Marathon runner dies two days after flu diagnosis

A 40-year-old mother in San Jose, Calif., died two days after catching the flu, The San Francisco Chronicle reported, citing local media.

Katie Denise Oxley Thomas, who was considered healthy and liked to run marathons, died on Jan. 4, the report said. She is the 42nd Californian under the age of 65 to die from the flu, the paper reported.

“I can tell you that she seemed absolutely fine on New Year’s Eve and called a friend Tuesday morning saying that she had a sore throat, and by Wednesday she was in the ICU,” her sister told The Mercury News.

“The doctor was saying that he had never seen anything like this, and it was not supposed to happen,” she said.

The family asked for a private autopsy. Her father believes she had gotten the flu shot, KGO reported.

Thomas had three children from 7 to 17.

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