H1NI claims first death in Southwest Kansas

A 48-year-old woman has lost her fight to live against H1N1. The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) released this information yesterday. They allow that information to be released to the public but no other details such us the victim's name or actual address is released.

The lady also had ongoing health problems which made her a prime target for the virus.

Little by little, the H1N1 vaccination is now being distributed in Kansas. So far, I know that people in the health care industry in Garden City began receiving their immunizations on Thursday of this week. To my knowledge, that is the first location for thevaccinations in Western Kansas. I also know that people in the Garden City area have also been sick with the virus.

It is VITALLY important that EACH of us does whatever we can to protect not only ourselves but the other people around us to stop the spread of this disease. Some people should receive their vaccinations earlier than others. Those people are anyone in the following groups:

1. Pregnant women
2. People who live with or care for children who are younger than 6-months-old
3. Health care and emergency medical service personnel
4. People from 6-months-old through 24-years-old
5. People from 25-64 who are susceptible because of chronic health conditions such as heart problems, lung problems including asthma, diabetes, cancer, etc.
6. People with AIDS

If you find yourself in any of the above groups of people, contact your health care providers soon so that you can be some of the first in your area to receive the vaccinations. I reported earlier, that people must take 2 vaccinations to be considered as safe as possible from H1N1.

The KDHE is no longer accepting specimens from everyone who may currently be sick with H1N1.

This disease is making a LARGE amount of adolesents and young adults very ill. Even the very young, healthy people are really being struck hard.

So far, the elderly don't seem to be having as much of a problem with H1N1 than the rest of us. However, they CAN and DO become ill with it.

Area clinics and hospitals are seeing MANY more patients with severe cases of influenza-like illnesses over the past few weeks. These numbers of people are considerably higher than normal for thistime of year. Schools in Southwest Kansas are having a very sizeable amount of ill students. Ness City closed their schools down for a few days already because of the amount of sick kids in their school district.

If you or your child is sick, STAY HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!

H1N1 symptoms include
1. Fever over 100 degrees
2. Body aches
3. Coughing
4. Sore throat
5. Respiratory congestion
6. Vomiting
7. Diarrhea

Fortunately, MOST people recover without any medical treatment!!! Some people require hospitalization.

If you need to cough, PLEASE do not cough into your hand or tissue. Instead, cough into your shirt sleeve!!! Why??? When you cough into a kleenex or your hand, your germs are then transmitted onto door knobs, etc where other people also use. Thus, the germs have now been passed on down the line...

As soon as I hear that more seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccinations have arrived in Wichita County, I will post it into my blog.

VLE-B