First Swine Flu Death In Oregon

Swine Flu death has hit Oregon.

A Marion County woman with confirmed novel H1N1 (swine) influenza died on Sunday.
As is the case of other flu strains, the number of reported cases of H1N1 influenza is declining. The most recent report from the Oregon Public Health Laboratory showed that 168 cases of H1N1 swine influenza in 13 counties had been confirmed since the beginning of the outbreak. The counties are Clackamas, Clatsop, Columbia, Jackson, Lane, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Umatilla, Washington and Yamhill. The largest numbers of reported cases were in Multnomah and Polk counties, with 50 and 41 cases, respectively. Statewide, the cases ranged in age from infant to 78 years, with an average age of 16.
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/153707.php

When the Swine Flu became the topic of every news article, I was on edge. With my bad luck and poor immune system combined, I was sure I would contract the virus as soon as it hit Oregon. Waiting for it to travel to the state tested my patience but soon enough, it spread inside our boarders. It was talked about nonstop for a few days.

And then...we just forgot about it. Sure, we joke around about the need to sanitize your hands after touching everything, but the so called H1N1 became more of a news story and less of a teenage social concern.

Now, someone actually has died from it. Here. In Oregon.

Furthermore, there have been confirmed positive cases in my county. That's hitting a little too close to home.

However, it did mention in the article that about 400 people die from the flu every year in Oregon. 1 person is hardly significant. No wonder the flu shots are advertised so much in the winter seasons.

I can remember the year my family got the flu. It's one of the sickest I've ever felt for about four days ( I tested negative for flu, given antibiotics for bronchitis), though I can't say last summer's case of strep throat was much better. Yet never once did our week of fevers, coughing, sleeping, throwing up and sniffling did I think we might actually die from it.

I'm left with mixed feelings about the swine flu. I hope scientists unravel its mysterys soon.