Philadelphia Sees Its First Swine-Flu Death

by KYW's Ian Bush

A Philadelphia woman has died from swine flu. 

City health officials say the victim - who was not immediately identified - was a 26-year-old woman with no known previous health issues. She was very sick when she was admitted to the hospital and died on Sunday.

It's the first H1N1-related fatality in Philadelphia and the second in the state.

Dr. Esther Chernak with the City Department of Public Health says with such infections on the rise, it's a good idea to take common-sense approaches to protect yourself:

"Flu spreads from germs that are spread from sick people to well people through coughs and sneezes. So one of the things that we're urging people to do in this time where this new virus is being spread throughout the community is to stay home when they're sick."

And, she says, it's a good idea to wash your hands often, and cover your coughs and sneezes.