Denton County reports third flu death

The virus has affected millions of Americans and is the largest outbreak since public health authorities started tracking the flu more than 12 years ago, the Washington Post reported. The state department of health reports there have been 79 influenza-related deaths this season. “This is the first year we have had the entire continental U.S.be the same color on the graph, meaning there is widespread activity in all of the continental U.S.at this point”.

If the duration of this influenza season is similar to the past two influenza seasons, CT may be four to six weeks away from peak influenza activity, which usually occurs in mid-February. “We don’t know if it’s the peak”. “Hopefully the end is in sight”. “This fatality indicates that the flu remains a serious condition and highlights the need for further preventive action”, saidDr. “I was an ER nurse for 10 years; this is nothing”.

The state doesn’t keep track of adult influenza deaths, Ehresmann said. What is now circulating is Influenza A (H3N2).

“We are kind of breaking at the seams right now”, he said. Typical symptoms of the flu include sudden fever, aching muscles, sore throat, coughing, runny nose, headache, and eye pain. Many pharmacies have run out of certain flu-preventative and treatment medicines due to the influx.

As a result of the increase in local flu activity and to protect our patients, Major Health Partners is implementing temporary visitation restrictions of our hospitalized patients.

“In part, they base their recommendations on what’s going on in the southern hemisphere of the world”, says Bob Kulp with the Newton County Health Department. “Why get sick? It might help you”. Health officials are predicting the vaccine will be about 30 percent effective this year. Last year, the CDC reported about 60 percent of the vaccinations were effective against the flu, while this year, the flu vaccine may be anywhere from the low 30s to about 10 percent.

“We will look for it to come down but it will stay high into February”, Jones said. “So it’s still definitely recommended to get this year”. Typically, the vaccine takes about two weeks to reach full effect, epidemiologists said.

Snohomish County, in particular, has been hit hard with 19 flu deaths.

The state report does not say where the victims died or give their specific ages, but Marion County health authorities said Thursday that they had recorded six deaths this season. “I strongly recommend anyone who has not yet received the flu vaccine to get one as soon as possible”, urged DPH Commissioner Dr. Raul Pino.

Director of Public Health Matt Richardson cautioned that flu season is not over. Hawaii is the only state without widespread flu, through the latest data from the CDC for the week ending January 6.