Results tagged “illness”

Limited supplies of the in-demand H1N1 Swine Flu vaccine are forcing the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health to be very strict in deciding who can get the preventative treatment at area clinics, reports the Daily Breeze. Thousands of people hoping to ward off the infectious virus have swarmed clinics and special vaccination events, however now individuals "not deemed at risk for swine flu are being asked to stay away from county-run vaccination clinics until more supplies become available."

Utensils down, chefs! Do you know where that cheese was made? If you don't, you could be cooking with what the Los Angeles County Health Officer calls "a recipe for disaster," and that has zero to do with your culinary prowess. A press release issued by the county's Department of Public Health is warning consumers about dairy products, particularly "Latin American-style soft cheese and sour cream, purchased from unlicensed manufacturers or vendors," because they may be full of contaminants.

As of yesterday morning, only 20 cases of Swine Flu have been reported in the US, with 7 of those cases in California. However, there have been no cases logged in either Los Angeles or Orange counties, and local officials want to get the word out that they are working to prevent the infection from spreading.

The man whose body was found near the 405 Freeway on Friday has been identified as being that of Thomas Francis Leamy, a 59-year-old patient of the Veterans Affairs Medical Center who left against medical advice. Leamy reportedly walked out of the hospital "a few days ago when told he was suffering from Lou Gehrig's disease," reports abc7.com. The man "still had an electrode from a heart monitor attached to his chest" when he was found in some bushes near Wilshire Boulevard and the 405 Freeway. Leamy's family had reported him missing. His body was found by a pedestrian, who contacted the California Highway Patrol, but later "was arrested for refusing to identify himself and being on the freeway illegally."

More than 800 people got sick (13 went to the hospital) after watching the Fresno Bulldogs beat the UCLA Bruins on Saturday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. What happened? No, it wasn't UCLA's poor performance. For the most part, it was heat-related. "Paramedics from Los Angeles and Glendale were called in to assist in the response," which the the LA Times reported to be the largest medical response to the Rose Bowl.

The Black Crowes announced today that five concerts, including the ones at the Greek Theatre, The Bowl in Santa Barbara and at San Diego's Street Scene, have been canceled due to illness. "Despite our efforts, it is not possible to reschedule the canceled shows at this time. However, efforts are being made to reschedule these markets in early 2009. Fans are encouraged to obtain refunds from their original place of purchase," The Black Crowes wrote in an e-mail (posted in full here). Thank you to all who entered the contest to win tickets, we're sorry for the inconvenience. Another contest has been posted for this Sunday's My Morning Jacket show.

85-year-old fashion critic Richard Blackwell, best known for his scathing annual list of worst-dressed celebrities, is reportedly in an undisclosed Los Angeles-area hospital and has been unconscious since Tuesday. The information came via his partner, Robert Spencer, who declined to state from what illness Blackwell is suffering. His most recent "Worst Dressed" list was published in January of this year, and included mostly pop stars such as Victoria Beckham, Avril Lavigne, Amy Winehouse, Fergie, and Kelly Clarkson, with the oddball pick of former Little House on the Prairie actress Alison Arngrim as #10. LAist interviewed Mr. Blackwell when this year's list came out, too!

Convicted murderer Susan Atkins has earned a dubious honor: She has been the longest incarcerated woman in California history*, having logged 37 of her 59 years as an inmate following her conviction in the famous 1969 "Manson Murders."

A state report (.pdf) to be presented today says that "as many as 24,000 deaths annually in California are linked to chronic exposure to fine particulate pollution," according to the LA Times. That's more than triple the figures announced by the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) when they asked Governor Schwarzenegger and President Bush to declare a state of emergency regarding the 5400 environmental/pollution related deaths a year.