday and died yesterday is bizarre.

 

kelliekat44

(7,759 posts)
17. This is what cutting back or refusing to expand Medicaid gets you. The virus doesn't know if you
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 09:54 AM
Dec 2013

have insurance or not but it spreads from person to person. Trying to keep people from getting health insurance or health care is a game of horrid roulette. Just to spite Obama, the GOP is willing to sacrifice other peoples' disease prevention...but Karma is still a bitch!!

mitty14u2

(1,015 posts)
19. Study Finds Widespread Contamination in Chicken
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 11:19 AM
Dec 2013

Study Finds Widespread Contamination in Chicken

http://www.webmd.com/food-recipes/food-poisoning/news/20131219/survey-finds-widespread-contamination-in-chicken

Salad Mix Behind Food Poisoning Outbreak, Health Officials Say

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/30/salad-mix-food-poisoning_n_3679072.html

Why swine flu could kill you... (especially if you haven't got it)

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-1235859/Why-swine-flu-kill---especially-havent-got-it.html

Swine Flew Killed my step father in two weeks, but can be missed diagnosed, stay vigilant on x-rays and chest ultrasounds, symptoms can change in 24 hours from bad to worse!

madrchsod

(58,162 posts)
26. got to get my free shots! i keep putting it off.
Sat Dec 28, 2013, 10:16 PM
Dec 2013

have to get a pneumonia shot and flu shot. medicare is a great healthcare system.

Latest Discussions»Latest Breaking News»Flu cases spike in Texas,...