Breaking: LA county coroner investigating 2 recent deaths linked to swine flu

[thewiseguy]

Just heard it on TV.

Link here:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/04/two-los-angeles-county-deaths-possibly-related-to-swine-flu-coroner-says.html

[itsrobert]

1. How are they linked to swine flu?

"However, no tests have come back positive for the swine flu, and medical examiners have not officially determined what caused the deaths."

Looks like a pre-mature observation.

[thewiseguy]

2. The test results have not came back yet

The coroner says they are possibly related to swine flu.

[itsrobert]

3. Yes, "possibly" related

thanks for clarifying. Could be "possibly" linked to many different illnesses.

[thewiseguy]

4. They died of swine flu related symptoms

So it would not be many different illnesses. One of the deceased is 33, which is particularly alarming.

[kestrel91316]

5. Yeah, but part of his presenting complaint was "lymphoma", which

is a type of cancer. The article is written strangely and there are some confusing parts.

[nadinbrzezinski]

11. And the flu kills folks with immuno compromised systems too

badly written true

Wait for CDC on this

[uppityperson]

12. It is an odd article, could jump to a couple different conclusions if I wished

1) lymphoma diagnoses meaning he actually had lymphoma
2) lymphoma meaning he had swollen lymph nodes, lymph issue

Will have to wait and see what they mean. Sloppy journalism is annoying me today.

[kestrel91316]

6. One word: GULP..........wish us luck here, folks. We do NOT need this thing

in our population.

[uppityperson]

7. Suspicious deaths with flu like symptoms will be investigated, as they should

Esp since these were 33 and 45 yr olds. I bet pathologists are going to be busy for a while.

[itsrobert]

8. One death was over a week ago

"Bellflower Medical Center reported the death of a 33-year-old Long Beach man Monday afternoon from symptoms resembling swine flu, according to Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey.

The second case involves a 45-year-old man from La Mirada, whose death was reported Monday to the coroner's office. The man died April 22 at Coast Plaza Doctor's Hospital in Norwalk."

I guess you can consider April 22, recent. Or the media could be more responsible and clarify, before they cause a panic.

[Control-Z]

16. From another source:

'Los Angeles Coroner's spokesman Craig Harvey told the Los Angeles Times that a hospital in Bellflower, Calif., reported the death of a 33-year-old Long Beach man who was brought in Saturday with symptoms resembling swine flu. The other death was a 45-year-old La Mirada man who died April 22 at a Norwalk, Calif., hospital.'

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/first100days/2009/04/28/california-declares-state-emergency-swine-flu/

[FedUpWithIt All]

9. I have been wondering when they were planning to reexamine the recent pneumonia deaths

in cluster areas.

I am relieved they are doing this. We need to establish how virulent this thing really is.

[nadinbrzezinski]

15. There's something that jumped at me in the overall shoddy reporting

the death cert was refused and referred to the health department?

No that would never happen, where people who are dead, relatives try to hide the cause

Nope, not at all, never seen it before :sarcasm:

[nadinbrzezinski]

10. I expect lights and sirens and BREAKING NEWS BANNERS as soon as CDC

confirms from tissue samples

RIP folks

Of course goes without saying if they do

[Hannah Bell]

19. They confirmed one DIDN'T have it. No lights & sirens yet.

[Creena]

13. There's also a possible case in Claremont.

"The test results of a girl and her mother may reveal swine flu in Southern California. A San Bernardino girl and her mother reported feeling sick over the weekend after a trip to Mexico.

Both the girl and the parent have been tested for the swine flu virus, but the results are not yet available. The 7-year-old girl is a student at Our Lady of the Assumption School in Claremont, and the school has decided to cancel classes Tuesday pending the outcome of the test results."

http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/los_angeles&id=6784221

[nadinbrzezinski]

14. Oh and by the way, as of NOW if this is the case, this would place

lethality at 3.2%

Too early to tell, but not as bad as the 7% (round up)

[Hannah Bell]

18. your "possible" rate just went down to 1.6%.

[Hannah Bell]

17. Breaking: Swine Flu RULED OUT as cause of death in one of the cases.

"The virus was ruled out as a cause in the death of a 45-year-old La Mirada man, said Craig Harvey of the Los Angeles County Department of Coroner. The death of a 33-year-old Long Beach man was still being investigated"

The 33-yo had lymphoma as a predisposing condition.

http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/news/ci_12245646