蜜桃影视

Explore

Schools in Texas, Massachusetts, Oklahoma & Tennessee Mourn Educators Who Have Died Due to the Flu

Phyllis Gotlib (left), Emily Poe, and Heather Holland are teachers who have died due to flu this year. (Photos courtesy Legacy.com, WREG, Fox News)

At least three teachers and a school counselor have died of flu or related complications so far this season, which may last until May and could break modern records.

, a music teacher in Massachusetts; , a counselor in Oklahoma; and a high school English teacher in Tennessee, all died in January. , a second-grade teacher in Texas, died in February.

, a special education teacher in Texas, remains on life support after contracting two strains of the flu and then pneumonia and MRSA, a bacterial infection that is difficult to treat with antibiotics, according to published accounts.

In Swampscott, Massachusetts, the three schools where Gotlib worked were closed so students and staff could attend her funeral.

https://www.facebook.com/stacyphelan/videos/1556340641068901/

In a , Stacy Ann Phelan wrote, 鈥淩emembering Phyllis Gotlib today and all she did to make children shine! God Bless her.鈥

Following her death, spread online that Holland, the teacher from Texas, could not afford to purchase the medication her doctor prescribed to combat the flu, a generic form of Tamiflu. Although Holland did hesitate because of the $116 price tag, her husband has said he later bought the medication and she started taking it. (Though the viral stories that she couldn鈥檛 afford the medication because of her insurance were false, Holland鈥檚 husband did say he wished teachers had better coverage, according to the .)

鈥淚t鈥檚 principle with her. She鈥檚 a very frugal person in general, always has been,鈥 he said.

But a few days after visiting the doctor, Holland鈥檚 condition worsened and she was admitted to intensive care at a local hospital, according to the Journal. The following day, she died.

So far this season, schools in at least 22 states have closed for a day or more because of rampant flu. Around the country, students are also mourning lost peers, as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are reporting 63 pediatric deaths since flu season began October 1.

Acting CDC Director Anne Schuchat said on Twitter last week that the virus activity still seems to be on the rise. She that people stay home from work or school if they get sick with flu symptoms and seek medical attention for extreme symptoms like persistent high fever, shortness of breath, or rapid heartbeat.

Schuchat also said in a Friday that this year may break records for hospitalizations, especially among children and young people, as she expects several more weeks of flu.

Did you use this article in your work?

We鈥檇 love to hear how 蜜桃影视鈥檚 reporting is helping educators, researchers, and policymakers.

Republish This Article

We want our stories to be shared as widely as possible 鈥 for free.

Please view 蜜桃影视's republishing terms.





On 蜜桃影视 Today