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 fitness. The 21-year-old aspiring personal trainer filled his Facebook page with photos of himself riding motorbikes and lifting weights. He once posted an image of a kettlebell with a skeleton, reading: “CrossFit, hard to kill.” So when he came down with the flu last month, his mother said, he possibly assumed he simply needed some rest. (Bever, 1/10)
In what California public health officials say could be the state’s worst flu season in a decade, two more flu-related deaths have been reported in the Greater Bay Area, increasing the region’s total to seven, and the state’s 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 Tarrant County Public Health late Tuesday. Five more deaths were reported in Dallas County on Wednesday, bringing the county's total to 23. 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’ve been hit. In the first of a series of free lunchtime “Doc Talks” being held at the Crescenta-Cañada 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)
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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 her 12-year-old daughter. (Eltagouri, 1/10)
