--- title: Mother of Connecticut Boy Who Died of Flu Warns Others description: Nico Mallozzi, a healthy 10-year-old from New Canaan, Connecticut, died from the flu while away for a hockey tournament. canonical: https://time.com/5106819/nico-mallozzi-flu-death/ author: Jamie Ducharme article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2018-01-17T23:09:00.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T07:53:45.039Z article:section: Health og:title: A Healthy Boy Died of Flu. Now His Mother Warns, ‘Be Aware' og:description: "It's actually a nightmare" og:url: https://time.com/5106819/nico-mallozzi-flu-death/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt88ba24d07ebf5af1/6988f88bcf40a800a0c4af98/nico-mollozzi.jpg?branch=production&width=1000&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1000 og:image:height: 563 og:image:alt: Nico-Mollozzi og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: A Healthy Boy Died of Flu. Now His Mother Warns, ‘Be Aware' twitter:description: "It's actually a nightmare" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt88ba24d07ebf5af1/6988f88bcf40a800a0c4af98/nico-mollozzi.jpg?branch=production&width=1000&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # 'It's Actually a Nightmare.' Mother Warns Others After 10-Year-Old Suddenly Dies From Flu > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Health Matters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Health Matters is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. The latest health news and expert advice on living well. Health Matters makes the fast-moving world of health more useful, surprising and human, from the latest science and medical breakthroughs to practical ideas for living better. 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Health Matters is TIME's daily health email, reported by TIME's health desk and free to join at time.com/newsletters. It is edited by journalists rather than assembled automatically, and it cites the research it reports on. #### Is Health Matters free? Yes. Health Matters is a free daily newsletter from TIME, available at time.com/newsletters. #### Who reads TIME's Health Matters newsletter? Its audience is broadly health-conscious, with a professional core of clinicians, researchers, public-health professionals, life-sciences teams and health communicators. ## Video: Healthy 21-Year-Old Bodybuilder Dies Just Days After Flu Diagnosis [Watch (HLS stream): Healthy 21-Year-Old Bodybuilder Dies Just Days After Flu Diagnosis](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/jumhDVvT.m3u8) (1:38)  _Published 2018-01-11. An aspiring personal trainer from Pennsylvania died from septic shock just days after experiencing flu symptoms over the holidays_  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Jan 17, 2018 11:09 PM UTC  Nico Mallozzi. Nico Mallozzi. Photo courtesy of Mimma Mallozzi  by [Jamie Ducharme](https://time.com/author/jamie-ducharme/)  ## Jamie Ducharme Ducharme is a contributor to TIME. Jan 17, 2018 11:09 PM UTC The mother of a healthy 10-year-old Connecticut boy who died suddenly of complications from the flu is warning other parents to watch their children closely during one of the [most active flu seasons in years](http://time.com/5105929/why-is-the-flu-so-bad-2018/). Nico Mallozi had never had a serious medical issue in his life. On Sunday, the vibrant, popular fourth-grader died of what at first seemed like a routine case of the virus — leaving his Connecticut community reeling. “Ten years of health,” Nico’s mother, Mimma Mallozzi, tells TIME. “The kid never had a problem. He was like an ox.” The Mallozzi family isn’t the only one grappling with flu-related tragedies this winter. At least 20 pediatric deaths have been reported so far, [according to the CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/index.htm). And the deaths of a fit [21-year-old man in Pennsylvania](http://time.com/5099042/influenza-deaths-flu/) and a [40-year-old California marathoner](https://www.sfgate.com/healthredesign/article/Flu-kills-San-Jose-mom-40-who-liked-to-run-12499691.php) have attracted widespread media attention, raising alarm bells about this year’s severe flu season. Most cases of the flu will resolve after a few days of fluids, rest and antivirals or over-the-counter drugs. Still, Mallozzi — whose older son, 12, is currently in the hospital with the flu himself, but appears to be doing fine — urges parents to keep a close eye on their kids, and [take action if necessary](http://time.com/5106072/how-to-protect-child-from-flu/). “It caught \[Nico\] off guard,” she says. “You have to be aware of your child.” Nico came down with what seemed like an average case of the flu last week. Though he was sick, he seemed well enough to accompany his hockey team, the Connecticut RoughRiders, to a weekend tournament in New York, [the _New Canaan News_ reports](https://www.newcanaannewsonline.com/news/article/Flu-complications-caused-New-Canaan-boy-s-12501323.php). While in New York, however, Nico’s health took a sudden turn. “He progressively got worse,” Mallozzi remembers. “I didn’t like the way he looked.” Mallozzi called 911 on the family’s way home from the tournament, and Nico was taken to a New York hospital. On Sunday, he died from sepsis resulting from pneumonia — a complication of the flu, according to the New York medical examiner’s office. “He was just a carefree, fearless, easy-going child, full of energy,” Mallozzi says. “It’s actually a nightmare.” The uptick in total flu cases and complications likely stems from the strain of influenza virus circulating this year: H3N2\. H3 strains are more serious than other flu viruses and are difficult to target with vaccines, [according to the CDC](https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2018/t0112-widespread-flu-activity.html), leading to particularly bad flu seasons, as in 2012-2013 and 2014-2015. This year, the flu shot was only about 30% effective against the H3 virus, according to CDC estimates. As of the agency’s latest assessment, the entire continental U.S. is experiencing “widespread” incidence of the flu, resulting in almost 23 hospitalizations per 100,000 U.S. residents. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5106819/nico-mallozzi-flu-death/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5106819/nico-mallozzi-flu-death/"},"headline":"'It's Actually a Nightmare.' 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