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Tamiflu scarce as flu virus spreads
Police seek 4th suspect after fight BY MATT BRUCE matthew@theitem.com The wheels continued to turn in a conflict between two Sumter County families that led to an all-out brawl late Sunday evening, leaving one man critically injured after he was reportedly run over and dragged several yards by a pickup truck. Authorities said Crystal Gainey, a 38-year-old Sumter woman, is now being sought on charges associated with the brouhaha, which took place outside a Young’s convenience store at 3120 U.S. 15 South. Sumter County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Braden Bunch indicated investigators have drawn up arrest warrants against the woman for two counts of attempted murder and a charge of third-degree assault and battery. Those charges stem from a street melee that spawned at a Food Lion about two miles north of the Young’s convenience shop. Reports indicate Gainey confronted two members of a rival family in the parking lot of the grocery store in the 1700 block of U.S. 15 South and followed them to the Young’s. That’s where the incident reportedly turned chaotic, with eight people embroiled in the group fight at its height.
Some local pharmacies don’t have anti-viral med in stock BY JADE REYNOLDS jade@theitem.com Many South Carolinians started the New Year sick or recovering from being ill. During the week of Dec. 21 through Dec. 27, 465 people were hospitalized with lab-confirmed cases of the flu, and five deaths occurred, according to the state Department of Health and Environmental Control. Sumter has seen a similar spike of not only the flu, but also secondary ailments such as upper respiratory infections, pneumonia and bronchitis. “I’ve been working here eight years, and this is the worst flu season I’ve ever seen,” said April Hartwick, center manager for Doctors Care. Not only have they had patients coming in, but they’ve also had employees come down with the flu, she said. Tuomey Regional Medical Center is no different. During the last two weeks, five or six employees have been out each day hospitalwide, said Eric McFarland, manager of the Sumter hospital’s emergency department. Normally, about 175 patients a day go to the emergency room for a variety of reasons, he said, but for the last two weeks straight, more than 200 people a day have visited the ER. “Mostly that surge in volume is the flu,” McFarland said. “We’ve seen 20 percent more patients
SEE FIGHT, PAGE A6 KEITH GEDAMKE / THE SUMTER ITEM
Pharmacist Nikki Cross sorts pills at Alderman Drug Co. recently. Cross said this has been the most active flu season she’s seen in the past few years. with the flu.” Many of these patients are able to take more of the fast track, getting a rapid flu test and being sent off with a prescription for the antiviral medication Tamiflu, he said. But some are experiencing symptoms severe enough to be admitted to the hospital. “The most vulnerable patients are the super young and the elderly,” McFarland said. “They don’t
have the robust immune systems to combat the flu.” If the patient started presenting symptoms in the last 48 hours, the hospital personnel will administer Tamiflu and provide other supportive measures. “Beyond that, the body’s natural mechanisms have kicked in, and you’ll see diminishing returns,” he
SEE FLU, PAGE A10
the flu or another illness, and the two of you can discuss your best treatment option. If it is the flu, your health care provider will most likely prescribe an anti-viral medication. • What are the benefits of anti-viral drugs? When used for treatment, anti-virals
can lessen symptoms and shorten the time you are sick by one or two days. They also can prevent serious flu complications such as pneumonia. For people with a high-risk medical condition, treatment with an anti-viral drug can mean the difference between
having milder illness instead of a serious illness that could result in a hospital stay. • What are the possible side effects of anti-viral drugs? Some side effects have been
SEE MEDICINES, PAGE A10
Police hunt for suspects after 12 killed in France BY JAMEY KEATEN and LORI HINNANT The Associated Press PARIS — Masked gunmen stormed the offices of a satirical newspaper that caricatured the Prophet Muhammad, methodically killing 12 people Wednesday, including the editor, before escaping in a car. It was France’s deadliest terrorist attack in half a century. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Shouting “Allahu akbar!” as A French soldier patrols the Montparnasse railway stathey fired, the men claimed tion in Paris, France, on Wednesday. France reinforced se- links to al-Qaida in their milicurity after masked gunmen stormed the offices of a tary-style, noon-time attack French satirical newspaper Wednesday, killing 12 people. on the weekly paper Charlie
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Hebdo, located near Paris’ Bastille monument. The publication’s depictions of Islam and Islamic extremists have drawn condemnation and threats before — it was firebombed in 2011 — although it also satirized other religions and political figures. Police identified three men, including two brothers, as suspects in the attack at the offices of the newspaper as security officers fanned out across the Paris region in a manhunt. One police official said the
DEATHS, B5 Mae Starks Joseph D. Harris Antonia H. Bradley Martha Lee Allen Frances D. Clarkson
Pertell M. Loynes Rupert H. Kimbrell Jr. Junior Lee Jones Almeta G. Benjamin Rhunette M. Woods
Cold weather could lead to increase in heater incidents FROM STAFF REPORTS
COMMON QUESTIONS ABOUT FLU VIRUS AND USING ANTI-VIRAL MEDICINES Influenza is a virus that often includes fever, cough, sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. • What should you do if you think you have the flu? See your health care provider. He or she will determine if you do have
Experts warn to be watchful for fire hazards As Sumter wakes up to an extremely cold morning, Sumter Fire Department Capt. Joseph Duggan is reminding area residents to keep safety in mind when trying to keep cold temperatures at bay. “We typically run across heater fires,” he said about the type of incidents the local fire department usually encounters during cold snaps. “People put their space heater too close to a bed or a curtain, and it starts a fire.” He said the belts on central heating units also lead to calls. “We run across an issue when belts on central heaters put out a burnt rubber smell,” he said. “It’s not necessarily a fire, but we still are called to check it out. People should have their heaters maintained regularly.” State Fire Marshal Bert Polk issued the following fire safety tips:
FIRE SAFETY TIPS: • Check your smoke alarms to make sure they work. Replace any that do not work or that are more than 10 years old; and • If there is a fire, get out and stay out. Call the fire department as soon as you are safely outside.
HEATING SAFETY: • All heaters need space. Keep anything that can burn at least three feet away from heating equipment, such as the furnace, fireplace, wood
SEE FRANCE, PAGE A10
SEE SAFETY, PAGE A6
WEATHER, A14
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Sunny with winds subsiding today; partly cloudy and cold again tonight HIGH 32, LOW 20
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