Swine flu is racist

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Swine flu is racist

Swine flu sends more blacks, Hispanics to hospital

APELANTA — Swine flu was four times more likely to send blacks and Hispanics to the hospital than whites, according to a study in Chicago that offers one of the first looks at how the virus has affected different racial groups.

The report echoes some unpublished information from Boston that found three out of four Bostonians hospitalized from swine flu were black or Hispanic.

The cause for the difference is probably not genetic, health officials said. More likely, it's because blacks and Hispanics suffer disproportionately from asthma, diabetes and other health problems that make people more vulnerable to the flu.

It's not clear if a racial or ethnic difference will hold up when more complete na
tional data is available, one federal health official said. The findings are based on fairly small numbers of cases from the early days of the pandemic.

"We don't have anything definitive to say one group is more affected than another," said Dr. Daniel Jernigan of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Chicago findings, released Thursday, are believed to be the first published study to detail a racial or ethnic breakdown of swine flu's impact.

Researchers looked at more than 1,500 lab-confirmed swine flu cases reported to the Chicago Department of Public Health from late April through late July.

Blacks with swine flu were hospitalized at a rate of 9 per 100,000, and Hispanics at a rate of 8 per 100,000. For whites, the rate was 2 per 100,000, the study found.

Earlier this month, Boston health officials released some unpublished information that found three out of four Bostonians hospitalized with swine flu were black or Hispanic.

"Its very disturbing," said Barbara Ferrer of the Boston Public Health Commission, speaking about the higher rates of minority swine flu hospitalizations.

"But intuitively it's understandable, because we have tremendous inequities in most areas of health," said Ferrer, the agency's executive director.

Also, experts noted that the Chicago and Boston data represent limited information from only two cities and only the first two or three months of the pandemic. The unpredictable manner of swine flu outbreaks means some parts of the city were hit before others — a sequence that may have little to do with race.

"I think it reflected more the neighborhoods the disease was first going through," said Jernigan, a CDC flu expert.

This fall, the government will be doing national surveys to better track swine flu trends. That should provide more reliable information about how the virus is affecting different groups of people, he said.

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Swine flu was four times more likely to send blacks and Hispanics to the hospital than whites, according to a study in Chicago that offers one of the first looks at how the virus has affected different racial groups.

Awww, could it be that the filthy hygiene habits of the Negro and Hispanocoons are at least FOUR times filthier than that of the rest of the population? Or is it that those extra large nigger nostrils spread more infected virus than other members of the population?

As always, it is best to be wary of the nigger-if not for their TNB and criminal acts, then the increased chance of exposure to a disease. Without YT and his pills and shots, the nigger will experience a significant reduction in his life expectancy.

[Tricknologist]

Cases of swine flu higher among city blacks, Hispanics

Since its arrival in Boston in late April, swine flu has proved to be a particular source of misery to the city’s African-American and Hispanic residents, causing hospitalizations at far higher levels than other groups, disease trackers report.


More than 3 of every 4 Bostonians who have spent time in the hospital because of the viral ailment are black or Hispanic, a finding that may reflect broader social ills, the top official at the Boston Public Health Commission said.

The same crowding in dense urban neighborhoods that fuels the spread of other germs may be spurring the transmission of swine flu, known scientifically as H1N1, disease specialists said. And the chronic conditions that are more prevalent in predominantly African-American and Hispanic neighborhoods - diabetes, for example
- may make residents of those swaths of Boston especially vulnerable to the complications of flu.

“It’s disheartening to see these patterns on our first pass at collecting data around H1N1,’’ said Barbara Ferrer, executive director of the Boston health agency. “I thought people were getting sick everywhere at the same level, but it wasn’t true. Some of our neighborhoods were much more impacted by this.’’ [a pissed off multicultist who thought that influenza would be PC]

They are neighborhoods such as Dorchester, East Boston, and Roxbury. And, as a result, health authorities are vowing to be especially assiduous in reaching out to those areas as the city embarks on a campaign to prepare for the potential double whammy of seasonal influenza and swine flu this fall.

