Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
It's Not Just Aches And A Fever You Have To Worry About -- The Flu Can Also Trigger A Heart Attack
NPR: Flu Increases Risk Of Heart Attack, Study Finds
The flu doesn't just make you feel lousy. A study published Wednesday finds it can increase your risk of having a heart attack, too. "We found that you're six times more likely to have a heart attack during the week after being diagnosed with influenza, compared to the year before or after the infection," says study author Dr. Jeff Kwong, an epidemiologist and family physician with the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences and Public Health Ontario in Canada. (Aubrey, 1/24)
Stat: Flu Infection Raises Risk Of Heart Attack In Week After Diagnosis
The notion that a bout of flu increases the risk of other illnesses, including heart attack, is not new. But lead author Dr. Jeffrey Kwong said this study, published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine, is the first to positively link heart attacks to laboratory-confirmed cases of flu. Most influenza cases are never diagnosed by a medical professional; people with a mild infection often just tough it out at home. And even those sick enough to drag themselves to a doctor may be diagnosed based on their symptoms alone. (Branswell, 1/24)
Chicago Tribune: Flu Activity Remains High In Chicago Area; Too Soon To Tell If Peak Hit
With a few months left in a flu season that arrived early and hit hard in Chicago and across the country, public health officials continue to urge people to get the vaccination against influenza, which has been deadly, landed people in emergency rooms, and kept employees out of work and students out of school. A flu outbreak led the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy in Aurora to close its campus from Monday through Sunday, with classes scheduled to resume Jan. 29. Students live on campus but had to go home because of the outbreak. (Vivanco-Prengaman, 1/24)
KCUR: Flu Outbreak Keeping Kansas City Area Firefighters And Paramedics Busy
We know that the flu outbreak around Kansas City is bad, and it's keeping doctors, emergency rooms and walk-in clinics hopping. But local firefighters and paramedics are also carrying more of the load. “I could say it’s probably increasing our call volume by 25 to 30 calls a day,” says Kansas City Fire Department Deputy Chief Tom Collins. (Zeff, 1/24)
The Oregonian: Gresham Mom, 36, Gets Flu; Days Later She Dies
Tandy Harmon was vibrant, cheerful and healthy. At 36, the Gresham mom was rarely sick. But 10 days ago, she started feeling ill. It was a Sunday. The next day, she stayed home from her job as a bartender at Bradford's Sports Lounge in Southeast Portland. She figured it was the flu, said her boyfriend, Steven Lundin. By that Wednesday, she ended up in intensive care at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in North Portland, diagnosed with the flu, pneumonia and a staph infection, Lundin said. Two days later, the single mother of two, died, leaving family and friends reeling. (Terry, 1/24)
