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

As we sigh relief that the "vast majority of people with H1N1 flu have relatively mild cases and fully recover," it is important to remember that H1N1 has not been around long enough for anyone to conclude what its ultimate course will be in any given patient.

After 2 weeks I'm just getting over that god-forsaken mexican flu. It was really nasty. Why was it that months ago the chosen one refused to close the border with mexico and refuse entry to anybody traveling through there? It may have saved some lives. Even if it was only one it would have been worth it. This young women's death in on obama. You can't blame Bush for this one.

This swine flu is targeting the young. Hopefully it will not still be around come this fall.

Hit the panic button. Wait, no. Wait, yes...

I hope peace comes to the woman who passed, as well as peace to her family and friends - but honestly why is it news that a woman with some pre-existing conditions has died from H1N1?

Does her passing demonstrate any change in the virus? (No)
Does it indicate any increase in contagiousness or severity? (No)

STOP preying on the uninformed by exciting them, and START educating them on the actual situation at hand with H1N1. ...or does that not sell enough newspapers?

Anyone know which hospital this person admitted to? I'll make sure not to come to that hospital.

So should anyone with flu like symptoms head to the ER and get checked out?

I don't understand why the health department refuses to describe what the other health problems were. I was at a infection related conference recently where it was apparent that the underlying health problems described by public health officials for other patients who have died, really weren't that serious and shouldn't have contributed to the deaths. A 30 year old woman shouldn't die from the flu. Why?

Last time I checked the statistics, up to one-third of Americans had an "underlying" chronic health condition that was not not being treated for reasons including, but not limited to lack of medical insurance. If that is still the case, shouldn't any news of deaths in patients confirmed to be infected with H1N1 be relevant to public discourse? For example, I consider myself generally healthy, but happen to have mild to moderate asthma as well as mild arthritis. If I - a person aged in the mid-30's - were to die after being admitted with flu-like symptoms and confirmed to have H1N1, the same argument could be made that my death would not be news-worthy on the basis of an "underlying health condition," yet anyone who knows me would be shocked for more than just personal reasons at the news.

Thus I think it is quite relevant whenever someone passes after being diagnosed with swine flu, regardless of pre-existing health conditions. Too much knowledge is better than not enough, and the newspapers are justified in covering such stories regardless of business incentives.

When I called my doctor with my symptoms, I was told yes, it was probably the H1N1 virus, but that I was to stay at home and not come in. They tried to reassure me that it was nothing to worry about, and stressed that I not come in; I should only worry if I had 'underlying conditions'. What would those be? I was told Diabetes, Asthma, Lupus, Heart Conditions, etc. When I informed the nurse that all of the above run in my family, and that I myself have asthma, I was told to call and check in every day, and if my fever went above 100 degrees, I was to go to the walk-in clinic at Mt Auburn - not the ER and not my doctor's office. Thankfully, my fever stayed low, and I never went in. Consequently, I was never officially tested, as I'm sure most people are not, so there must be many more cases than we know of.

I just want to point out that swine flu has been around since 1918, H1N1 in particular. There have been outbreaks of different strands in 1918, 1976, 1988 and 1998. While it is sad that people are dying from this disease it is not necessarily new.

Patient confidentiality laws become non-existent once the patient ceases to live!!! For the sake of any one she may have come into contact with they need to disclose who this woman was. Protecting the identity of someone who has passed away should NOT take front row to protecting those who are still here and may be infected!

It is a shame that anyone has to die from Swine flu. But let's be grown up and realize the way people travel around the world, this thing was already out there before anyone in the medical field got a heads up on it. Closing the borders would not have stopped it. So, let's put politics aside and not blame President Obama. And, if you do feel Mr. Brans that this womans death is on the President, then by all means let's hold George W Bush, and the rest of his cabinet responsible for the deaths of ALL who have been killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. None of them were even at Dover AFB to greet those coming home in coffins.