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Boston woman is first in Mass. to die from swine flu

E-mail | Print | Comments () Posted by Gideon Gil June 15, 2009 05:22 PM

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By Stephen Smith, Globe Staff

A 30-year-old Boston woman is the first Massachusetts resident to die from swine flu, health authorities reported this afternoon.

The woman, whose identity was not disclosed because of patient confidentiality laws, arrived at a Boston hospital already seriously ill on June 5, spent time in an intensive care unit, and died yesterday.

An investigation by the Boston Public Health Commission is ongoing, but the agency's executive director said a preliminary review showed that the woman had experienced other health problems. It remained unclear, though, whether those medical issues might have made the woman more susceptible to complications from the virus, known by the scientific name H1N1.

Boston has recorded 441 confirmed cases of swine flu since the virus was first identified in late April, and 54 of those patients spent at least one night in a hospital. For most patients made ill by the germ, the symptoms are similar to the seasonal flu: fever, cough, aches, and pains -- but no serious side effects.

That is why Boston and Massachusetts disease specialists took great pains to strike a balance between urging the public to continue to be vigilant for signs of the flu while not saying anything that would incite panic.

"It is important to remember as we grieve the loss of life today that the vast majority of people with H1N1 flu have relatively mild cases and fully recover," said Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the city health agency.

Massachusetts has had 1,153 confirmed cases of the disease, which is known by the scientific designation H1N1.

Across the country, there have been 45 deaths in 15 states attributed to swine flu as of last Friday, according to US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Last week, global disease authorities declared that swine flu had reached pandemic status. The Globe reported today that the arrival of swine flu in the United States exposed gaps in the supply chain that delivers medication, masks, and even testing swabs to hospitals and doctors' offices.

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About white coat notes

White Coat Notes covers the latest from the health care industry, hospitals, doctors offices, labs, insurers, and the corridors of government. Chelsea Conaboy previously covered health care for The Philadelphia Inquirer. Write her at cconaboy@boston.com. Follow her on Twitter: @cconaboy.

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