Buffalo boy with H1N1 virus has died

[Chuck]

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Buffalo..._died_20090620

Buffalo boy with H1N1 virus has died
Taken off life support after 6 p.m.
Saturday

Updated: Saturday, 20 Jun 2009, 6:53 PM EDT
Published : Saturday, 20 Jun 2009, 6:51 PM EDT

* Rob Macko
* Posted by: Emily Lenihan

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - News 4 has learned that a 15-year-old Buffalo boy with the H1N1 flu virus has died.

The grandmother of Matthew Davis says he was taken off life support at Women and Children’s Hospital just after 6:00 p.m. Saturday.

Davis was an eighth grader at Harvey Austin School 97 on Sycamore Street.

News 4 talked to the 15-year-old's mother Lucretia Belton. Matthew attended Harvey Austin School 97.

His mother said complications from swine flu included pneumonia and MRSA.

She said his kidneys were failing, and he was being kept alive by machines.

A nine-year-old girl is also at Women and Children's Hospital with the H1N1 virus.

She's a fourth grader at Charles Drew Science Magnet School 59's museum campus.

Her mother tells me she's on life support in critical condition, but making progress.

Their schools were not closed.

School leaders stress parents should keep kids with flu-like symptoms home.

Last night, Lucretia Belton made this appeal to parents.

"This is no joke, this is really, really, really serious. Please get your kids, any kind of sign, get them there, don't wait until we get this far like my baby," said Belton.

Copyright WIVB.com

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by Chuck

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/Buffalo..._died_20090620

Buffalo boy with H1N1 virus has died
Their schools were not closed.

Although the schools are not closed, the schools are CLOSE.

[HenryN]

More New Swine Flu Cases in Buffalo Schools and Niagara County

Posted By: Rachel Kingston Posted By: Claudine Ewing Date last updated: 6/20/2009 7:13:11 PM

Smaller Larger Print Article Close Page Swine Flu at School Science Magnet #59 Another student in the Buffalo Public School District is in critical condition with swine flu. Another student in the Buffalo Public School District is in critical condition with swine flu. Five new cases of H1N1 or swine flu, have also been diagnosed in Niagara County. Buffalo Teachers' Federation President Phil Rumore says the Buffalo student who is critical attends the Harvey Austin School, which is also known as School 97. On Thursday, a letter informing parents of another case of swine flu at a Buffalo Public School was sent home with students. The sick child attends Dr. Charles Drew Science Magnet School #59, next to the Science Museum. According to the Teachers Union President, the child is in critical condition. Buffalo Teachers' Federation President Phil Rumore tells us at least one teacher notified the BTF of the student's illness. School district officials cannot comment on the case due to health privacy laws. According to the Erie County Health Commissioner, "this is a not a school disease this is a community disease, the virus is not contained in the walls of the school it's contained in the bodies of people." The Niagara County Health Department is also confirming five new cases of H1N1 influenza, also known as Swine Flu, in school-aged children and one possible case in a pre-school aged child. According to the health department, all six cases are in children ranging in age from three to 14 years old. The health department says three children from Barker have fully recovered and returned to school. The three other children are from Niagara Falls and are not in school. Despite these cases, the health department says it has not seen an increase in absenteeism reported by school districts. The New York State Health Department announced new guidelines this week that discourage testing and treatment of mild, isolated flu-like-illnesses except in people with underlying medical issues. The Niagara County Health Department says production of a new H1N1 vaccine is scheduled to begin next month, and it may be available by October. For more information on swine flu, click on the Erie County Health Department website. Phil Rumore / Pres. BTF

http://www.wgrz.com/includes/tools/p...?storyid=67819

[HenryN]

H1N1 in Erie County, NY

http://www.erie.gov/health/h1n1/map.pdf

[HenryN]

37 zip codes in Erie County with 1 or more lab confirmed H1N1 case

14031
14032
14043
14051
14059
14068
14072
14075
14086
14127
14150
14201
14203
14204
14206
14207
14208
14209
14210
14211
14212
14213
14214
14215
14216
14217
14218
14219
14220
14221
14222
14223
14224
14225
14226
14227
14228

[AlaskaDenise]

First Confirmed Swine Flu Death in Erie County

A spokesman for the Erie County Health Department has confirmed the county's first death associated with swine flu.

