Island’s H1N1 victims have been female and younger than 50
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With the sixth confirmed H1N1 flu virus death on the island, health authorities say it’s more important than ever people at risk take precautions.
“The important reminder for people is if you have underlying health problems and not yet had the vaccine or have no intentions of getting the vaccine, at the very least go to your physician and get a prescription for Tamiflu and at the first sign of the onset of symptoms, start taking the Tamiflu,” said Shannon Marshall, Vancouver Island Health Authority spokeswoman.
“It won’t clear you from the flu, but it will certainly significantly lessen the symptoms and the duration of the illness, even with H1N1.”
Tamiflu is part of the pandemic supplies the government released to pharmacies and can be had at no cost.
The latest victim of the so-called swine flu was a Cowichan Valley woman who died in hospital Tuesday evening. (See story below)
However, Marshall said it’s important to note all Vancouver Island victims had underlying health problems and “all of them would have been at serious risk from seasonal influenza.”
Medical officials have also noticed a disturbing trend in island H1N1 deaths.
“I had a conversation with (VIHA’s chief medical officer) Dr. Richard Stanwick and he pointed out of the six cases, all but one of them have been women,” said Marshall, noting one victim was a female child under the age of five.
“They’ve all been younger and I don’t think we’ve had one victim who’s been over the age of 50.”
The Public Health Agency of Canada reported as of Nov. 17, 198 Canadians have died because of H1N1 — 29 in B.C.
