Local man is state's first swine flu victim

A Shelbyville man became Tennessee's first fatality of the H1N1 virus, also known as the swine flu.

According to a Nashville television station, Joey Woodruff, 48, of Shelbyville died a week ago Monday at Vanderbilt Medical Center in Nashville.

The Times-Gazette received information earlier this week that Woodruff may have been a victim of the swine flu, but was unable to confirm it through family members.

According to WTVF in Nashville, Woodruff was transferred from a Rutherford County hospital to Vanderbilt on Thursday, July 2 and died four days later.

However, it wasn't until a week after his funeral that his loved ones learned that the Shelbyville man was the first fatal swine flu case in Tennessee.

On Wednesday, a spokesperson from the Tennessee Department of Health would not identify the swine flu victim, citing federal privacy laws.

To date, there have been 246 confirmed cases of the novel H1N1 virus in Tennessee, the Tennessee Department of Health said.

Cases have been confirmed in all 50 states in the U.S., with an official count at more than 37,000 cases, with 211 fatalities.

At the time of his death, Woodruff managed the sporting goods department at Walmart in Shelbyville and was a former employee of Holden Hardware in Murfreesboro. He was a hunter and fisherman and a member of Rutherford County Historical Society.

Woodruff was also an active member of Fosterville Church of Christ and a veteran of the U.S. Army, in which he served as a captain with the military police based at Anniston, Ala.

He was a 1978 graduate of Riverdale High School and received bachelor's and master's degrees in criminal justice at Middle Tennessee State University.

According to state officials, the federal government is working closely with manufacturers to develop a novel H1N1 vaccine, a long multi-step process requiring several months to complete.

"The Department of Health remains in close communication with federal officials, and we will provide updated information related to H1N1 and vaccine as it becomes available," said State Epidemiologist Dr. Tim F. Jones in a statement Wednesday.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, good health habits like covering your cough and washing your hands often can help stop the spread of germs and prevent respiratory illnesses like the flu.

* Avoid close contact with people who are sick. When you are sick, keep your distance from others to protect them from getting sick too.

* If possible, stay home from work, school, and errands when you are sick. You will help prevent others from catching your illness.

* Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when coughing or sneezing. It may prevent those around you from getting sick.

* Washing your hands often will help protect you from germs.

* Germs are often spread when a person touches something that is contaminated with germs and then touches his or her eyes, nose, or mouth.

* Get plenty of sleep, be physically active, manage your stress, drink plenty of fluids, and eat nutritious food.