Kevin Montgomery could not provide any identifying information about the deceased, but other sources have indicated that the victim was one of two Buffalo Public Schools students who had been hospitalized in critical condition for the past several days.

Buffalo Teachers' Federation President Phil Rumore says the student was an eighth grader at Harvey Austin School #97. Rumore said it's his understanding that the child's health was further compromised by an underlying MRSA infection.

Rumore says the student had been on life support until earlier Saturday evening.

Buffalo Public School District Superintendent Dr. James Williams did not confirm which school the student attended. But Williams did issue a statement saying, in part: "...our deepest sympathy is extended to the family of our beloved student... We have assigned grief counselors to Harvey Austin Public School #97 on Monday morning to provide the necessary support for students and staff."

A Buffalo schools spokesman says Harvey Austin School will be open this week. Only a small number of students are required to report to school to take final exams.

The other student - who attends the Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School #59 Museum Campus, remains hospitalized.

The Erie County Health Department maintains a swine flu information page on its website - including answers to frequently asked questions and information about confirmed cases within the county - which you can see by clicking here.

http://www.wgrz.com/news/local/story...provider=gnews

[HenryN]

The two schools are 2.3 miles apart.

[HenryN]

Buffalo boy dies of Swine Flu
News 10 NBC has learned from our Buffalo affiliate that a boy hospitalized for the Swine Flu has died.
The 15-year-old was a student at Harvey Austin School 97.
One other girl is hospitalized and is in critical condition tonight.

Right now, health officials are working on a new H1-N1 vaccine, and they hope to have it available in the fall.

Just this week, Monroe County health officials issued an alert saying the Swine Flu outbreak spread and is now an epidemic.

People who have the symptoms are asked to stay home for a week.

For more Rochester, N.Y. news go to our website www.whec.com.

http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S988495.shtml?cat=565

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/709905.html


06/21/09 07:05 AM
Buffalo student, 15, dies of swine flu
Boy’s death is first in county tied to virus
By Aaron Besecker and Dan Herbeck NEWS STAFF REPORTERS


An eighth-grader at Buffalo’s Harvey Austin School 97 stricken with swine flu and other ailments died Saturday in Women & Children’s Hospital, the first death in Erie County related to the H1N1 virus.

Matthew Davis, 15, who was also suffering from pneumonia and MRSA, was taken off life support about 6 p. m., according to WIVB-TV, Channel 4.

The boy’s mother, Lucretia A. Benton, told WIVB her son had also been facing signs of renal failure.

Davis had been in critical condition earlier in the day, said Philip Rumore, president of the Buffalo Teachers Federation.

Erie County Health Department spokesman Kevin Montgomery said Saturday night that although the agency could not discuss specific cases, the county has had its first death “due to confirmed swine flu-related illness.”

Buffalo School Superintendent James A. Williams issued the following statement on Saturday night:

“On behalf of the Buffalo Public School District and the Buffalo Board of Education, our deepest sympathy is extended to the family of our beloved student,” Williams’ statement read. “We ask the Buffalo community to remember the student, family, friends, and loved ones in their thoughts and prayers.”

Williams said grief counselors would be assigned to School 97 on Monday morning.

Rumore also expressed condolences on behalf of his organization.

“Our hearts are broken and go out to the family of the student,” Rumore said. “Let us all be resolved that we are going to do everything that’s humanly possible to make sure that no other child goes through what this child and his family have gone through.”

Davis was not the only Buffalo Public Schools student battling the H1N1 flu virus. A 9-year-old student at Charles Drew Science Magnet School 59 is also in critical condition in Women & Children’s with swine flu, Rumore said.

Rumore also had a message for parents in the district.

