H1N1 Mom Dies Without Seeing Daughter

(CBS)  The woman diagnosed with H1N1 virus, who gave birth while under a medically-induced coma, has died. Katie Flyte, a 27-year-old mother from Puyallup, Wash., passed away on Tuesday from complications from H1N1.

Flyte started experiencing flu-like symptoms about six weeks ago, but three different tests missed it.

Katie's husband, Kenny Flyte, "The Early Show" in July, saying the virus would have been caught if doctors would have used a more expensive test to detect the virus. And he returned to the show Thursday saying "not one doctor threw up a red flag" that his wife should have been tested for H1N1.

In recent weeks, Katie developed pneumonia, a complication of the virus, and gave birth to the couple's daughter by a Cesarean section without knowing it.

She died, Kenny said, without once seeing her daughter, Abbey.

Kenny said with tears in his eyes, "She's in a better place now, looking down on (Abbey)."

As for the premature infant, she is still hospitalized. However, Kenny called his daughter "a rock."

"She's doing very well," he said, adding she will likely be in the hospital until the 40-week term of a regular pregnancy is reached.

Kenny also echoed his message from his appearance in July, saying people should take this virus seriously, particularly pregnant women.

"I will continue to be an advocate for this because no one should go through this - ever," he said. "We need to be more cautious with this virus. They still don't have all the answers, and it will probably be a while before they even start to have some more. It's not (enough) to go into hysteria, but (take precautions)."

CBS News medical correspondent and resident OB/GYN Dr. Jennifer Ashton said on "The Early Show" that pregnant women shouldn't wait for tests to be completed before receiving treatment for the flu.

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"The testing for this virus is not perfect; it's not even close to 100- percent accurate. You can get a lot of false negative results and you should not delay treatment. Waiting for a result or even if you get a negative result back, it's very important (you get treatment)."

Ashton said pregnant women, if diagnosed with influenza, are four to five times more likely to be admitted into the hospital and suffer serious complications.

Pregnant women, she said, should be vaccinated against the regular flu and with the H1N1 virus vaccine, when it is released.

[Jeenee1]

My heart is breaking for the children and family of this young woman. I've been trying to find some information on why they are putting people with H1N1 in a drug induced coma. My husband suffered a tramatic head injury and was put into a drug induced coma and also developed pneumonia. Is anyone else wondering if this is the reason for the deaths of these pregnant women? I just don't understand the reason for the drug induced coma. :/

[kittymommy3]

I am commenting only to offer comfort to the husband, Kenny Flyte. I was placed into a drug induced coma last year for a severe infection. During the time, I developed pneumonia and nearly died.

While I was in the coma I had very vivid dreams. Once I was awake, I found out that the dreams corresponded to things that happened around me, either on TV or conversations in the room. I have talked to someone else, who this also happened too while in a drug induced coma.

I want to give you the comfort of knowing, that as long as, your daughter was placed near her mother, and you talked to your wife, she was very aware that both of you were there beside her.

I am very confident in saying this because I know that it is true. I pray that in the future, you will share this knowledge with her daughter.

[Dreamywithyou]

Health care professionals are ignoring people who come to them concerned with flu like symptoms and people are dying without being tested. How many more must die before something is done about this devastating flu. I have friends who were told they have signs of this virus and then sent home to others and to children living in their homes. I don't understand. I work with the public everyday and was out sick and forced to go to the emergency room when this flu first hit the news and my customers were looking at me with suspicions. I related this info. to the ER in our area and my concerns but no testing was offered or done. Today I am out sick again probably not with the H1N1 but who knows if testing isn't mandatory. Many are wondering why we are all not being vaccinated against this deadly virus that is taking the lives of healthy young people all over the world.
Do the health care professionals get to pick and choose who lives and dies now??? Who is worthy of testing and who is not?
What happened to this beautiful young woman infuriates me while others turn their backs and misdiagnose because they didn't bother.....to check for something so serious.
My friend told me because we are poor and nobodies that there is nothing we can do about it....I told her if everyone feels that way then we're all dead. Money comes out of my pay every week to support others who are supposed to be looking out for all of us not just chosen ones. When do our loved ones stop dying from negligence and that is exactly what it is when the health car providers know something is killing people but do not bother to check for it?

[H1N1survivor]

This tragedy did occur because Katie contracted H1N1. She would not likely have developed pneumonia if she had not. After contracting H1N1, pregnant women are 4 - 5 times more likely to die than others (see the CDC website - www.cdc.gov); almost all pregnant women who die will do so because the H1N1 virus resulted in pneumonia.
Although not pregnant, I contracted H1N1 in June, resulting in pneumonia & ARDS. I was fortunate to survive after being in a drug-induced coma, placed on a ventilator, and spending weeks in the hospital.
Nobody, especially pregnant women, should dismiss the risks of the H1N1 virus. Vaccination, when available, is critically important.

[brad2223]

Your article infers that this unfortunate tragedy occurred because of the H1N1 virus when in fact it was Pneumonia. The truth is that pneumonia, diarrhea, and the regular flu cause more deaths than the H1N1 virus. The real danger is in the potential of H1N1 spreading quickly and mutating into a more deadly virus. I am worried that your focusing on this will cause undue panic and keep really sick people from being seen by health care professionals.