This is the message that Kyler Baughman's family wants to share after the 21-year-old died recently from flu-related complications.
Beverly Baughman, Kyler Baughman’s mom said He was in great shape and was studying to become a personal trainer, but when he came over to visit for the holidays, he didn’t look well. She stated
We saw him the 23rd for our family Christmas get-together and we noticed he wasn't feeling well, he looked run-down and had a bit of a snotty nose." Although Kyler returned to work after Christmas, but came home early because he wasn’t feeling well. "He kind of just laid down and went about his day and that was the day he was coughing and said his chest hurt, he had a mild cough," said his fiancée, Olivia Marcanio. "I think he thought, I just got the flu, I'll be all right. I'll go rest a little bit,'" Beverly Baughman said. But Kyler began running a fever on and off, and within two days, he went to the emergency room. However, Kyler died less than a day later from organ failure due to septic shock caused by the flu.
Flu deaths aren’t common, but they happen more often than you’d think.
Although a recent
CDC estimates stated that 7 percent of all deaths in the U.S. during the week of December 23, 2017, were related to pneumonia or the flu, it’s hard to know exactly how many people die from the flu each year and this is partly because these deaths are often recorded as a result of flu-related complications, such as pneumonia, sepsis, or heart failure, which means the flu may not actually be listed as the cause of death according to
CDC’s official website.
While anyone can get the flu, it’s rare for a young or healthy person to actually die from it. Sherif Mossad, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic, states that “Typically, those that are most vulnerable to serious flu complications are older adults, very young children, pregnant women, and people with underlying health conditions, it is very unlikely that a young, healthy person would die from the flu”.
Still(On rare Occasions), it can happen, and Kyler Baughman's story isn't the only one to make national news lately. Similarly, in late November, Alani “Joie” Murrieta, a 20-year-old mother of two, died from flu complications, according to a
GoFundMe page set up by her family to help pay for funeral expenses.
Infectious disease expert, Amesh A. Adalja, M.D., senior scholar at the John's Hopkins Center for Health Security said it is hard to know why some young people end up with severe complications of the flu, some cases may be due to an overactive immune response to the virus which causes extreme inflammatory response in the body and lead to sepsis, which is a life-threatening response to infection.
Majority of flu cases will get better with rest and time, but it’s important to be aware that things can also get very serious but often times, people with a severe case of the flu or flu-related complications could interpret their symptoms as something they can recover from at home and in the process deprive themselves from immediate crucial medical attention.
Dr. Richard Watkins, M.D., an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic Akron General Hospital in Ohio says most people who come down with a mild case of the flu will be just fine after staying in bed for a while, but people with more severe symptoms and those who are at a higher risk for complications (because they have asthma or diabetes, for instance) should check in with their doctor. Once they do, they may be prescribed an anti-viral medication, like
Tamiflu, which can reduce the symptoms by one to two days and help prevent complications. Those with mild cases of the Flu can also use Tamiflu as it can decrease symptoms and prevent complications.
Generally, the Flu has been attributed to cause fever, chills, muscle aches, a cough, congestion, runny nose, and fatigue, but if you find that your symptoms are getting worse such as experiencing shortness of breath, it’s time to seek quick medical help.
While stories about the rare cases of Flu deaths are tragic and terrifying, they are important reminder to listen to your body and act fast when complicated symptoms are noticed, ensure you share this life saving tip with your friends.