“Please, if your child is ill, don’t send him to school,” Rumore said, “and if they have a high fever for more than a day, please bring them to the doctor’s, bring them to the hospitals.”

Earlier in the day, Rumore accused school district officials of not doing enough to alert parents and district employees to the seriousness of the situation.

“I understand there are privacy regulations, and no one has asked the district to release the names of these students. That’s not what we’re looking for. We pray for these kids,” Rumore said.

“But there are safety issues here for students, parents and employees. People need to be more aware of how serious this is, and the importance of keeping their kids home if they are ill.”

Rumore also noted that 80 percent of the district’s students come to school by bus, an issue that needs to be addressed because a problem could arise if only one of the bus riders comes to school sick.

“We’ve got to think of something to do with the school buses,” he said.

Teachers and parents at the two schools were notified by the district several days ago that the two students had swine flu, Rumore said, but in his view, the district has not made people aware of the seriousness of the situation.

Those allegations were denied by a school district spokesman and drew a sharp rebuke from a top district official.

“I caution anyone insisting that teachers are entitled to the private medical information of students beyond what is present in their student records released by parents or included in our notifications. They are not, and that is how it should be,” said Will Keresztes, associate superintendent.

“The district does not discuss the status of children confined to hospital beds. Suggesting that we should is irresponsible,” he added.

The district over the past two months has sent at least four letters to parents of all children in the district about the dangers of swine flu, according to Stefan Mychajliw, the district’s spokesman.

And parents and staffers in schools where students have been stricken have been alerted by telephone and e-mail, said Mychajliw, who sent copies of some of the communications to The Buffalo News.

“I’m blown away that anyone could make the accusation that we have not done enough to notify people,” Mychajliw said. “We’ve done it again and again, and our biggest message has been telling parents, ‘Don’t send a sick child to school.’ ”

Keresztes said the district has “an effective protocol implemented by our nursing staff, plant employees and building principals based on state and county guidelines.”

A hospital spokesman, John Moscato, cited the same privacy laws as the district, saying he could not release any information unless he gets permission from the parents of the two children.

School officials temporarily shut down the Riverside Institute of Technology after an outbreak of swine flu cases — officially known as the H1N1 flu virus — earlier this month.

As of June 18, there have been more than 17,800 laboratory-confirmed cases in the United States, with 1,600 patients hospitalized and 44 deaths, according to Dr. Daniel Jernigan, an epidemiologist in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s influenza division.

Worldwide, there have been nearly 40,000 confirmed cases in 88 countries, with 167 deaths.

abesecker@buffnews.com and dherbeck@buffnews.com

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by Shiloh

Source: http://www.buffalonews.com/home/story/709905.html



As of June 18, there have been more than 17,800 laboratory-confirmed cases in the United States, with 1,600 patients hospitalized and 44 deaths, according to Dr. Daniel Jernigan, an epidemiologist in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s influenza division.


abesecker@buffnews.com and dherbeck@buffnews.com

As of June 18 there were over ONE HUNDRED CONFIRMED pandemic H1N1 deaths in the United States, as described at state board of health websites and media reports.

[HenryN]

Updated map

http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/flu/...7578125&zoom=8

The two schools are 2.3 miles apart and in the heart of Buffalo (where the markers are piled up).

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by niman

Updated map

http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/flu/...7578125&zoom=8

The two schools are 2.3 miles apart and in the heart of Buffalo (where the markers are piled up).

When I map quested the addresses (instead of the school names) I got 1.2 miles apart (which is what is on the above map). The school of the 9F is just to the west of the school of the 15M fatal case (marked in red on map).

[HenryN]

Confirmed H1N1 Death in Erie County

06/21/2009 11:20 AM

By: Amy Passalugo



A Buffalo middle school student is Erie County's first confirmed death related to the H1N1 virus.

Family members of 15-year old Matthew Davis say he was taken off life support Saturday night. Davis was an 8th grader at Harvey Austin School #97 in Buffalo. Davis's mother said he died from complications from the H1N1 virus including pneumonia and MRSA.

