Kansas Records 27th H1N1-Related Death

[Ronan Kelly]

Kansas Records 26th H1N1-Related Death
by Robert Marin (TOPEKA, Kan.)

The Kansas Department of Health and Environment says another Kansan infected with H1N1 Influenza has died.

State Health officials say the victim is a 52-year-old man from southwest Kansas. They say he did not have any underlying health condition that placed him at greater risk of complications.

Officials say the H1N1 infection was confirmed by the state on December 10th, and his death was reported to the KDHE on January 7th. So far there have been 26 H1N1 related deaths in Kansas since the beginning of the pandemic.
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http://www.kansascw.com/Global/story.asp?S=11790958

[mcphilbrick]

Re: Kansas Records 26th H1N1-Related Death

Widow Warns Others to Get H1N1 Vaccine

Her husband, a healthy Liberal civic leader, died after contracting the flu

LIBERAL - Larry Howell had no compromising health condition. But his sudden death in December has left his widow wanting people to know that a healthy person can quickly die from the H1N1 flu.

Jamie Howell said her husband tested positive for H1N1 before his death at Wichita's Wesley Medical Center on Dec. 18. She is encouraging everyone she knows to get vaccinated against this strain of the flu.

The father of four was a healthy man before coming down with bronchitis in early December.

"He had a bad cold and was coughing the week before," his wife said. He was initially diagnosed with bronchitis, which then turned into pneumonia. However, instead of improving he kept getting sicker, and by Dec. 7, when he returned to the doctor, his oxygen level was gravely low. He was transported by ambulance to Liberal's Southwest Medical Center. That was the last time he was able to speak with his wife.

Immediately placed on a respirator, he was flown to Wichita's Wesley Medical Center. While a tissue sample taken by a bronchial scope tested positive for H1N1, Jamie Howell said Larry's cause of death was adult respiratory distress syndrome.

"His lungs were a white-out," she said about her husband, who had never had a lung problem in his life.

Meanwhile, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment has not received a report of an H1N1 death fitting Howell's description, spokeswoman Maggie Thompson, said. She noted, however, that sometimes it takes a long while before the report comes to KDHE.

"We know that the number of the deaths confirmed to be caused by H1N1 virus under-represents the true number of deaths," Thompson said. "There are people without underlying health conditions who have died and are dying of H1N1."

Thompson said if it's confirmed they will get the information. However, when and if that happens, they can only release the region, age and gender of the victim, and whether they had a compromised immune system.

"At this point, we have nothing from a southwest Kansas male," she said, adding that information can come to the state through a death certificate. Jamie Howell said they were still waiting for Larry's death certificate.

The KDHE reported its first death from H1N1 this summer and now has a confirmed total of 25. Of that number, six have not had underlying health conditions that would put them at greater risk. Also, of the 25, 23 were adults ranging in age from 30s up to 75.

Larry Howell was a vital leader -from his involvement in his church to the local chamber of commerce, where he was president in 2009.

Because he was so prominent in the community, Howell's death has spurred an increase in the number of people getting the H1N1 vaccine in Liberal, said Martha Brown, administrator of the Seward County Health Department.

"It has alerted more people from church and work and it hit home," Brown said, adding they still had plenty of vaccine left and imagined most counties were in the same situation.

Another proponent of being vaccinated against H1N1 is Liberal physician Dr. Bob Sager who wrote about Howell's untimely death on a blog posted on Wellsphere on Dec. 21.

"...The CDC has reported that 46 percent of people admitted to the hospital for H1N1 complications have no prior medical problems. Larry fell into this category unfortunately. So let this be a warning to us all. Get the vaccine for H1N1 now. The CDC has opened this up to everyone from six months to 65."

According to Thompson, pandemics come in waves and there is a potential for a third wave. But, the good news is there is plenty of vaccine available.

"We're ready in case that happens," Thompson said.


Larry A. Howell Obituary

Obituary


Larry A. Howell, 52, died Friday, Dec. 18, 2009, at Wesley Medical Center in Wichita.
He was born Oct. 3, 1957, to Roy Everett and Carol Jean (Borden) Howell in Tribune.
He married Jamie Kilgore Brown March 18, 1989, in Tribune. She survives.
He graduated from Greeley County High School in 1975 and graduated from Seward County Community College in 1977 and Fort Hays State University with a degree in Marketing in 1979.
He was marketing/advertising director for Epic Touch of Elkhart, Guymon and Liberal.
He was a member of the First Baptist Church, Liberal Chamber of Commerce serving as past president in 2009, Liberal Chamber of Commerce Foundation Board, Chamber Ambassador and past member and past president of Kiwanis Club. He was also active on the Liberal High School Site Council, Good Samaritan Advisory Board, Mid American Air Museum Foundation Board and was a precinct committeeman for Seward County Republicans.
Other survivors include his father; two sons, Andrew ?Andy? Howell, Liberal, and Tyler Brown and wife, Angie, Parkville, Mo.; two daughters, Danielle Howell, Liberal, and Teryn Draper and husband, Brandon, Kansas City, Mo., one brother, Danny Howell and wife, Brittany, Holcomb; one sister, Debbie Wise, Fowler; and two grandchildren, Liv Ella Brown and Eva Olive Draper.
He was preceded in death by his mother and one sister, Everly (Howell) Oakes.
o Funeral service will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the First Baptist Church, Liberal with Rev. David Bagwell presiding.
Graveside service will be at 2:30 p.m. MST Tuesday at Greeley County Cemetery in Tribune.
Friends may call until 7:30 p.m. today at Kitch-Brenneman Funeral Home.
In lieu of flowers and plants, memorials are suggested to the Andy and Danielle Howell Educational Fund in care of Kitch-Brenneman Funeral Home 1212 W 2nd Liberal, KS 67901.
Condolences may be sent to family at www.brennemanfuneralhome.com.

[Ronan Kelly]

Re: Kansas Records 26th H1N1-Related Death

F/78 - underlying condition.

KDHE announces 27th H1N1 death

By The Capital-Journal
Created January 29, 2010 at 1:05pm

Updated January 29, 2010 at 1:12pm
A 78 year-old woman from the Wichita metropolitan area has died from infection with the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment announced Friday. The woman's death brings the total number of confirmed deaths statewide to 27.
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http://cjonline.com/news/state/2010-01-29/kdhe_announces_27th_h1n1_death