Umatilla County reports 3 flu deaths

[Shiloh]

Source: http://www.ktvz.com/Global/story.asp?S=11299306

Umatilla County reports 2 flu deaths

Associated Press - October 12, 2009 2:05 PM ET

PENDLETON, Ore. (AP) - Public health officials in Umatilla County say the swine flu is "highly suspected" in the weekend deaths a child and a middle-age adult.

Genni Lambert, administrator of the county's public health division, said Monday the pair were not related and both had serious underlying health issues. She declined to release either person's name, age, gender or hometown. Both died at a hospital in Walla Walla, Wash.

Only a handful of Oregon residents have died from the swine flu since Sept. 1, but the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says the state is 1 of many reporting widespread influenza activity at a time of year when it's unusual.

[JimO]

Re: Umatilla County reports 2 flu deaths

Source: http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?Fr...ubSectionID=48

A life taken by H1N1
Husband talks about late wife who died from swine flu

By KATHY ANEY
The East Oregonian

Steven Skeen will miss his wife's upbeat take on life.

Kathleen Skeen died of H1N1 flu last Saturday at a Walla Walla hospital. The Pendleton woman and a Milton-Freewater boy are Umatilla County's first two swine flu deaths.

Both victims had underlying physical problems. Kathleen had a degenerative lung disease that forced her to retire a few years ago from her job with the Oregon Department of Justice.

"She was pretty upbeat about it - she didn't let it get her down," Steven said. "She was always happy - she tried to look on the positive side of things."

The 40-year-old loved to camp and fish, he said, hauling trout out of Thief Valley Reservoir just this summer. His wife, a bookworm, found joy in watching the couple's blended family grow and pass milestones. Last spring, when her son Jeremy and stepchildren Alex and Kia graduated together from Pendleton High School, Kathleen cried tears of pride.

"She was ecstatic," Steven said.

Last week, Kathleen entered the hospital with flu symptoms and respiratory problems that had dogged her for almost two weeks. Her husband, three sons and three step-children were concerned, but not overly alarmed since Kathleen was hospitalized periodically to stabilize her ailing lungs.

"For her to be in the hospital wasn't an uncommon thing," Steven said. "It was business as usual."

Kathleen, a Hermiston High School graduate, was there about a day-and-a-half when things went awry.

"Suddenly, within a matter of hours, things went very bad, very fast," Steven said.

He paused.

"It's hit us pretty hard."

The Skeen's once noisy house now seems incredibly quiet. Two of Kathleen's sons have moved in with their father and Kathleen, of course, is gone.

Steven said his wife didn't fear H1N1, though she planned to get vaccinated against the virus.

"She really wasn't concerned about it," he said. "What she'd heard from her doctors was that it wasn't worse than any other flu."

The couple remained buoyantly optimistic.

"We always knew something could happen," Steven said. "We just never expected it to."

When asked what he will miss most about his wife, Steven paused.

"Everything," he said, finally.

Memorial services were at 2 p.m. Saturday at Burns Mortuary Chapel in Pendleton.

[JimO]

Re: Umatilla County reports 3 flu deaths

Source: http://eastoregonian.com/main.asp?Se...rticleID=99610

Third Umatilla County swine flu death confirmed

The East Oregonian

A third person has died from swine flu in Umatilla County.

The Umatilla County Public Health Department this afternoon confirmed a man in his 30s died from swine flu, or H1N1, at his home earlier this month. A department news release said the man was not diagnosed as having H1N1 until after his death.

"It is unclear if any underlying medical conditions played a role in his death," the release said. "There is no established medical history."

Sherena Clements, emergency preparedness coordinator for the department, said the department would not release the city where the man died. She said federal privacy guidelines prohibit the release of the city's name. She said H1N1 is in Umatilla County and people need to know that so that can protect themselves.

Since Sept. 1, the health department has confirmed 14 cases of swine flu in addition to the three deaths. The other deaths included a boy and a woman, each of whom had conditions that affected their heath before they caught the virus.