H1N1 kills paraplegic man in Greece
A paraplegic man that was suffering from liver problems died from complications brought on by the H1N1 virus. He was brought into the hospital with a high fever and was placed in intensive care. Unfortunately the virus quickly spread to his other organs which began to shut down. Doctors were not able to get control of the virus using anti-virus drugs before he died. More information has not been released by the hospital but Greek authorities plan on setting up a mass inoculation in the next few weeks. (Source: Kathimerini).
It is important that all disabled people that also have other medical problems including asthma, cirrhosis of the liver, diabetes or other blood disorders immediately get a flu shot that includes H1N1. This virus attacks both the young as well as those that have other medical issues that reduce the effectiveness of the immune system. While the H1N1 has not yet transformed into the type of virus the world witnessed in 1918, we all must be vigilant. If you are disabled and are getting flu type symptoms it is critical that you see your primary physician. Do not wait until things become so bad that you need to go into the hospital. Anti-flu drugs work best when they are applied during the first few days of infection. The longer you wait, the less effective drugs are and the better chance of complications like pneumonia. Don’t wait until it is too late as your life may be in jeopardy.
It is also important to take care of yourself so your caregivers and family are safe.. Since the H1N1 virus is targeting both the young (children) and those that have strong immune systems it is critical that everyone be vaccinated. Parents don’t usually worry about colds and flu symptoms because their kids always bounce back quickly. That is not the case for H1N1. There are many cases in Europe and the US of the virus killing young children and young adults that are not the usual target of flu. Those that are old and have other issues that reduce the effectiveness of their immune system are the ones that need to worry. WebMD has an in-depth story of children dying of this dangerous flue, or needing extensive hospitalization. Kids that never have health issues are spending weeks in the hospital, many of those in intensive care making sure that their lungs do not fill with fluid before the body can fight back.
This is a scary virus that requires your attention. Do not think that you are immune or that no one you know has it. It can be carried by anyone, including people that do not appear to be sick at the time. It is important to get both the standard flu shot and H1N1 to make sure you are safe. Once you are infected the shot will not help you and those that procrastinate will find that anti-virus drugs like Tamiflu will not help either. To get more information on H1N1 go to wikipedia or to the CDC. Both sites have excellent write ups on the virus and what doctors can do to help you get past this flu season safely.
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