More Bay Area Flu Deaths Reported, Hospital Prepares Tent For Spike
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- Two recent deaths in Marin County have been linked to the flu and another two in Santa Cruz County are suspected of being flu-related, public health officials said Wednesday. Meanwhile, a San Jose hospital has taken extra precautions to deal with a spike in cases.
A 63-year-old man with significant chronic medical conditions died on Dec. 27, and a previously healthy 48-year-old woman died of an influenza-related complication on Jan. 6, Marin County Public Health Officer Dr. Matt Willis said.
Both were hospitalized in intensive care, and neither had received a flu vaccine, Willis said.
Six other flu patients, most of them young or middle-aged adults, have been hospitalized in the county, Willis said.
There were also two suspected influenza-related deaths within the last two weeks in Santa Cruz County, a spokeswoman from that county's Public Health Department said. Both people were under age 65 and lab tests have not yet confirmed that the deaths are flu-related, the spokeswoman said.
The predominant influenza virus nationally and in Marin County in the 2013-14 flu season is A H1N1, the same virus that caused the 2009-10 H1N1 pandemic, according to the Marin County Public Health Department.
On Tuesday, Contra Costa County health officials reported a 48-year-old woman died from the H1N1 virus. Health officials in Santa Clara County and San Francisco have also reported deaths related to the flu this season.
At Regional Medical Center in San Jose, a tent was up Wednesday to specifically deal with patients who come in with flulike symptoms. Extra staff has been added to deal with a spike.
"We wanted to be able to treat these patients quickly and safely and also separate these patients from those emergency department patients who don't have flu symptoms," Dr. Elaine Nelson, Emergency Room director at Regional Medical Center told KPIX 5.
"In this tent we plan to see patients of all ages who present with flulike symptoms. These are patients who we can hopefully see safely and quickly and discharge home. We'll save the emergency department for patients who might be a little bit sicker and require admission to the hospital," Nelson said.
The hospital said a larger tent will be set up in the hospital's parking lot on Thursday to accommodate more patients.
Health Topic Center: Information About The Flu
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials said the H1N1 virus continues to circulate widely, and illnesses are disproportionately affecting young and middle-age adults.
Public health officials are urging residents to get a flu shot if they haven't already. This year's vaccine protects against H1N1 and other influenza strains.
Other preventive measures include covering the mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, using tissues and discarding them in a trash receptacle, scrubbing hands often with soap and water, using alcohol-based hand cleaners, and staying home from work or school if you have flu-like symptoms.
TM and © Copyright 2014 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2014 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Bay City News Service contributed to this report.