Francine Rushton was 47, healthy, and caring for her mother. Her mother tested positive for Swine Flue but, even though Francine begged for some Tamiflu for herself, she was refused the antiviral treatment.
Francine died, her mother survived
We begged the doctors to treat her with Tama flu because it had helped her mother, but they refused because her test had come back negative. After another three days she became incapacitated, and was again taken to Jordan Valley where she was admitted and found to have pneumonia, plus all of the symptoms associated with the flu, but once again tested negative. At this point she had had the flu for approximately eight days, untreated. Her condition continued to decline, and on Tuesday was transferred to IMC Hospital. By this time her body was so ravaged from the virus that her kidneys and lungs started to fail and brain activity had diminished. On Wednesday, June 10 we received a positive Type-A flu test, and on Thursday we received, from the CDC, a positive test for H1N1, Swine Flu.
http://www.flutrackers.com/...
Utah, at 688 confirmed, has 4% of the nations H1N1 cases.
Apparently we can have Swine Flu and, when tested, get a negative test result. This is not good! It was deathly for Francine Rushton.
Confirmed cases in neighboring states stand at 597 in Arizona, where five deaths have occurred; Nevada at 162; New Mexico at 155; Colorado at 75; and Idaho, 29.
Our third death could have been prevented.
Cyndi Bemis, a spokeswoman for the Utah Department of Health, confirmed the adult who died Saturday was a woman but said she did not know if underlying health problems were a factor.
Rushton's third test came back positive, than a week after she first fell ill, Whitehead said.
"By then it was too late," White he said.
Rushton's family is urging flu patients to be vigilant about their symptoms and assertive in seeking treatment.
"Don't take it lightly," Whitehead said. "I sat at work three weeks ago and scoffed, 'What's the big deal?' ... Now I feel differently about it.
http://www.sltrib.com/...
H1N1 has spread so quickly that last week the state announced it would stop tracking the number of confirmed cases.
This SO Utah, the state that almost abolished it's Health Department altogether last fall. Instead, the Legislature cut the Utah Department of Health funding to the bone.
The proposed cuts are so deep that basic governmental responsibilities for the assurance of health and safety will be greatly diminished. Promotion of health and safety, disease surveillance, laboratory testing, environmental health and access to healthcare, and emergency medical services are slated for severe cuts.
If the budget were implemented as it stands today, 296 UDOH jobs are on the line. This would result in a reduction of nearly 30% of all UDOH employees.
http://www.upha.org/...
Perhaps this explains why Utah will no longer track the number of Swine Flu cases here.
Making matters worse, most of Utah has year round school, and not one has been closed to date. A 4.0 GPA high school student, under Utah's draconian Attendance Code, can get a No Grade (NG) for missing more than three classes unless they go to "Attendance School" to make up the hours even it they were successfully passing the class(es).
http://www.rhs.jordan.k12.ut.us/...
I called the local School District Headquarters today and no H2N1 policy is being considered at this time. They are leaving decisions up to Principals, and each student to fulfill attendance requirements. This doesn't bode well for Utah students this fall, in my opinion.
So Utah is raging with H1N1, the Department of Health has stopped tracking it, K-12 runs year round, and even 4.0 GPA high school students can lose their grades for missing more than 3 days of school.
All is not well in Utah. Planning a visit?
UPDATE:
Hospital defends actions in care of Utah flu victim
By Brooke Adams
The Salt Lake Tribune
Updated: 06/15/2009 01:05:35 PM MDT
A hospital visited twice by a Utah woman who died Saturday of H1N1 swine flu complications said Monday it acted properly in caring for her.
In a statement, Jordan Valley Medical Center said it cannot comment on the specifics of the case but "in respect to the treatment of any patient with suspected Novel Influenza A H1N1 virus, we can confirm that all established CDC guidelines are followed during their course of treatment."
http://www.sltrib.com/...