Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Flu Death Warning: A Healthy Young Man Thought He Could Fight The Virus
Kyler Baughman seemed to be the face of聽fitness. The 21-year-old aspiring personal trainer filled his Facebook page with photos of himself riding motorbikes and聽lifting weights. He once posted an image of a kettlebell with a skeleton, reading: 鈥淐rossFit, hard to kill.鈥 So when he came down with the flu last month, his mother聽said, he possibly assumed he simply needed some rest. (Bever, 1/10)
In what California public health officials say could be the state鈥檚 worst flu season in a decade, two more flu-related deaths have been reported in the Greater Bay Area, increasing the region鈥檚 total to seven, and the state鈥檚 unofficial tally to 29. ...Since the state only records victims younger than 65, the number is likely to be even higher, state public health officials said during a news conference Wednesday. (Seipel, 1/10)
Three adults in Tarrant County have died from the flu, according to reports given to聽Tarrant County Public Health late Tuesday. Five more deaths were reported in Dallas County on Wednesday, bringing the county's total to 23.聽All the deaths in Tarrant County involved people 55 and older with previous medical conditions. Their names and ages were not released. (Branham, 1/10)
With one of the nastiest flu seasons in recent history gaining steam, USC Verdugo Hills Hospital experts shared some free tips Wednesday on how to recognize the symptoms of influenza and what to do if you think you鈥檝e been hit. In the first of a series of free lunchtime 鈥淒oc Talks鈥 being held at the Crescenta-Ca帽ada YMCA every second Wednesday through November, Mary Virgallito, director of patient safety for the local hospital, discussed the different strains of influenza and how the virus can be spread from up to 6 feet away. (Cardine, 1/10)
惭别补苍飞丑颈濒别听鈥
Alyssa Alcaraz loved to sing, not only in her school's choir but also in videos she would post to Musical.ly, an app that allows users post short music, lip-syncing and dance videos. Now those videos provide comfort to her 31-year-old mother, Keila Lino. As she clicks through them, she wonders if there was more she could have done to save聽her聽12-year-old聽daughter. (Eltagouri, 1/10)