Another part of that effort will focus on city workers: Yesterday, Mayor Thomas M. Menino pledged that all city employees can take two hours of paid time to get flu shots. And, at a C
ity Hall press conference, the mayor said he intended to ask private employers to do the same.

While swine flu cases in recent weeks appear to have declined sharply, there was a potent reminder yesterday that the virus is still circulating and that it remains dangerous.

State health authorities reported that a 26-year-old with no history of chronic health problems had died of the viral ailment, the 11th Massachusetts resident to succumb to the disease. The victim, whose identity was not disclosed because of patient confidentiality laws, lived in Dukes County, which is principally Martha’s Vineyard.

Swine flu has mainly been a disease of the young, and it has struck most ferociously among adults and children with chronic health problems such as asthma, heart disease, and diabetes, as well as those with impaired immune systems.

The new report about swine flu’s variable racial and ethnic impact opens yet another window into a novel virus that has killed at least 447 across the cou
ntry. But disease specialists cautioned that the preliminary data from Boston provide clues but no definitive answer.Continued...

“It’s definitely a very important observation that we need to track,’’ said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, top disease tracker at the state Department of Public Health. “But we don’t want to overinterpret it until we have more and better information.’’

Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are examining the issue from the national perspective, and their report on the subject is undergoing internal review before being released, an agency spokesman said yesterday.

The Boston disease specialists found that of the 71 city residents hospitalized with swine flu, 49 percent were African-American, and 28 percent were Hispanic. In both cases, the hospitalization rates were double each group’s overall presence in Boston’s population.

Similarly, the two groups accounted for a disproportionately large share of the 477 laboratory c
onfirmed cases of swine flu in the city.

Dr. Anita Barry, the top disease investigator at the city health agency, speculated that the composition of the city’s schools may provide a partial explanation.

“We know that school-aged children were primarily affected by H1N1, and in the Boston public school system, there is a majority of minority students,’’ Barry said.

The city investigators said the higher rates may also be a legacy of poverty and the demands of low-wage work. Parents in such jobs, Barry said, find themselves unable to stay home to care for ailing children because a day away from work means a day without pay. As a result, ill children are sometimes sent to school.

To see the potential consequences of crowding, disease investigators said, look to East Boston, a destination for migrants from South America and a densely packed neighborhood. There, the number of flu cases among 5- to 17-year-olds was significantly higher than the city average.

“If you look
at the transmission of influenza, primarily by respiratory droplets,’’ Barry said, “people who live in more crowded conditions would be more likely to spread infection.’’

Menino is convening a meeting Friday of health professionals, educators, and business leaders to plot strategies to stop the spread.

Already, clinics such as the Codman Square Health Center are making plans to provide vaccination against both the seasonal flu and the swine strain. State health authorities are projecting that as many as 9 million flu vaccinations will be given statewide this fall.

“People are scared, and people are already asking if the flu vaccine is ready yet,’’ said Jan Smith, director of clinical services at the Codman Square center. “Anyone who walks through our door can get a flu vaccine, once it’s available, whenever they walk through the door. They won’t be told to come back.’’

http://www.boston.com/news/health/ar...panics/?page=2

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Autopsy to be performed on Swine Flu victim
Posted: Sep 10, 2009 10:27 PM
Updated: Sep 10, 2009 11:07 PM

Michael Howse

MEMPHIS, TN (WMC-TV) - A spokesperson for the family of a Mid-South student who died from the Swine Flu said a medical examiner will perform an autopsy on the boy.

Bishop Brandon Porter said the death of Michael Howse has not only been tough on the Howse family, but also on his entire congregation. Thursday, he delivered a statement from Howse's parents.

"On behalf of Michael and Veda House, the parents of Michael Howse Junior, we'd like to thank you for your warm thoughts, heartfelt prayers, and overwhelming support during this time," he said.

Family and friends are mournin
g the loss of Howse, an 8th grader at White Station Middle School, who died from the Swine Flu, also known as H1N1. Howse was a starting running back and straight A student. Porter said he'd known Howse ever since he was small.

"Mike was a Sunday school attendee," he said. "He'll always come up and speak to you. I've seen him from a little boy so I've seen him get taller than me."