The Buffalo City School District says a 4th grader at Charles Drew Science Magnet School #59 is also in the hospital with the H1N1 virus.

The student's mother said the girl is on life support and is in critical condition, but says she is making progress.


http://www.rnews.com/content/top_sto...ionCookie=2004

[HenryN]

Story Updated: Jun 21, 2009

Health Officials are confirming the first death in Erie County related to swine flu. The Erie County Health Department is not releasing any more information on this particular death at this point.

But two Buffalo public school students were hospitalized this week at Women and Children's Hospital due to the swine flu. Tonight the school district posted this statement on their website offering condolences: "We ask the Buffalo community to remember the student, family, friends, and loved ones in their thoughts and prayers. We have assigned grief counselors to Harvey Austin Public School #97 on Monday morning to provide the necessary support for students and staff."

The other Buffalo student that was hospitalized because of swine flu is from Charles Drew Science Magnet School #59. There is no word on that student's condition.

Niagara County health officials have also identified new clusters of H1N1 in school-aged children.

http://www.wkbw.com/healthy/48693607.html

Above site also has a video report.

[HenryN]

More on new clusters

http://www.niagaracounty.com/Health/docs/061909pr.pdf

[HenryN]

The Niagara County Health Department has confirmed five more cases of swine flu, all involving school-aged children.

A sixth possible case involving a pre-schooler is also being investigated.

A day after officials in the Niagara Falls school district confirmed that two students at Gaskill Preparatory School had been diagnosed with the H1N1 virus, county health officials said Friday that they are awaiting laboratory reports on a third possible case involving a 3-year-old child. According to the health department, all three Falls students are not in school at this time and are still recovering from the illness.

In addition, county health officials confirmed previous positive test results for three students in the Barker school district. According to the health department, all three Barker students have fully recovered from the illness and have returned to school.

http://www.niagara-gazette.com/local...170233013.html

[HenryN]

The Barker Central School District is committed to maintaining a healthy and safe environment for our students and staff. We are closely monitoring the most recent developments of the H1N1 virus or "Swine Flu". We have been notified by the Niagara County Health Department that we had three confirmed cases of the H1N1 virus in our District. In each case, the infected person remained at home until they were no longer contagious. Our school nurse is closely monitoring the situation. We are taking all recommended measures to ensure the safety of our students and staff.

A letter has been sent home to every family in the District. Families have also been contacted regarding the situation via the Global Connect phone system. For more information, please click on the following link.

http://www.barkercsd.net/barkercsd/c...p?A=3&Q=279478

[Flufreak]

see new "Asymptomatic H1N1" thread in Deliberation Room forum

[Flufreak]

see new thread

[ironorehopper]

Originally Posted by Flufreak

I'd like to broach a very important topic (maybe this needs it's own thread: hint,hint) that has significant implications for spread and avoidance. The following is from the May 28th CDC telebriefing:
Anne Schuchat :"So it's possible that with additional testing and studies, these attack rates will be adjusted upwards, from what we've seen, once we understand who is exposed and infected, but not ill. What we call the asymptomatic attack rate."

I have not heard anything more on this topic at all from anywhere.
We have heard a lot about shedding virus prior to symptoms, but surely folks running around shedding virus without ever appearing sick is a much easier (or additional) explanation for community transmission even when everyone is following the rules!

Chinese Report:
(...)

1. All of the 120 cases developed some flu-like symptoms, but none of them showed severe clinical signs, and till date, 62 have recovered. At least 4 human infections with the virus without any clinical signs were found and they were not included in the 120 cases.

