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CNN Live At Daybreak
More and More Americans Being Affected by Flu
Aired December 12, 2003 - 05:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Schools have closed, patients are being turned way or wait in line for hours. And one entire town in Utah virtually shut down for days. More and more Americans are being affected by the flu. The illness has been reported in every state and is widespread in nearly half the nation.
CNN's Dan Lothian has the tragic story of one college student in Massachusetts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sudden death linked to the flu stuns the student body at Worcester State College west of Boston. Eighteen-year-old freshman Jeffery Donohue, seemingly healthy, began coughing. And according to Peter Chiulli, who lives in Donohue's on campus apartment, progressively got worse.
PETER CHIULLI, VICTIM'S ROOMMATE: He was getting shivers and coughing and felt light-headed, all that. And then he started vomiting, too.
LOTHIAN: Donohue spent three days in his bunk bed, but after experiencing breathing problems, left for a nearby hospital last Saturday.
CHIULLI: I said, "Get better." And he was like, "I will. I'll see you next week." And that's what he said.
LOTHIAN: But Donohue never returned. He died on Sunday.
SIBYL BROWNLEE, VICE PRESIDENT, STUDENT AFFAIRS: No one would expect that someone who left campus saying he didn't feel well wouldn't return.
LOTHIAN: State health officials confirm Donohue was diagnosed with A Type influenza, but are waiting for further tests before knowing if it was the devastating and deadly Fujian strain, which is not covered by this year's flu vaccine.
On campus, students are concerned.
LARRY TONY LOPEZ, STUDENT GOVERNMENT LEADER: You kind of get a little bit more nervous. But, I mean, you can get sick just from going to the mall.
LOTHIAN: The college Web site has posted an influenza fact sheet and officials are urging students to take symptoms seriously. DR. LYNN MANFRED, STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES: Calling their doctor, getting seen, if that's appropriate, and getting treated, if that's appropriate.
LOTHIAN: The notion that just the elderly, young or chronically ill are at risk now dispelled by the death of an 18-year-old.
CHIULLI: He was a great kid. He made everyone laugh. I mean, a fun loving kid and just, he just didn't deserve it, that's for sure.
LOTHIAN (on camera): According to the CDC, each year 35,000 Americans die of complications from the flu. While most impacted are elderly, very young or sick, the CDC says it's not unprecedented to see a seemingly healthy teenager die.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: If you're concerned about the flu, you'll want to stay with CNN this weekend. Saturday's Weekend House Call topic is the flu and medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will take your calls and your e-mail questions.
And if you punch up our Web site, you'll find an overview of this year's flu season and explainers about flu, how the vaccines work, who should get the flu shots. All of that is on cnn.com. The AOL keyword is CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 12, 2003 - 05:31 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Schools have closed, patients are being turned way or wait in line for hours. And one entire town in Utah virtually shut down for days. More and more Americans are being affected by the flu. The illness has been reported in every state and is widespread in nearly half the nation.
CNN's Dan Lothian has the tragic story of one college student in Massachusetts.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DAN LOTHIAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sudden death linked to the flu stuns the student body at Worcester State College west of Boston. Eighteen-year-old freshman Jeffery Donohue, seemingly healthy, began coughing. And according to Peter Chiulli, who lives in Donohue's on campus apartment, progressively got worse.
PETER CHIULLI, VICTIM'S ROOMMATE: He was getting shivers and coughing and felt light-headed, all that. And then he started vomiting, too.
LOTHIAN: Donohue spent three days in his bunk bed, but after experiencing breathing problems, left for a nearby hospital last Saturday.
CHIULLI: I said, "Get better." And he was like, "I will. I'll see you next week." And that's what he said.
LOTHIAN: But Donohue never returned. He died on Sunday.
SIBYL BROWNLEE, VICE PRESIDENT, STUDENT AFFAIRS: No one would expect that someone who left campus saying he didn't feel well wouldn't return.
LOTHIAN: State health officials confirm Donohue was diagnosed with A Type influenza, but are waiting for further tests before knowing if it was the devastating and deadly Fujian strain, which is not covered by this year's flu vaccine.
On campus, students are concerned.
LARRY TONY LOPEZ, STUDENT GOVERNMENT LEADER: You kind of get a little bit more nervous. But, I mean, you can get sick just from going to the mall.
LOTHIAN: The college Web site has posted an influenza fact sheet and officials are urging students to take symptoms seriously. DR. LYNN MANFRED, STUDENT HEALTH SERVICES: Calling their doctor, getting seen, if that's appropriate, and getting treated, if that's appropriate.
LOTHIAN: The notion that just the elderly, young or chronically ill are at risk now dispelled by the death of an 18-year-old.
CHIULLI: He was a great kid. He made everyone laugh. I mean, a fun loving kid and just, he just didn't deserve it, that's for sure.
LOTHIAN (on camera): According to the CDC, each year 35,000 Americans die of complications from the flu. While most impacted are elderly, very young or sick, the CDC says it's not unprecedented to see a seemingly healthy teenager die.
Dan Lothian, CNN, Boston.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
LIN: If you're concerned about the flu, you'll want to stay with CNN this weekend. Saturday's Weekend House Call topic is the flu and medical correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta will take your calls and your e-mail questions.
And if you punch up our Web site, you'll find an overview of this year's flu season and explainers about flu, how the vaccines work, who should get the flu shots. All of that is on cnn.com. The AOL keyword is CNN.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
