A North County teenager is the 302nd person to die of flu-like symptoms in the region this season, according to the San Diego County Department of Health (DEH).
Alexa Barbin, a 19-year-old from Escondido, was feeling ill for several days before her family rushed her to the hospital last Thursday, according to her mother, Apryl Barbin.
"All of a sudden she said 'I can’t breathe mom, I can’t breathe', she said I think I have to go to the hospital," said Apryl Barbin.
Alexa Barbin died seven hours later.
Doctors told Apryl Barbin her daughter’s blood pressure had dropped, and she contracted the severe blood infection called sepsis. She said her daughter was revived twice in the intensive care unit, but could not be revived a third time.
"We said maybe we should have taken her sooner, we should have taken her to the doctor. But it didn’t seem anything out of the ordinary," said Barbin.
In fact, Apryl Barbin says her daughter was much sicker with the flu in December, but recovered and was healthy. She did not get a flu vaccine.
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Alexa Barbin graduated from Escondido High School in 2017. She was active in the school’s Future Farmers of America program and had dreams of becoming a florist.
"This is the worst nightmare. Our only child. No grandchildren, we thought she was going to be engaged soon," said Barbin.
A Celebration of Life is planned for Alexa Barbin on March 24 at the Elks Lodge in Escondido. A Go Fund Me Page has also been set up on behalf of the family.
Doctors have told Apryl Barbin her daughter contracted the Influenza B virus strain.
She is allowing an autopsy to be performed on her daughter to help determine an exact cause of death.
The DEH said Wednesday the number of people who have died as a result of the flu has risen to 302, the majority of which had underlying medical conditions.
Of the 302 flu-related deaths in the county, four of the victims have been under the age of 20, according to the DEH.
Last month, a family said their son, Hunter Conner, died as a result of the flu complications despite having no "high-risk" determinations, including age or pre-existing medical conditions.
A 10-year-old boy died in January after being hospitalized with the flu.
Neither had a flu shot.
This year’s severe influenza season is on the decline across the United States, but cases are still being reported, the DEH said. Last week there were 620 reported flu cases compared to 722 the week prior.
Despite the slow-down, the DEH still recommends San Diegans over the age of 6 months get the flu vaccine.
