As Flu Ramps Up Across State, Experts Disagree On Severity Of Season’s Strain
There have been four deaths in Ventura County, and some providers are seeing an increase in cases. But others say the season has been relatively mild.
Ventura County Star:
Four Flu Deaths Reported In Ventura County
A flu season that may be peaking has already played a role in at least four Ventura County deaths since mid-December, Ventura County's public health officer said Tuesday. Dr. Robert Levin said three of the fatalities involved elderly people. All of the deaths involved pre-existing conditions that increased the risk of flu complications. He cited patient privacy in not offering details about where the cases happened or specifics about the victims. (Kisken, 1/17)
In other news from across the state —
San Diego Union-Tribune:
After Loss, Parents Turned Grief Into Foundation For Sick Kids
In 2008, Brad and Beth Thorp buried their 18-year-old son, Mitchell, after an excruciating five-year medical odyssey that maxed out their insurance, emptied their bank account and led them to specialists all over the country. But during those black-cloud years, the Carlsbad couple said there was a silver lining. Friends and strangers organized a 2006 walk-athon that raised $70,000 the family used to pay down medical bills. It was a gift the Thorps never forgot. Just nine months after they lost their son, the couple launched the Mitchell Thorp Foundation, which each year provides more than $250,000 in support and counseling to the parents of children with life-threatening illnesses. (Kragen, 1/17)
Orange County Register:
88 Syringes Among 1,803 Pounds Of Trash Collected At Orange County Beaches
If volunteers can find 53 unwrapped syringes along a small stretch of beach in just four hours, how many more are out there? That’s a question Tony Soriano, chairman of the Surfrider Foundation’s Huntington Beach/Seal Beach chapter, is asking after volunteers found those at Bolsa Chica State Beach during a Saturday cleanup... While it’s not uncommon for a few syringes to pop up during beach cleanups, the numbers found in recent weeks is unprecedented, the volunteers said. (Connelly, 1/17)