Projo 7 to 7 News Blog

Why publish this non-information story? My heart goes out to this child/family. But this story will only fuel a panic.

The way the public is in panic already, why would you even consider publishing an article that would be construed to be related to swine flu, when at this time there in no indication of such a fact. This does nothing but feed the fear in the public. All I hear around the hospital since that was published on Projo.com is " another child died from swine flu". You must have known what how an article like this would be viewed by a basically uneducated public. Why couldn't it wait until the facts became evident, and then publish the article, or would that take away the all so necessary shock factor...It is a disgrace to both you and the Projo that a loss of life would be used in this manner.

@Ana

Swine flu is not non-informational. This is tragic but we knew about this on Sunday as well as the cause.

Ana and Steve,

Why do you want the Projo to hide information from the public? This is the exact opposite of their role.

There is no panic regarding swine flu. Quite to the contrary, most parents have not authorized their children to receive the swine flu vacine. It is important that parents trying to make a decision on this have all appropriate information. People are generally underestimating the risk from the swine flu. Properly estimating the risk does not require "panic", just prudent decison making.

Can you provide an example of people "panicking"? I haven't seen any reports of that.

Don't either of you pretend to have all of the answers for the rest of us. Give us the information so we can stay INFORMED and avoid being over or under estimating the real risks.

Bravo Steve. Why cause more panic than is necessary

Thoughts and prayers to the families no matter how their children passed on.

Going forward, more informative news is requested and more on how the community needs to be informed properly not just sensationalized snap shots.

I agree with Steve's comments - why rush to publish this non-story, other than to continue to sensationalize a family's tragedy? The public is already clogging the waiting rooms of area emergency departments with mild illness, leading to the increased possibility of a seriously ill patient being missed in the haze of patients with mild H1N1 illness. The ProJo is not alone in this - local and national media outlets are seizing upon this latest epidemic, reporting in an unbalanced and sensational fashion, fanning the flames of an unnecessarily-terrified populace.

Please stop.

The school department issued a press release. The ProJo is just reporting on that. I'm not sure I get why the newspaper is being criticized for reporting on this. It is not the media's responsbility to babysit the public, but instead, to report news. With all the interest surrounding H1N1 and considering the school department announced the death, I think the newspaper would be falling short if they did not publish this story.

To all condeming the PJ...keep in mind that the school dept released this information for publication. News release probably came from instructions generated by RI Dept of Health...who must have thought it important to publish.

Wow, people. The ProJo isn't here to make you feel good. It's here to publish NEWS, and another flu-related death of a child is news, whether or not it turns out to be H1N1. It's not the Journal's fault that people are ignorant and overreact. To the ProJo: please keep publishing the news; don't hush things up.

I am not sure if anyone posting in this commentary is a parent of a child in the Lincoln school district, but I am. We did receive a letter from our school superintendent today stating exactly what is reported here on ProJo. I say shame to anyone who is faulting the news or any media for reporting the possibility of this child dying from H1N1. When it comes to any child's health and well being, there can never be too much information or people over-reacting to flu-like symptoms. If the possibility of this article informing a parent, a child, or anyone and may cause them to be a little more cautious and a little more aware I say thank you for sharing and passing on this most valuable information.

God bless this family and all of the other families who have been effected by this virus...and let's pray that another life not be taken.

The issue also remains that they have not clarified if Victoria Sousa's death was CAUSED by the Swine flu. She may have had the normal flu that could have caused additional medical issues that still would have resulted in her death. Being panicked is not helping anyone. We can only be logical and reasonable and follow up with our DRs should we think we/our kids have the flu. It is very sad.

In response to Elizabeth, there's no question that the death of a middle school student is news. What's probably not headline-worthy is that a child who died had "flu-like symptoms." Until there is at least some evidence suggesting that the flu and the death were related (and by all means they may be related), the headline "Middle schooler who died had flu-like illness" is not particularly newsworthy, nor does it add to the understanding of the very sad case of a child's death.

It is not this specific "news" article, so much as the general media hysteria that has furthered the already-panicky public fervor regarding this epidemic.

umm kat.. did you miss this story?:
http://www.projo.com/health/content/portsmouth_death_29_10-29-09_QTG92AQ_v16.3cf51cd.html

When they say they THINK it is H1N1, it's because every sign is pointing to THAT...they just need the blood work back to be able to SAY it legally. Trust that if they say they THINK it was related to the swine flu it's because it WAS. People need to be informed! Parents need to know it's happening so they are on their children and doing their best to prevent such a tragedy in their own lives. I will never get mad at someone for warning me of something so I am prepared rather than caught off guard. Anything else doesn't make much sense to me...

