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Polio

All articles tagged with #polio

Decades in an iron lung: a polio survivor’s relentless will to live
health4 days ago

Decades in an iron lung: a polio survivor’s relentless will to live

Martha Lillard, the last U.S. polio patient to rely on an iron lung, spent hours daily in the device yet lived a full life—driving a modified car, painting landscapes, and caring for her beagles—before dying at 78 with post-polio syndrome and chronic pulmonary failure listed on her death certificate; her sister attributes part of her death to long Covid. The piece explains how the iron lung uses negative pressure to inflate and deflate the lungs, recalls polio’s historical toll and the near-eradication of the disease after vaccination, and notes current vaccine hesitancy as a concern for public health.

via Yahoo News Canada|
#health#iron-lung#long-covid
Final chapter for the iron lung era as polio survivor dies at 78
health6 days ago

Final chapter for the iron lung era as polio survivor dies at 78

Martha Lillard, the last known U.S. polio patient dependent on an iron lung, died at 78 in Oklahoma; contracted polio at age five and spent most of her life in the device, yet she learned via tutoring and traveled with her family. Her death certificate cites chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, highlighting both the disease’s history and the vaccine-era decline of polio in the U.S.

via The Guardian|
#health#iron-lung#obituary
Last U.S. Iron Lung User Dies at 78, Polio Survivor Remembered
health6 days ago

Last U.S. Iron Lung User Dies at 78, Polio Survivor Remembered

An Oklahoma polio survivor who was the last American to rely on an iron lung died at 78. Martha Lillard, diagnosed with polio as a child, lived with the device for breathing after paralysis, contracted COVID-19 twice during the pandemic, and died of chronic pulmonary failure linked to post-polio syndrome and long-haul COVID (death certificate notes). She had about 25% lung capacity before COVID and had recently married a man from Egypt. The story marks a historic era when polio and iron lungs were common, before polio was eliminated in the U.S. by 1979.

via Fox News|
#covid-19#health#iron-lung
Last U.S. polio iron lung patient dies at 78 in Oklahoma, marking the end of an era
health6 days ago

Last U.S. polio iron lung patient dies at 78 in Oklahoma, marking the end of an era

Martha Lillard, diagnosed with polio at age five and dependent on an iron lung for decades, died June 26 in Oklahoma at 78, becoming the last U.S. polio patient to use the device. Her death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome, with long-haul COVID cited as a contributing factor. Lillard led a life of adaptation and independence, learning online, forming long-distance connections, and even marrying after her husband was able to visit, before spending years mostly at home due to breathing difficulties.

via NBC News|
#health#iron-lung#long-covid
Final U.S. polio iron-lung survivor dies at 78 in Oklahoma
health7 days ago

Final U.S. polio iron-lung survivor dies at 78 in Oklahoma

Martha Lillard, diagnosed with polio as a child and dependent on an iron lung for most of her life, died at 78 in Oklahoma, becoming the last U.S. polio patient to rely on the life‑support device. A death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as causes; she lived with disability from childhood, attended school with a helper, and later built a life online that led to marriage with a man from Egypt after meeting him in a chat. She battled COVID-19 in later years, and long‑haul COVID-19 is noted as a contributing factor in her decline.

via CNN|
#health#iron-lung#long-haul-covid-19
Oklahoma polio survivor, final iron lung patient in the U.S., dies at 78
health7 days ago

Oklahoma polio survivor, final iron lung patient in the U.S., dies at 78

Martha Lillard, who contracted polio at age 5 and spent much of her life in an iron lung, died in Shawnee, Oklahoma on June 26 at 78. She was the last U.S. polio patient to rely on the iron lung, defying doctors’ early predictions, and her sister says long-haul COVID-19 contributed to her death; the death certificate lists chronic pulmonary failure and post-polio syndrome as causes. Lillard led a mostly homebound life, but stayed connected online, even meeting her husband after years of online chats.

via New York Post|
#health#iron-lung#long-covid
Last U.S. Polio Survivor Dies as Iron Lung Breaks Down
health7 days ago

Last U.S. Polio Survivor Dies as Iron Lung Breaks Down

Martha Ann Lillard, who contracted polio in 1953 and spent decades breathing in an iron lung because modern respirators could not meet her needs, died at 78 after the machine began breaking down and could not be repaired, following a long battle with COVID/long COVID; a tornado had previously knocked out power to her device, underscoring access-to-care challenges for aging life-support equipment.

via AOL.com|
#health#iron-lung#long-covid
Final Iron Lung User Dies in Oklahoma at 78
health8 days ago

Final Iron Lung User Dies in Oklahoma at 78

Martha Lillard, the last known American to rely on an iron lung, died in Shawnee, Oklahoma, on June 26 at age 78. Contracting polio in 1953, she spent much of her life in the device, initially using it almost full-time, then only at night as she got healthier. She faced equipment failures and a power outage during an ice storm, and died after a battle with long-haul COVID-19. Lillard was active in her community and pursued creative arts, including painting and music for the left-hand piano.

via KOSU|
#health#iron-lung#long-haul-covid-19
London polio detections flare as UK trims global eradication funding
health3 months ago

London polio detections flare as UK trims global eradication funding

Polio virus was detected in London sewage for the tenth time since 2024, days after the UK announced funding cuts to global eradication efforts. Experts say sewage detections don’t mean paralytic cases but signal ongoing transmission risk in areas with low vaccination uptake, highlighting concerns that funding reductions could undermine surveillance and outbreak response despite continued vaccination campaigns.

via The Guardian|
#funding-cuts#health#london
Polio travel advisory: what travelers should know before international trips
health4 months ago

Polio travel advisory: what travelers should know before international trips

The CDC has updated its travel advisory, highlighting about 30 polio-circulating countries (including the UK, Germany and Pakistan) and urging travelers to ensure timely polio vaccination. Polio remains a global risk even though the U.S. has been polio-free since 1979; vaccines (like IPV) provide long-term protection, so travelers should verify their vaccination status and consult CDC country notices before trips.

via The Washington Post|
#cdc#health#note-only-five-allowed-but-well-include-five-polio-travel-vaccinations-cdc-travel-safety
CDC Sounds Global Polio Alert as Cruise Destinations Hit List
health4 months ago

CDC Sounds Global Polio Alert as Cruise Destinations Hit List

The CDC has issued a Level 2 Travel Health Notice for poliovirus after detections in 32 countries across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The advisory highlights cruise hubs such as Spain, the UK, Germany and Indonesia and urges travelers, including cruise passengers, to be up to date on polio vaccination and consider a lifetime booster if they completed the routine series. The warning is not a cancellation call but a reminder to review vaccination status before international voyages, especially itineraries that visit multiple countries.

via Cruise Hive|
#cdc#cruise-ships#health
Polio Travel Alert Expands to 32 Countries, CDC Urges Vaccination Boost
health4 months ago

Polio Travel Alert Expands to 32 Countries, CDC Urges Vaccination Boost

The CDC has issued a level-2 travel advisory for 32 countries across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East due to rising poliovirus cases. Mayo Clinic describes polio’s potential to cause paralysis, breathing problems, and even death, though most infections are asymptomatic. Travelers should be up to date on routine polio vaccines and may receive an inactivated polio vaccine booster before travel to areas with circulating poliovirus.

via Yahoo|
#cdc#health#polio