How did Freddie Mercury die? (Answer in your head w/out research BEFORE opening)

[Barb D]

I need to know the first answer that comes to your head, what you would say if someone came up to you on the street and asked you, "How did Freddie Mercury die?"

ETA: And if you don't mind posting it, how old are you?

ETA2: For the person who doesn't know Freddie Mercury was the lead singer for Queen.

ETA3: Would you be bothered/offended if you were reading a fictional story in which one character said to another that Freddie Mercury died of AIDS? It has been suggested to me that even though the 15yo CHARACTER would probably say, "Freddie Mercury died of AIDS," not "Freddie Mercury died of complications due to AIDS" in the context of the story, that it is misleading to have it written that way.

 

[Stella3]

Aids related pneumonia

 

[imabrat]

I know he had complications of AIDs, and I think it was pneumonia. That's what I voted.

I'm 15 BTW.

 

[Barb D]

I know he had complications of AIDs, and I think it was pneumonia. That's what I voted.

I'm 15 BTW.

If someone came up to you and asked, "How did FM die?" Would you say, "I know he had complications of AIDs, and I think it was pneumonia." Or would you say, "AIDS."?

 

[singingpixie]

I'm 23, and I said "AIDS"

 

[DisneyRoys]

I voted for Aids related pneumonia. If someone asked me on the street I would just say AIDS. I am 32.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

I would just say he died of AIDS. I knew it was specifically pneumonia, but that's the nature of AIDS. It weakens your system so something like pneumonia or infection is the ultimate cause of death.

I'm in my 40's.

 

[melanie18]

I'm 40 & voted for pneumonia as a complication of AIDS.

 

[imabrat]

If someone came up to you and asked, "How did FM die?" Would you say, "I know he had complications of AIDs, and I think it was pneumonia." Or would you say, "AIDS."?

I'd probably say he died of pneumonia as a complication of AIDS.

 

[Michelle67]

I would just say he died of AIDS. I knew it was specifically pneumonia, but that's the nature of AIDS. It weakens your system so something like pneumonia or infection is the ultimate cause of death.

I'm in my 40's.

Exactly my response, including the age.

 

[Goobergal99]

He had PCP (Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia) which is a type of pneumonia that immuno compromised patients (such as those with HIV/AIDS as Freddy Mercury was positive) often come down with, I believe however that he actually died as a result of bronchopneumonia... which was exacerbated by the PCP and immune system breakdown caused by AIDS

That's the RN in me answering... and I am 25 in case it matters

and no, even having had a very close member of my family die of AIDS... I would not be offended if either were used.. I mean techincally the immune system was compromised due to the HIV virus causing AIDS and therefore he did die as a result of having AIDS

 

[CPT Tripss]

I need to know the first answer that comes to your head, what you would say if someone came up to you on the street and asked you, "How did Freddie Mercury die?"

ETA: And if you don't mind posting it, how old are you?

ETA2: For the person who doesn't know Freddie Mercury was the lead singer for Queen.

ETA3: Would you be bothered/offended if you were reading a fictional story in which one character said to another that Freddie Mercury died of AIDS? It has been suggested to me that even though the 15yo CHARACTER would probably say, "Freddie Mercury died of AIDS," not "Freddie Mercury died of complications due to AIDS" in the context of the story, that it is misleading to have it written that way.

No, that's what I would expect most people to say.

 

[Caropooh]

I'm 47 years old and I said he died "of AIDS." That was my first thought, but then when looking at the poll choices I thought maybe it was pneumonia. I still answered "of AIDS" though.

 

[Goobergal99]

He died on my 9th birthday also according to Wikipedia... I just looked it up, after I answered

 

[Imzadi]

I would just say he died of AIDS...

It weakens your system so something like pneumonia or infection is the ultimate cause of death.

I'm in my 40's.

Almost everyone dies from something else that AIDS weakened them to get. That IS AIDS. Like Liberace died of tuberculosis.

 

[Andy B]

I voted dies from Aids. I am 47

 

[EMom]

He had PCP (Pneumocystis Carinii Pneumonia) which is a type of pneumonia that immuno compromised patients (such as those with HIV/AIDS as Freddy Mercury was positive) often come down with, I believe however that he actually died as a result of bronchopneumonia... which was exacerbated by the PCP and immune system breakdown caused by AIDS

That's the RN in me answering... and I am 25 in case it matters

and no, even having had a very close member of my family die of AIDS... I would not be offended if either were used.. I mean techincally the immune system was compromised due to the HIV virus causing AIDS and therefore he did die as a result of having AIDS

What she said.....

I gave the correct answer, but truly it is six of one and half a dozen of the other. The pneumonia may have been the last straw that killed him, but that pneumonia wouldn't have hit him so hard if he hadn't had AIDS and been immuno-compromised. Take his AIDS out of the equation and he'd be alive today. Take the pneumonia out of the equation and something else would have killed him, and it probably wouldn't have been much later. He was going downhill fast.

So answering "AIDS" may not technically be the correct answer, but in essence, AIDS did kill him. Had he contracted the disease years later, when better treatments came available, things could have turned out much differently. I wish that was the case. He was an amazing talent and the world lost so much when he died. There will never be another like him.

 

[TrixieBel]

I replied "pneumonia as a result of AIDS", but I'm in my early 40's and doing a science degree. I wouldn't expect a 15yr old to say it the "long" way - I'd expect my 15yr old to say that he died "of AIDS"... I think if it was said any other way in a novel it would sound "stilted"...

regards

 

[Cool-Beans]

I wasn't sure. I thought it might have been AIDS-related, but didn't really remember. This year has me turning 29 for the tenth time.

I wouldn't know the cause of death of most, if any, of the celebs who died around (or before) the time I was born. I wonder if my kids know how Freddie Mercury died...or even if they know who he was. I'm going to ask them.

 

[shortbun]

I'm 54 and my initial reaction before I read the poll was "aids, he died from having aids."