May this beautiful child rest in peace and her family get through this most difficult time....so very sad for this family.

I believe this info is not to cause panic or "fear" it is to inform and prepare the public as to what is going on. Would you rather not know what is happening all around you so that you can be left in the dark and then complain that had you known you could have taken precautions?? This news is worthy, worthy for you and I so that we can be made aware, so that you can be educated on wht to do not only if you have symptoms that "could" mimic the swine flu, but also what YOU can do to help protect you and your loved ones from getting it. By doing all you can do such as, hand washing, sneezing in elbow vs in the air, getting the flu shot, and learning all you can about it.... I would think everyone would want to be informed rather than left in the dark and then when someone they love gets ill with the flu they can turn around and say, "if I knew I could have done things to possibly prevent my loved one from getting it"... Wake up people!!!!

Every year 30,000. plus people die in this country from the flu and/or complications from the flu. I wonder how many would be alive today if they had gotten a flu shot. You can do all the research, ask all the questions you want, but when push comes to shove and you make the wrong decision because of information overload, what are you gonna do then? In the 50's I remember standing in line for hours waiting for my polio vaccine, my parents didn't spend days or weeks trying to make a decision. If you have children get them the damn flu shot for gods sake.

First of all, let me say that my heart goes out to Skyla's family. I can't imagine the pain of losing a child like this. It's also sad that something like this provokes a public debate, but that is what happens when there is a public health fear such as the one we are currently experiencing. I feel compelled to comment on it because it is important for people to be informed. I agree with those who feel that a "news release" that a child who died had "flu like symptoms", is irresponsible, considering the current atmosphere. I'd like to refer people to a news report that CBS published on 10/21/09 - (cut and paste the following, without the quote marks) "http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/10/21/cbsnews_investigates/main5404829.shtml?tag=cbsnewsMainColumnArea"
This report states that the number of H1N1 cases reported is greatly overestimated and not based on actual testing. The report is very interesting for those who want to be informed.

My word folks, this is the "FLU" not the Bubonic Plague. You parents, out of your own fears, are creating a bunch of fearful children that listen and cling to your every phobia. If you believe you are going to get the "flu", you probably will. Get on with life and realize that virus' happen and your best protection is your "OWN" immune system and not some manufactured vaccine that has not even been proven to be effective, nevermind health problems down the road. These same parents that are worried about the flu are the parents that let their kids live on junk food, let them get grossly overweight,let them spend their youth in daycare,or put them on Ritalin(or other major drugs). You have been blessed with a perfect body that has the ability to fight any malady that comes along, don't abuse it, physically or mentally. Trying to create a "GERM FREE" or an " IMMUNIZED AGAINST" atmosphere will come back to bite you, and especially your kids. Look what we've created for our kid's future: MRSA, VRE, CDIFF, NECROTIZING FASCIITIS, ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANT PNEUMONIA, CANCER, to name a few. All because we abuse medicines, isn't that lovely. Just stand near a prescrition center and watch the steady stream of clients coming in to pick-up their drugs, and they are getting younger and younger. Look at the shelves and count the useless over-the counter remedies that are available, but we buy because we're told they help. There is anti-bacterial soap, dishwashing liquid, kleenix, hand sanitizer, air sanitizer, etc. This society has become germophobics, and is this the legacy we want to strap on our kids with. Let nature and your body create their own miracles, and if we don't our children are doomed, H1N1 or no H1N1.

Although i did not no Skyla Alves well, i would see her in the halls at Lincoln middle school. I am saddend by her death. Im glad i got to meet her and say hello in the halls a couple times. She will always be in my heart and the hearts of the Lincoln middle school family. As for people saying she had swine flu? who would just come up with something like that. "dont panic" how are we suppose to be calm when people who write papers or the investigators jump to conclusions saying she did have swine flu? She could have had something completley different. Instead of making such a big deal out of this why dont we all celebrate her life, I know i will be.
--Jessica Ouellette grade 7 Lincoln Middle School.

Earl,
Sure. Whatever. I guess we should bring smallpox back. And polio. Your 'perfect' body doesn't stand a chance against many, many preventable (with vaccinations) diseases.

You have a point in there somewhere; you just covered it up in uniformed blather.