Howse's death came as a shock to many, and Porter said he seemed to have no other medical conditions.

"Mike was very healthy," he said. "With all the sports and activities he's involved in as well as his academic achievements. They're allowing for an autopsy and research to show what else was going on, if anything at all."

Now Porter and his congregation are joining forces with Howse's family to help them get through such a difficult time.

"He was a tremendous young man, and comes from just a great family," Porter said. "At large he'll be sorely missed. He's certainly an icon as it rel
ates to a young teenager."

Visitation for Michael Howse will be from 4:00pm to 6:30pm Friday at NJ Ford and Sons Funeral Home. The funeral will be at 2pm Saturday at Greater Community Temple COGIC on Winchester Road.

http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11109885

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Sebring student with flu-like symptoms dies

SEBRING - Sebring High School students and staff were in shock Friday after learning that a 14-year-old school student with flu-like symptoms and a high fever died suddenly early Friday morning.

Highlands County Health Department officials said they could not confirm late Friday afternoon if H1N1 swine flu was the cause of Marquis Hamilton's death. He had no reported pre-existing conditions or chronic illnesses, a health department press release added.

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Memorial services planned for boy who died of swine flu

Memorial services will be held Friday and Saturday for Max Gomez, a 5-year-old Antioch boy who died of the swine flu.

Visitation with the Gomez family will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and at 3 p.m. on Saturday. The services will be at Scales New General Funeral Home, 2930 Murfreesboro Pike in Antioch.

Max became ill Friday and died Monday, after he arrived at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt. He was a student at Henry Maxwell Elementary School in Antioch.

Health officials did an autopsy
Tuesday to see if he had any other health conditions.
Initial results didn't show underlying conditions, though the final results - available in 60 days - could prove otherwise.

The state testing lab confirmed Wedneday that he had the swine flu.

Max left behind his parents, Ruth and Marco Antonio Gomez. He also had two younger sisters. The family has not finalized burial plans.

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Woman dies of Swine Flu shortly after childbirth
Posted: Sep 18, 2009 10:01 PM
Updated: Sep 19, 2009 1:53 AM

WHITEVILLE, TN (WMC-TV) - A Mid-South woman is struggling to cope after her granddaughter died from Swine Flu earlier this week shortly after giving birth.

The death of Verrie Robertson's granddaughter, 23-year-old Tierra Robertson, still has her asking why.

After being hospitalized for 3 weeks, Tierra died from complications from Swine Flu just moments after she gave birth to her daughter, Regina.

"I believe Christ did this for a reason and I don't mean no harm...I question him about this," she said. "Why would you want to take a mother from her four children, one that's just been born?"


Robertson said Tierra was full of life.

"She's lively, outgoing. She loved to dress and she loved her kids," she said.

Robertson has since received custody of all four of Tierra's children, who are all under age five. Now, she is worried about getting more space to care for her great-grandchildren, while struggling to make ends meet during these tough financial times.

"That's the thing I'm up now against, is finding a bigger place and finish paying the funeral home," she said.

Robertson said she knows the road ahead will be difficult, but she'll rely on prayer and her faith to keep her strong.

"God's going to see me through this," she said. "I don't know what his plans are, but he's going to see me through this."

Tierra's funeral is Saturday afternoon in Whiteville. If you'd like to help the family, you can donate to the Tierra Robertson fund at First South Bank.

http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=11158283

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A Mid-South woman is struggling to cope after her granddaughter died from Swine Flu earlier this week shortly after giving birth.

Such a pity....

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Md. Student Diagnosed With Swine Flu Dies

Father Angry Girl's Information Was Leaked
POSTED: 10:41 am EDT September 30, 2009
UPDATED: 10:45 pm EDT September 30, 2009

James Parker discusses his daughter's death.

BALTIMORE -- Baltimore public school officials said a female middle school student who was diagnosed with swine flu has died, and the girl's father said he's angry a family member released incorrect information about her.

The death of 14-year-old Destiny Parker is Maryland's ninth H1N1 related fatality, according to the state's Department of Health and Mental Hygiene.

