Two autopsies have been completed on children who died in a within a day of eachother in Durham region. While the causes of the deaths have not been released, neither appears to be related to H1N1. Durham Regional Police have investigated both cases. Lakeridge Health made a statement Thursday evening, in response to a media report, indicating two pediatric patients who were "not actively treated at Lakeridge Health" had died recently. Due to privacy issues, the hospital would not release any more information, including the ages of the children, the symptoms they showed or even which Lakeridge site the children had been taken to. Lakeridge did indicate that under such circumstances, autopsies are generally done. Those autopsies were completed Thursday, said Dr. William Lucas, the regional supervising with responsibility for Durham. "The two deaths are not related in any way, shape or form," he said, noting the children had neither a familial relationship or, it appears, the same cause of death. Not only that, but "they're not looking like they're in any way related to H1N1." Flu has been ruled out in one case, and in the other, pathologists are awaiting final test results to officially rule out H1N1. "But, appearances suggest it does not look like it's going in that direction," Dr. Lucas said. The cause of death has been determined for one child, but citing privacy reasons, the coroner's office could not release that information. Police usually investigate in the case of any sudden or unexpected death.
I feel terribly for the families that have lost these two children. I cannot imagine how it would feel to lose a child. Having this information leaked that the children did not have H1N1 will likely give some parents the comfort that children are not getting severly sick from the swine flu. I think that many people are going to start caring less and less about the topic and within a month, no one will be talking about it at all. I think it is good that the doctores didn't give out too much information about these children, because that is how rumors start from people and then familes get calls about things that are not true.
Friday, January 8, 2010
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2 comments:
I strongly agree with you Andrew. I believe that this occurrence could have amplified the fear of the H1N1 flu virus or i could have cured some of the fear that has been created by this virus. I feel that if this child had been diagnosed with H1N1 it would have strengthen the fear that people how about this virus and people would continue to take totally unnecessary measures to avoid this virus, which would continue the havoc that comes with a worldwide 'epidemic'. On the other hand the fact that this child was not diagnosed with H1N1 will do a large amount in the reprimandation of this fear, easing the tension circulating through the world. I know it was terribly unfortunate that this child lost his life, but it was for the greater good of the people.
I, like Dylan Hussey, also agree with you Andrew. The media just wanted to use this case as another example of what the H1N1 virus is capable of. Yet again, it has been proven that the H1N1 virus was not the cause of death. I think the media have been so crazed about this virus that they have stopped thinking about what they are writing. They have been writing without fact and that is unfare to both the readers and the family in which they wrote about. The H1N1 virus will soon die down and we can go back to living just as we did before, without this lingering fear of "death".
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