First Flu Death In Maryland Of 2018 Reported

FREDERICK, MD — A Maryland resident has died from the flu, according to multiple reports. The Frederick woman reportedly died at the hospital after being treated for flu symptoms this week.

While health officials did not identify the first flu-related casualty in Maryland, the Frederick News-Post said it was Colleen Magrann Morin, a 41-year-old described as a "beam of sunlight personified..."

Morin, who worked in the restaurant industry, had been an employee at Firestone's Culinary Tavern in Frederick for 10 years, according to the Frederick News-Post.

She had felt ill for several weeks and died Wednesday at Frederick Memorial Hospital after being taken there by ambulance for treatment of the flu, the newspaper reported.

The restaurant where she was a bartender, Firestone's, was closed Thursday, and a GoFundMe campaign was established to assist Morin's family.

The Maryland Department of Health reports the flu is currently widespread in the state. There were 246 tests that came up positive for influenza and 212 flu-related hospitalizations during the week that ended Jan. 20, according to Maryland health officials.

Going to the hospital is being discouraged due to overcrowding, according to WJZ, citing a memo issued Thursday by the Maryland Department of Health.

Because the flu is so contagious, the six hospitals in Montgomery County are implementing visitor restrictions to help protect patients, staff and other visitors. Visitors who exhibit flu-like symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose and muscle aches will not be allowed to enter the hospital.

Frederick Memorial Hospital announced on Friday that it, too, was implementing a new visitor policy during the flu season. No children under 16 may visit; each patient may only have two visitors; those with symptoms of the flu must wear masks and not visit areas like the cafeteria and gift shop; and people with signs of the flu may be asked to leave.

The University of Maryland Upper Chesapeake Health has flu restrictions in place as well at its hospitals in Harford County. As of this week, patients who are under "isolation precautions" may only have one visitor; others are limited to two visitors who are at least 18 years old. People visiting for outpatient or doctor's appointments should not bring anyone under 18 with them unless the appointment is for the child. People who have a fever, runny nose, cough or sore throat may not enter the hospital to visit patients.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, body aches, headaches and fatigue. The flu virus is spread through the air, from coughing and sneezing, or by touching something that someone with the virus has touched.

You can pass the flu to someone else before and while you are sick.

And according to a new study, it may be easier to spread the flu than previously thought. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health found that people infected with the flu can spread the virus in the air just by breathing — even if they don't cough or sneeze.

While Morin is the first flu-related death in Maryland, neighboring states such as Pennsylvania and Delaware have had multiple influenza casualties so far this season.

The particularly bad season is attributed to infections from a flu strain known as H3N2. It doesn't respond well to vaccinations and is particularly dangerous to young children and older adults over the age of 65.

Here are tips to avoid the flu and curb its spread, provided by the Centers for Disease Control:

• Stay home if you are sick. With the exception of seeking medical care, do not go out until 24 hours after your fever has subsided without the use of medication.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose and eyes.
• Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Clean and disinfect surfaces that may have become contaminated with germs.
• Avoid others who are sick.
• Cough or sneeze into a tissue. Throw away tissues after use.

To treat the flu, use over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or cough syrup to relieve symptoms. Rest in bed and drink lots of fluids. If you contact your doctor within 48 hours of onset of symptoms, you may be able to take an antiviral drug, which will reduce the severity of symptoms and length of the illness.

You can be contagious from one day before and up to seven days after becoming sick.

So far, the 2018 flu season has not reached historic levels, but it is on par with the worst flu season in recent years, the 2014-2015 season. As with any flu virus, the people most at risk are the elderly, children under five, pregnant women and people with chronic diseases.

Patch editors Shannon Antinori, Cody Fenwick, Cameron Luttrell and Kara Seymour contributed to the reporting.

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