Los Angeles Coroner Says Kim Porter Died From Lobar Pneumonia
UPDATE JAN. 25:
On Friday, a Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner announced Kim Porter died in her sleep from pneumonia.
According to NBC News, no foul play was discovered in the 47-year-old's death.
"It was later determined Porter died from lobar pneumonia," according to a statement by the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner. "The manner of death was certified as natural."
"There was no known history of drug abuse or alcoholism and no signs of trauma," the coroner report added.
The coroner also said Porter had complained of a sore throat in November which then developed into a fever of 102 degrees just days later. She also tested negative for influenza and strep.
In her final week, she was treated with antibiotics, vitamins and the painkiller Toradol.
After her death was first announced, many used her and Serena Williams as examples of medical failures when it comes to Black women.
PREVIOUS NOV. 17:
Kim Porter passed away on Thursday (November 15) and we’re just now getting some details surrounding her final days.
Initially, it was reported that Porter was hospitalized during a bout with pneumonia and while it isn’t clear that’s what ultimately caused her passing, the disease is often the result of influenza.
The United States in general is becoming less and less prepared for battling the flu as vaccination rates are falling yearly. America’s vaccination rate is at about 47 percent per year, which is far below the 70 percent target rate.
College students are among the least vaccinated. While people 65 and older are at a higher risk of catching flu-related complications, young people every year get infested and die from the disease.
Some believe the reason for lower vaccination rates is from misinformation spread about shots in general. The idea that you can get the flu from a flu shot is baseless.
According to William Schaffner, medical director at the National Foundation for Infectious Disease, only 1 to 2 percent actually get a fever from a flu vaccination and it’s only the body’s reaction to the actual shot. He also says that since young people aren’t vaccinated at a high rate, they are at a particularly high risk of getting the flu. "The flu can, on occasion, take a young, healthy person and put them in the intensive care unit," he told NPR.
Symptoms surrounding the flu include: sore throat, cough, runny or stuffy nose, headaches, body or muscle aches, fever, and fatigue.
Getting the flu vaccine doesn’t mean you’ll never get the flu. It does however drastically lower your chances of contracting the disease and heavily reduces the severity of it, if contracted.
It isn’t clear if Kim Porter was vaccinated for influenza. Early reports claim that first responders were called to her Toluca Lake, California home over a potential cardiac arrest episode. However, it’s just been announced that an official cause of death will not be revealed until an “additional investigation” can be completed.