(...)
[from http://apex.oracle.com/pls/otn/f?p=2..._ID:1000,77986 ]

[HenryN]

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/586531

Flu outbreak at city schools likely H1N1: officials


Paul Morse
The Hamilton Spectator
(Jun 20, 2009)
A large outbreak of influenza A suspected to be swine flu is now spreading rapidly in Hamilton, health officials say.
The Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has triggered the first active phase of its swine flu strategy for the first time, board officials said yesterday.
The leading edges of the outbreak are Ryerson Elementary School in central Hamilton and Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Elementary School near Lime Ridge Mall. A suspected outbreak is being investigated at a third school, as well.
School officials say 24 students at Ryerson and about 20 at Our Lady of Lourdes have been infected with the type A respiratory virus.
"All the cases in Hamilton have been mild," said Dr. Chris Mackie, Hamilton's associate medical officer of health.
Although it has not yet been confirmed that it's the swine flu -- the human H1N1 virus -- Mackie said that's most likely what the outbreak is, because 95 per cent of flu currently in the province is H1N1.
The public board is sending in disinfection teams tonight and tomorrow to sanitize furniture at Ryerson, said superintendent of operations John Forbeck at the public board.
"We will also have a handwashing station set up in the school's lobby on Monday," he said.
"We're going to reinforce with students the proper routines of handwashing."
Hamilton has 23 confirmed cases of swine flu, which will rise sharply if the school cases prove to be swine flu.
There are currently 183 cases of H1N1 flu virus confirmed in Halton Region. Of those, 139 are students attending 44 different schools in Halton, 26 of which are in Oakville. Each municipality in Halton Region has confirmed cases and each municipality has at least one school with a confirmed case.
Our Lady of Lourdes staff think the flu first emerged in the school about eight days ago, said principal Marisa DiCenso.
"There's been a steady trend of children getting better and others getting sick," she said.
Letters from public health went home to parents Wednesday, and parents have been calling the school to find out when it's appropriate for their children to return to class.
School officials are also asking parents to provide more information when they call in to let a school know their child will be absent.
"It's helpful if the parents let us know what their child's symptoms are," Forbeck said.
City health officials say this is the first time they've seen the rapid spread of this influenza in the community, but it was not unexpected given that other Ontario cities, including Toronto and Ottawa, have seen significant numbers of cases.
Dr. Arlene King, Ontario's chief medical officer of health, said there are 264 new confirmed cases of H1N1 flu virus since Wednesday, bringing the total number of cases in Ontario to 2,528.
pmorse@thespec.com

[HenryN]

Parents Concerned After Teen With Swine Flu Dies

Originally printed at http://www.wkbw.com/news/local/48732447.html

Grief counselors will be on-site at Harvey Austin, School #97, on Monday to help students and staff deal with the death of Matthew Davis, 15, who died Saturday after contracting swine flu, or the H1N1 virus.
A 9-year-old girl from Buffalo remains in critical condition at the Pediatric ICU at Women and Children's Hospital.
Kimberly Wells, a parent whose daughter attends Harvey Austin, says she is keeping her daughter out of school for the short remainder of the year. She will only allow another daughter in high school to go to Burgard for her final exam.
"They (should) close the schools and end the year," she says. "They can cut down on the percentage of the virus going around from the contact of the children, and the ones that have to finish their exams, let them go into school and then evacuate them out."
But despite the tragic death, the Erie County Health Department does not recommend schools close in these circumstances. Swine flu cases have been confirmed in eleven out of 63 Buffalo Public School locations, and suburban and private schools are seeing it too.
The health department and school districts are urging parents to keep their children home if they are experiencing flu-like symptoms. This includes keeping children home once summer activities begin too.
Click on Swine Flu at the top of your screen for more information.

[tropical]

#22: ""They (should) close the schools and end the year," she says. "They can cut down on the percentage of the virus going around from the contact of the children, and the ones that have to finish their exams, let them go into school and then evacuate them out.""

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S989162.shtml?cat=566

Posted at: 06/21/2009 10:26 PM | WHEC.com

Mother of boy who died of Swine Flu warns parents

We're hearing from the mother of a Buffalo boy who died this weekend after being hospitalized with the Swine Flu.

As we reported last night, family members say Matthew Davis died Saturday night.

He was an eighth grader at Harvey Austin School, and was just 15-years old.

