NYC Gets First Swine Flu-Related Death

May 18, 2009 — -- Twelve New York City schools remain closed today in an effort to prevent the spread of the swine flu virus after it claimed its first local victim, a 55-year-old assistant principal.

St. David's School on Manhattan's upper East Side became the latest school to be closed on Monday after about 10 to 12 percent of the students reported flu-like symptoms.

The independent Catholic school for boys decided on its own to close, bringing to 12 the number of public and private schools shut down by the virus, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said during a press conference Monday.

St. David's headmaster David O'Halloran said the number of children who fell ill over the last four days was "unusually high" and closing "seemed like the right thing to do for now."

The school closings and the death of Mitchell Weiner, an assistant principal at Susan B. Anthony Intermediate School in Queens, N.Y., highlight the fact that the risk of swine flu has not yet disappeared.

Despite an ebb in news coverage and public fear, swine flu continues its march across the globe. As of Sunday, the virus has sickened at least 8,480 people in 40 countries, killing 75, mostly in Mexico.

"My first message today is that the H1N1 virus is not going away, despite what you may have heard," said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. "We do expect more illness, hospitalizations and death."

Weiner died Sunday night after spending five days on a ventilator battling swine flu, also known as the H1N1 virus. He became the nation's sixth death from the widespread flu.

Bloomberg spoke about Weiner's death at the Monday press conference. "Mr. Weiner was a dedicated educator, and he was well liked by his students and cared deeply about them," he said. "His death is really a tragedy for our city and a terrible loss for the school community."

Officials have also reported three deaths in Texas, one in Washington state and one in Arizona.