Flu Numbers In Colorado Among Highest In U.S.: CDC

DENVER, CO – At least 22 children have died from flu-related causes as the disease is now widespread across the country, according to the latest statistics released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One pediatric flu death occurred in Colorado last week.

The flu has spread throughout 36 states and the H1N1 virus (Swine Flu) continues to be the predominant strain in most of the country while the H3N2 virus has predominated in the Southeast.

The latest figures released by the CDC on Friday are current for the third week of January that ended Jan. 19. The CDC said in a statement earlier this month that while it’s not possible to say definitively how severe the 2018-19 season will be, severity indicators are lower than they were during a similar time-frame during the last flu season. FDA Director Scott Gottlieb has said that the H1N1 strain tends to peak late in the season but that the vaccine has a 60 percent effectiveness or more against it.

Related: Denver Child Dies Of Flu; More Than 1,000 Cases Hospitalized

Aside from the 36 states, including in Colorado, reporting widespread flu activity, the remaining states reported regional, local or sporadic flu activity. The geographic spread of flu activity does not measure the severity of the virus.

The CDC’s influenza-like-illness (ILI) surveillance measures the level of flu activity within a state. According to the latest ILI data, New York City and 18 states, including Colorado, have highest flu activity. However, the ILI surveillance does not measure geographic spread so the CDC cautions that outbreaks in a single city could cause a state to have high flu activity.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment reported that as of Jan. 19, 2019, there were 1,394 people hospitalized during the 2018-19 flu season. The agency reported 18 outbreaks in long-term care facilities. and one death in a child under age 18 years.

To see where flu is widespread https://www.cdc.gov/flu/weekly/ (scroll to bottom)

Influenza-like-illness activity map with links to state health departments for more info https://gis.cdc.gov/grasp/fluview/main.html

The flu can cause serious illness, hospitalization and death. The groups most at risk are older adults, very young children, pregnant women and those with certain chronic medical conditions, according to the CDC.

You can use the CDC’s flu vaccine finder to locate a pharmacy or clinic near you that provides the vaccine:

According to the CDC, symptoms of the flu include:

• Fever or feeling feverish/chills (Though not everyone with flu will have a fever)
• Cough
• Sore throat
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Muscle or body aches
• Headaches
• Fatigue (tiredness)
• Some people may have vomiting and diarrhea, though this is more common in children than adults.

  By Feroze Dhanoa, Patch National Staff

Image via Shutterstock

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