Local 7yr. old dies due to H1N1- update - DR. Lin - Trevor's dad has posted #33 !!

[C.Ann]

This poor child had no underlying medical conditions.. Please read what his father has to say.. The dad is a doctor himself.. He has released this information to make other parents aware..

My heart goes out to this poor family - and I hope the dad makes a full recovery..
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Learning from Trevor's death in H1N1 fight
Monitor flu-like symptoms, breathing trouble, father of Clifton Park boy warns

By TIM O'BRIEN, Staff writer
Click byline for more stories by writer.

First published: Saturday, November 14, 2009

CLIFTON PARK -- The devastated father of a 7-year-old boy whose death is suspected to be from the H1N1 virus cautioned parents that if their children have flu-like symptoms and trouble breathing, it is a dangerous combination that should be carefully monitored.

Henry Lin said he was moved to speak in the hope that what he has learned from the death of his son, Trevor, could help other parents.

This week, the Saratoga County Health Department said a child's death was suspected to be a result of the H1N1 virus. Lin's family confirms their son, a second grader at Okte Elementary School, is the child.

"I only disclosed information about Trevor out of interest in protecting his fellow students' lives," Lin said.

The Shenendehowa school district has not alerted parents that Trevor's death was suspected to be from the virus. The Saratoga County Health Department said a child had died and that H1N1 was the suspected cause, but it did not publicly identify the child.

Lin said he himself informed the school district and has told school officials they have his permission to say Trevor's death was suspected to be from the H1N1 virus.

The district this week updated its Web site with additional information on the potentially dangerous symptoms of the H1N1 virus, including troubled or fast breathing, bluish or gray skin, severe or persistent vomiting or being so irritable that the child does not want to be held.

Kelly DeFeciani, spokeswoman for the Shenendehowa school district, said the district has sent three e-mail alerts to parents about the H1N1 virus, and she regularly updates the Web site with any new information from the Centers for Disease Control or the state Department of Health.

DeFeciani said the district has yet to receive official confirmation Trevor's death was suspected to be from the H1N1 virus, but the district would not send the information out because of privacy issues.

"This is a public health crisis, not an education crisis," DeFeciani said. "We look to the C.D.C. and the health departments and take our lead from them. We're trying to provide a service to relay information from the experts."

Trevor was an active boy who had no other medical problems, said his father, who is himself a medical doctor.

"He was one of the healthiest kids," Lin said of his son, adding that he loved to jump off the high dive, and he ran to keep up with his two older siblings.

Lin himself contracted the virus after Trevor and was hospitalized. His case of H1N1 was confirmed.

"I'm still pretty ill," he said.

He said he and his son both developed massive accumulations of mucus that made breathing extraordinarily difficult. Articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association are now recommending that patients with flu-like symptoms and breathing trouble be hospitalized for observation.

Lin said he and his son both had periods where they would feel fine and then were hit with mucus plugs he described as "paralyzing."Trevor was seen in a hospital emergency room the night before he died -- his father declined to say which one -- and was sent home.

Had he been hospitalized for observation, his father said, he may have been saved.

"I would like to let parents know they should really keep a very close eye on their kids," he said. "They should watch their kids more closely than (when they are sick with) the regular flu and not be falsely reassured."

Lin said he would like to see the Centers for Disease Control review the information in the two articles in the AMA journal, which looked at H1N1 deaths in Canada and California, and change its guidelines to recommend that patients with flulike symptoms and intermittent breathing difficulties be admitted.

A spokesman for the CDC responded to a question about the agency's recommendations by e-mail. "Patients with breathing problems should go to the ER," spokesman Jeffrey Dimond said. "Treatment would be at discretion of attending physician."

Lin said he knows there are concerns about overwhelming the system, but admitting patients with symptoms like his son could save lives.

"I think it's going to take several more deaths before the CDC and the state health departments start admitting these patients," he said.

"If Trevor's tragedy prevents more deaths, if there are changes because of his situation, I'd be very grateful," he said.

Staff writer Tim O'Brien can be reached at 454-5092 or by e-mail at tobrien@timesunion.com.

[rparmfamily]

Oh that's so sad!!!!

[Aisling]

How sad!
I'm so confused about this H1N1. First it's serious, then it's not, then it is...Who can we believe??

Heartfelt sympathies to that family.

[Bluestars]

That's so sad. I'm surprised the hospital released the boy and then he died the next day. You would think they would have been able to tell his symptoms were severe, unless they got much worse over night. That's scary.

