The 20-year-old mother of two, Alani “Joie” Murrieta, contracted the flu over Thanksgiving weekend after her children got sick with flu symptoms such as sore throats and chills, according to The Washington Post. She tried Tamiflu and rest after visiting a physician Nov. 26, but her symptoms worsened the next day. The report states she was coughing up mucous and then blood. She also had difficulty breathing.
Ms. Murrieta found out her flu had turned into pneumonia and she became unconscious, according to The Washington Post. She died two days after symptoms began.
The tragedy prompted discussions about the flu. According to the report, experts advise treating the illness seriously as it can be potentially deadly. The CDC’s most recent numbers show the number of respiratory specimens that tested positive for influenza A in clinical laboratories this flu season is 5,422. There were 1,856 positive tests for influenza B. The CDC reported seven pediatric flu deaths for the season thus far.
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