Apparent flu death has a lot of people on edge

A lot of people of all ages walked around Friday feeling numb. Word of a 14-year-old Sebring boy dying from flu-like symptoms left most folks wondering how and why. For many young people, this is the first time they know of someone their age dying.

Tests are being conducted to identify if it was the swine flu that claimed the life of Marquis Hamilton Friday morning. Whether it was or not, it serves to warn all of us that this flu outbreak is serious stuff.

We mourn the loss of Marquis and pray for his family. Their loss is incredible and from what Marquis' friends say, he was a great kid full of humor and fun. He also played football on the junior varsity team. He will be missed by his family, school mates and everyone in Highlands County.

The H1N1 strain of flu is hitting some people hard, while others suffer typical flu symptoms. Experts are telling people to take precautions now as to washing hands, covering your mouth when you cough and just playing it safe when you are feeling bad. In fact, some doctors say if you've been running a fever at all and suffering from even a few symptoms, you're probably infected. So be careful.

Flu vaccines are on the way, and experts say they should work well. Now if they will just be distributed before more people get sick. It will be a huge job to immunize so many people.

We hope the young people in Highlands County learned that life is precious and can be stolen away even at a young age. That's why a few safeguards now might save someone's life.