Bay Port student dies of complications from flu and strep B

HOWARD, Wis. (WBAY) – A student at Bay Port High School has died of complications from a mixture of influenza A and strep B.

According to the Howard-Suamico School District, Ava Schmidt died on Wednesday. She was a freshman at Bay Port High School.

The district sent the following letter to the school community:

Dear families and HSSD staff,

It is with deep sadness that we share with you the news of the passing of a student at Bay Port High School.

Ava Schmidt, a freshman student at Bay Port High School, died today, Wednesday, December 21, due to complications from influenza A. Ava is the daughter of Mike and Katerina Schmidt and sister of Gabby, a seventh grader at Bay View Middle School. Katerina is a teacher at Forest Glen Primary School.

The District respects the family’s request for confidentiality during this difficult time and is focused on supporting those affected by Ava’s passing.

School counselors and school social workers are available to help our students and staff cope with this loss. To meet student needs, we will have staff available in Bay Port or by phone at 920-662-7000 Thursday morning (regardless of the potential impact of weather on the school day). Teachers in Bay Port, Bay View and Forest Glen will share an age-appropriate message with students on Thursday morning regarding the news. We encourage you to discuss this message with your child at home tonight.

We have some suggestions (linked here) that can be helpful when discussing grief and death with your child. In addition, Unit Hospital is a non-profit bereavement counseling organization that will be supporting Ava’s classmates and our students as needed in the coming days, including during winter break.

If you have any concerns about your child’s reaction to this loss, please contact us.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Ava’s family.

A GoFundMe was set up for Ava’s family.

Ava was the second pediatric flu patient to die in Wisconsin this season.

DHS announced the first pediatric flu death earlier this week. They said the child lived in the western part of Wisconsin.

A pediatric death is defined as anyone under the age of 18.

DHS encourages anyone six months and older to get a flu shot. Early data shows that the vaccine matches current strains. Vaccines can prevent or reduce the severity of flu symptoms, protecting not only yourself, but also those around you, and this is of particular concern with more and more holiday gatherings to come. Two out of three people in Wisconsin have not been vaccinated against the flu.

“These numbers are several percentage points lower than what we had last year, and that’s very disappointing to be honest with you. And that’s yet another one of our meetings, going through the media, that really insists on the fact that we need to get people vaccinated. We need to do what we can to stop the spread of the flu. And we have unfortunately seen what complications can lead to because of this particular case, in this particular child” , said DHS flu surveillance coordinator Tom Haupt.

You can find flu vaccine information by calling 877-947-2211 or visiting https://www.vaccines.gov/ website.

Local health officials say people should also try to avoid the spread of COVID-19 and RSV.

All three diseases can be serious for young children, immunocompromised people, and the elderly.

CLICK HERE for Wisconsin respiratory virus reports.

The DHS recommends these additional steps to stay healthy this season:

Wash your hands often with soap and water for 20 seconds.
Avoid touching your nose, eyes and mouth.
Stay home and away from others if you feel sick.
Avoid being around other people who are sick or have flu symptoms.
Cover your nose and mouth when coughing or sneezing and encourage children to do the same.
Wear a high quality mask around others to prevent the spread of respiratory illnesses.