Flu Rampant As 5,000 Spend Christmas Week Sick In NYC

NEW YORK CITY — Flu season is in full swing as more than 5,000 people in New York City spent Christmas week miserably sick.

Health experts declared the virus widespread across the state, though the city is taking the brunt. And, as most cases of influenza do not get reported to doctors, the number is expected to be much higher.

The Bronx saw more people with the illness than anywhere else in the state during the week that ended December 28 with 1,542, an increase of 60 percent over the previous week.

In Brooklyn, the number of people sick went up by by 75 percent to 1,526 while in Queens 1,528 people were confirmed to have the flu, up 95 percent.

Manhattan went up 103 percent to 586 while Staten Island saw 131 cases, up 28 percent.

Across the state, 1,387 people were hospitalized with flu.

Flu vaccines are still available and people can find where they're being administered on this city health department map.