Health officias said they are puzzled bye the death of 20-year-old woman who died because of complications of H1N1 virus, commonly known as the swine flu.
Adela Chevalier was considered healthy, young, and a vibrant young woman according to family members. A resident of San Marcos, she lived with her brother in an apartment. and worked at a local fast food restaurant. Medical officials from Palomar Medical Center in Escondido said Chevalier first got influenza symptoms last Friday, but did not speculate how she contracted the virus. They said her condition deteriorated rapidly.
"It's tough to predict when somebody takes a turn for the worst . It's very unexpected," said Dr. Jaime Rivas of Palomar Medical Center.
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, health officials from Palomar Medical Center recalled the events that lead to Chevalier's arrival at the emergency room. Officials said that even though she appeared to have influenza symptoms last Friday, she showed up at a second job she worked at two days later. When her condition got worse, Chevalier's mother rushed Adela to Palomar's emergency room at approxamately 9: a.m. on Monday. The mother told a nurse that she needed a cart to help take her daughter inside the hospital.
"Nurses saw the patient, did a quick scan, took the patient directly to a private room. The patient did not wait in the waiting room," said Dr. Don Herip, the hospital's medical director.
Rivas said that Chevalier had problems breathing, had a high fever, and had severe body aches. Doctors used anti-viral medications to help save her, but she died later that afternoon. People who came in contact with her, including medical center visitors, were given face masks and anti-viral medications as a precaution.
In the meantime, her death is raising awareness about when ill patients should go to a hospital. According to county health officials, the best way to combat the virus is to frequently wash your hands and cover your face with a tissue when you sneeze. People need to listen to the body and pay attention to its temperature, said Frank Myers, director of Clinical Epidemiology at Scripps Hospital.
"Whenever you look at fevers -- 100.2, 100.4 (degrees) -- that's the point when you're looking at something serious," he said.
There are currently 275 reported cases of H1N1 within the county. Adela's death marks the first in the county, and 44th nationally.
Adela Chevalier was considered healthy, young, and a vibrant young woman according to family members. A resident of San Marcos, she lived with her brother in an apartment. and worked at a local fast food restaurant. Medical officials from Palomar Medical Center in Escondido said Chevalier first got influenza symptoms last Friday, but did not speculate how she contracted the virus. They said her condition deteriorated rapidly.
"It's tough to predict when somebody takes a turn for the worst . It's very unexpected," said Dr. Jaime Rivas of Palomar Medical Center.
During a press conference Wednesday afternoon, health officials from Palomar Medical Center recalled the events that lead to Chevalier's arrival at the emergency room. Officials said that even though she appeared to have influenza symptoms last Friday, she showed up at a second job she worked at two days later. When her condition got worse, Chevalier's mother rushed Adela to Palomar's emergency room at approxamately 9: a.m. on Monday. The mother told a nurse that she needed a cart to help take her daughter inside the hospital.
"Nurses saw the patient, did a quick scan, took the patient directly to a private room. The patient did not wait in the waiting room," said Dr. Don Herip, the hospital's medical director.
Rivas said that Chevalier had problems breathing, had a high fever, and had severe body aches. Doctors used anti-viral medications to help save her, but she died later that afternoon. People who came in contact with her, including medical center visitors, were given face masks and anti-viral medications as a precaution.
In the meantime, her death is raising awareness about when ill patients should go to a hospital. According to county health officials, the best way to combat the virus is to frequently wash your hands and cover your face with a tissue when you sneeze. People need to listen to the body and pay attention to its temperature, said Frank Myers, director of Clinical Epidemiology at Scripps Hospital.
"Whenever you look at fevers -- 100.2, 100.4 (degrees) -- that's the point when you're looking at something serious," he said.
There are currently 275 reported cases of H1N1 within the county. Adela's death marks the first in the county, and 44th nationally.
