An New York middle school assistant principal who was hospitalized with the H1N1 virus, commonly known as swine flu, died Sunday apparently from flu complications, a hospital spokesman said.The swine flu claimed another life.
Mitchell Weiner, 55, assistant principal at Intermediate School 238 in Queens, died at 6:17 p.m. Sunday, Flushing Hospital spokesman Andrew Rubin said.
"We believe he had complications of the swine flu," Rubin told CNN Radio, adding that once Weiner was admitted to the hospital, he was listed in critical condition. However, he wouldn't say whether Rubin had any pre-existing medical conditions.
"It is with great sadness tonight that we learn that New York has lost one of its residents to an illness related to H1N1," New York Gov. David Paterson said.
Last week, when city and state officials announced that four students were infected and a school official in Queens was "critically ill" with the virus, Mayor Michael Bloomberg did not name the official. He described the staffer as an assistant principal who "may have had other health problems."
"We're trying to identify that and ascertain whether those problems were exacerbated by the flu or whether it's totally unrelated," Bloomberg said at the time.
Since the H1N1 outbreak surfaced last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention has linked four U.S. deaths to the virus: A Washington state man with heart problems who died from flu complications; an Arizona woman with lung disease; a Mexican toddler who was visiting with her family and a pregnant woman who had been on life support since April. All had preexisting medical problems.
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The good news is - this virus is acting as a typical seasonal influenza and can be treated.
The cases here in the US are those found with "pre-existing health problems". Therefore, keep watch of your loved ones who are very old, very young and people who are currently sick.
I don't hear much about this virus in Mexico anymore - the focus is now here in the United States.
The scare is that the spread may affect the US similarly and rapidly as it did in Mexico where dozens of people died with hundreds stricken.
But keep in mind the sanitation differences between the 2 countries.
When I visited Mexico City earlier this year, one cannot drink the water from the tap and tourists should avoid food from street vendors.
Also the Mexican population of the poverish is immense. Many residents live in makeshift houses and squalors with no running water and no electricity resulting in poor hygiene and poor medical attention. This is a huge problem in Mexico City.
Introducing a viral influenza into this poor community - it can easily spread and raise the mortality rate.
Like SARs, this too shall pass!