The boy's mother, Lucretia Belton, says he had pneumonia and MRSA as complications from the Swine Flu, and his kidneys failed.

She made this plea to other parents.

“This is no joke, this is really, really, really serious. Please get your kids, any kind of sign, get them there, don't wait until we get this far like my baby.”

A 9-year-old girl in Buffalo is also in the hospital in critical condition with the Swine Flu.

Just this past week, Monroe County health officials issued an alert, saying the Swine Flu outbreak is now an epidemic.

[hawkeye]

What are all of the preexisting conditions?

Originally Posted by Shiloh

Source: http://www.whec.com/news/stories/S989162.shtml?cat=566

Posted at: 06/21/2009 10:26 PM | WHEC.com

Mother of boy who died of Swine Flu warns parents

We're hearing from the mother of a Buffalo boy who died this weekend after being hospitalized with the Swine Flu.

As we reported last night, family members say Matthew Davis died Saturday night.

He was an eighth grader at Harvey Austin School, and was just 15-years old.

The boy's mother, Lucretia Belton, says he had pneumonia and MRSA as complications from the Swine Flu, and his kidneys failed.

She made this plea to other parents.

“This is no joke, this is really, really, really serious. Please get your kids, any kind of sign, get them there, don't wait until we get this far like my baby.”

A 9-year-old girl in Buffalo is also in the hospital in critical condition with the Swine Flu.

Just this past week, Monroe County health officials issued an alert, saying the Swine Flu outbreak is now an epidemic.

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by hawkeye

What are all of the preexisting conditions?

There are NO pre-existing conditions reported for either student.

[HenryN]

Commentary

[HenryN]

Updated: 06/22/09 07:54 AM
Death comes amid swine flu spurt

Three others here still hospitalized

By Henry L. Davis
NEWS MEDICAL REPORTER


The death Saturday of an eighth-grade teenager from swine flu came as public health officials tracked a small burst of hospitalizations last week in Buffalo caused by the influenza virus.
The boy who died was identified by WIVB-TV as Matthew Davis, 15, a student at Buffalo’s Harvey Austin School 97. Attempts by The Buffalo News to reach his family were unsuccessful.
The death is the first in Erie County attributed to the H1N1 flu virus.
Three children remain hospitalized at Women & Children’s Hospital with the flu, including a 9-year-old student at Charles Drew Science Magnet School 59 in critical condition. One of the children is from Niagara County.
All four hospitalizations arose in the last week, Dr. Richard Judelsohn, a private pediatrician and medical director of the county Health Department, said Sunday.
In total, eight people, including two adults, have been hospitalized in Erie County since the first case of H1N1 was confirmed here May 11, public health officials confirmed.
Most of the H1N1 cases seen in the Buffalo Niagara region have been mild, as is the case in the United States in general.
However, Judelsohn said, “The hospitalizations and death are reminders that all of us must redouble our efforts to use practicable means to prevent the spread of the virus.”
Among other measures, health officials recommend that individuals stay home when ill and practice good cough etiquette and hand hygiene in public.
Swine flu, officially known as novel H1N1, is a influenza virus of swine origin that was first detected in humans in April. The strain is continuing to spread in many parts of the U. S., especially in the Northeast, according to a telephone briefing last week by officials at the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The increased flu activity in the Northeastern U. S. is a rough estimate based on reports from sentinel health clinics that track what percent of their patients suffer from influenzalike symptoms.
The regular flu season usually winds down in June, but it’s expected that H1N1 flu activity will continue through the summer and into the fall, when the regular flu season starts again, according to the CDC.
As of Friday, there were 21,449 confirmed and probable cases of H1N1 flu in the U. S., including 166 in Erie County. However, these cases only reflect the illness’ spread. The actual number of people with the virus is significantly higher, probably in the hundreds of thousands, officials said at the briefing.
So far, public health officials have reported about 1,600 hospitalizations and 87 deaths nationwide from H1N1. The regular flu causes 36,000 deaths a year in the U. S.
The virus continues to hit mostly younger people, usually causing fever, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and chills, symptoms similar to the regular flu. About 70 percent of the hospitalized patients have suffered from an existing underlying medical condition, such as asthma or diabetes, making them more at risk for complications, according to the CDC.
Information about whether Matthew Davis was healthy before coming down with the flu has not been publicly released.
Doctors do not know why the new strain of influenza seems to favor younger patients over the elderly, who typically are more at risk for complications from the regular flu. One theory is that older people may have been exposed to viruses similar to the new virus, giving their body’s disease-fighting immune system an advantage.
It is one of the unanswered questions about how H1N1 develops, what makes one person more at risk than another, and whether there are better ways of treating the disease.
Experts are worried about the new virus because no one knows if it is more or less dangerous than regular flu or if it will mutate later into a more lethal virus in a world population with little or no immunity to it.
“We need to know more,” said Judelsohn. “There have to be lessons learned day to day in case this virus becomes more virulent.”
hdavis@buffnews.com

