County confirms first swine flu death

A middle-aged Santa Cruz County woman died at a local hospital Tuesday, July 7, after being hospitalized with the H1N1 flu virus, county public health officer Poki Namkung said.
The victim, the first in the county to die from the virus popularly known as swine flu, was not identified.
Nankung said that the woman had underlying health conditions that may have contributed to her death. Otherwise healthy people who contract the swine flu virus usually have mild symptoms resembling routine flu and recover within 10 days.
As of Thursday, July 9, 35 cases have been identified as probable or confirmed H1N1 in the county, health officials said.
Namkung said anyone with flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough or a sore throat should stay home and avoid others but not go to an emergency room or a doctor unless the suffer has severe symptoms, has trouble breathing, is pregnant or has underlying medical conditions such as asthma, chronic disease or developmental difficulties.