Several of my family members who live in another state were sick with H1N1 for about a week. The scariest part was the worry that pneumonia would develop. I'm so glad my family was able to get the vaccine last week. It's a relief to not have to worry about it.

[happygirl]

My heartbreaks for this family

[autumnpalm]

What a heartbreaking story. My prayers are with that poor boy and his family.

[C.Ann]

Originally Posted by Bluestars

That's so sad. I'm surprised the hospital released the boy and then he died the next day. You would think they would have been able to tell his symptoms were severe, unless they got much worse over night. That's scary..

Perhaps the part that I just bolded?

[Jewel1310]

My thoughts and prayers to this family. I am so sorry to hear this.

[disney1990]

This is so very sad.

The most children died from H1N1 last week -- 35. I am so glad that my granddaughters (and their Mom, my daughter) were finally able to get their shots last week.

[weswife]

A very sad story. My heart goes out to the family.

My DD is 16 and has medical conditions. She did not rec. the H1N1 shot. Thats a whole other story. On Mon. she became ill, fever,tired and cough. The Dr. did not swab her but is treating her as if its H1N1. We are as well. We have been keeping a close eye on her. She is taking Tamiflu. This story gave me shivers. My DD's fever broke on Thurs. hoping she is on the mend. Take care all!!

[Buckalew11]

C.Ann, you remember when I had something this past July? Fever for 7 days straight, hoarseness but no sore throat or cough. That was all. Until I went to the doctor and had a chest x-ray and was told I had pneumonia. Very soon after that I developed a cough which was deep and productive. FF to November and I still have that cough on and off. Deep and productive.
Truly, it really scares me when I read stuff like this.

My prayers are with this family. I hope the father gets well soon.

My niece was diagnosed this past week although they did not test for h1n1. Positive for flu with the thought that it is still too early for seasonal so it must be h1n1. ?? who knows.

[taximomfor4]

I feel so bad for that family. I was the only one in my family to end up with breathing troubles. Mine were intermittent too, and I was at the ER, Urgent Care, and a regular dr. over 3 weeks. Had several kinds of nebulizer treatments, an albuterol inhaler that I have had to use every 4 hrs round the clock, every single day, for 4 weeks so far. But my O2 is good so I get sent home. I intermittently even have retractions when breathing (both ribs and above my clavicle). Stridor and wheezing.

I don't know what the hospitals should do -- MOST of us, they send home and we recover anyway (although SOME of us do it sooooo slowly!) Just a few die. I feel the ache while breathing, right now, and think how terrible that poor little boy must have been feeling.

It's just so very, very sad!

[Schmeck]

The article states that they suspect H1N1 - so no results back yet, could be something else, but I can't think of anything, besides pneumonia.

The dad's a doctor - what am I missing here?

[C.Ann]

Originally Posted by Schmeck

The article states that they suspect H1N1 - so no results back yet, could be something else, but I can't think of anything, besides pneumonia.

The dad's a doctor - what am I missing here?

It's standard to say "suspected" until tests results and/or an autopsy confirms it.. With the boy having it - and then the dad catching it - I think it's a pretty safe bet it was H1N1.. The symptoms fit (others with confirmed cases have had these same types of breathing issues) - and we aren't seeing any cases of regular "seasonal" flu right now..

I don't know what you're "missing" in terms of the dad being a doctor - it was just pointed out in the article.. I don't know what kind of doctor he is - could be a dermatologist or a psychiatrist for all I know..

[DMickey28]

So sad and scary.

My DS has been sick for a week. He started with a fever last Thursday PM for 2 days, then stomach stuff, then he was fine for a day and then started with sniffles and a cough. We actually went to the ER on Tuesday PM but was given the all clear and his lungs where clear. His cough has since gotten much more productive and a lot less mucusey. We just moved (two weeks) so we don't have a ped yet and no one will see him the first time as a sick patient. I am thinking of taking him to the hospital affilated clinic on Monday just as a followup due to the cough still being around. He does not have difficulty breathing since Tuesday. At that point it was a result of the overwhelming amount of mucus in his system.

ETA: The ER seems to think he *might* have had mild flu case and then contracted a seperate cold virus. Makes sense to us as both DH and I have developed cold symptoms over the last few days but NO fever or flu signs. Now I am freaking out that he has penumonia or something like that ... though wouldn't the cough get worse with exercise or extertion? He is playing and running like normal and it's not causing him to cough more ... he only coughs once in a while.

So scary ....