http://www.buffalonews.com/cityregion/story/710796.html
Buzz up!

[HenryN]

Swine Flu tragedy in
Buffalo

"He came home complaining about a
headache..."

Updated: Monday, 22 Jun 2009, 4:43 PM EDT
Published : Monday, 22 Jun 2009, 12:23 PM EDT

• Michele McClintick
• Posted by Emma Orn

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) - Students at Harvey Austin School 97 are back in class after losing one of their classmates this weekend to complications from Swine Flu.

Grief counselors were at the school Monday morning. 15 year old Matthew Davis died from the H1N1 virus. Instead of celebrating his 8th grade graduation, his family is now planning his funeral.

The Harvey Austin School is a little quieter Monday. A message outside the building explains why. An 8th grade student who just graduated, died this weekend.

Lucretia Belton is living a nightmare after losing her son Matthew Davis to the Swine flu. It all began over a week ago Friday.

"He came home complaining about a headache, and I figured it was nothing," said Lucretia.

By the end of the weekend his condition worsened, and by Monday he was at the hospital where he was given an antibiotic and went home.

"Tuesday he got worse. He couldn't eat nothing. Everything was coming up. He was complaining about his legs, dizziness," Lucretia said.

Lucretia took Matthew back to the hospital on Wednesday where he stayed. She said by the end he was on life support. "It was the hardest thing I've ever had to do, ever. Now I gotta bury my child."

The Buffalo School District posted an audio message on it's web site this weekend saying, "We are tonight expressing our deepest sympathy to the family of a beloved Buffalo public school student."

The Superintendent, Dr. James Williams, also released a statement and will be publicly talking about the shocking death Monday.

Matthew Davis' family will be remembering his smile and laugher. His brother, Vincent Rivers said, "It's a terrible tragedy he's not with us now."

The 15 year old was supposed to follow in his big brothers footsteps and head to Riverside high school to play football. Julius is angry that the Harvey Austin School remained open despite cases of the H1N1 virus at the school.

"My school had it and they shut it down for that reason. 19 people had it basically, they should have did the same for his school," said Matthew's brother Julius.
Matthew's mother said he was a healthy, active teenager. All of his family members have tested negative for Swine Flu.

http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/S...ffalo_20090622

[HenryN]

Originally Posted by niman

Swine Flu tragedy in
Buffalo

"He came home complaining about a
headache..."

Updated: Monday, 22 Jun 2009, 4:43 PM EDT

Published : Monday, 22 Jun 2009, 12:23 PM EDT
"He came home complaining about a headache, and I figured it was nothing," said Lucretia.

By the end of the weekend his condition worsened, and by Monday he was at the hospital where he was given an antibiotic and went home.

"Tuesday he got worse. He couldn't eat nothing. Everything was coming up. He was complaining about his legs, dizziness," Lucretia said.

Lucretia took Matthew back to the hospital on Wednesday where he stayed. She said by the end he was on life support.
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/S...ffalo_20090622

Legs and dizziness sounds neurological.