Schools CEO Andres Alonso said officials learned of the Montebello Elementary-Middle School eighth-grader's death on Wednesday.

The girl's death is still being investigated, but she had no apparent underlying medical conditions, Deputy Secretary for Public Health Services Fran Phillips said Wednesday.

"Sadly, this is the profile that other states have reported," Phillips said. "A previously healthy child who becomes quite ill very quickly and requires intensive care treatment, and despite a high level of care does not recover."

"We're holding. It's hard, but we're holding. It's a rough road we have to get through, because all the roads we traveled were with Destiny," James Parker, the victim's father, told 11 News reporter John Sherman.

Parker said the family is grieving and angry that his daughter's information was released to the public. State and federal H1N1 protocols grant victims broad anonymity, but a relative of his took that from him.

"Family members exposed my daughter in the news. While I was sitting there fighting for her, I had to see her on the news with a bunch of untruths to it. The school didn't know Destiny had anything on Monday. I did not know. The doctors did not know. We all were fighting to find out what was going on," Parker said.

He said reports that his daughter collapsed or got sick at school were false.

"I know the truth. I took her from here. I was in the hospital until yesterday when she left us, and I just wanted to set the record straight," Parker told 11 News.

He said his two other daughters will stay at Montebello. He said it's a good school and that they're not ill.

"The school is totally safe, as well as my home and other children. We just don’t know where (the virus) came from," he said.

Funeral arrangements are still being worked out.

"We extend our condolences to family and friends and the Montebello community, and want them to know that we will provide every support we can in the days ahead," Alonso said.

The schools CEO said in a statement that the school system is working with the city health department to keep students and their families informed about appropriate precautions for protecting against the spread of flu.

"As part of this effort we have established clear guidelines for thorough cleaning in our schools and are continually reinforcing with staff and students the basic hygiene measures that can help prevent the spread of flu," Alonso said.

Health officials said this is the second death of a child under 18 linked to the virus. Since June, state health officials have reported 198 hospitalizations due to illness related to swine flu.

Destiny's death shows how important it is that children receive the vaccine, Phillips said.

Students at Montebello Elementary-Middle School said they are well-versed in flu prevention.

"Even if we cough or sneeze in our arms, (we) still use hand sanitizer or wash our hands," fourth-grader Keara James said.

Destiny's death is stirring up strong emotions among students.

"I was just scared and I felt sorry for her because she was just a kid and she died very soon," James said.

"(I was) scared because maybe that could be me," student Desiree Nicks said.

Some are going to great lengths to stay healthy.

"My mother bought gloves and masks and stuff, so we wear those," Nicks said.

Health officials are urging parents at Montebello and across the state to vaccinate kids once the H1N1 shot becomes available.

"For children 10 and above it'll be one vaccine. For 9 and younger, it'll be two vaccines separated by about four weeks," Sinai Hospital Dr. Richard Logue said.

Officials said children and pregnant women will be at the front of the queue when the H1N1 vaccine becomes available in October.

When the swine flu vaccine is available, officials will focus on vaccinating children, pregnant women and health care workers, Phillips said. Parents should look out for information about getting the vaccine at pediatricians' offices, local health departments and school-based clinics.

Wednesday was the first day the state was able to place orders for vaccines, and officials planned to order 31,600, the maximum allowed for the day, Phillips said. The first shipments are expected to be delivered in the middle of next week, she said.

http://www.wbaltv.com/health/21158992/detail.html

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Tulsa Health Department: Student Died Of Swine Flu
Posted: Oct 06, 2009 10:25 PM
Updated: Oct 07, 2009 3:15 PM

East Central student LaTowyn Gaston died of swine flu, the Health Department confirmed.

TULSA, OK -- Tulsa Health Department officials have confirmed that 16-year-old LaTowyn Gaston died of swine flu. It has not been confirmed if the teen suffered from any underlying health issues that might have contributed to his death.

It is the first confirmed death caused by the H1N1 virus in Tulsa County. Gaston was a student at East Central in Tulsa.

http://www.newson6.com/Global/story.asp?S=11268706