Flu Sickens Another 11,000 New Yorkers As Virus Continues Rampage

NEW YORK, NY — New York's record-setting flu outbreak got even more intense last week as the virus sickened another 11,000 people and sent more than 2,200 to the hospital, according to state health figures published Friday. It takes the season's total in the state to more than 36,000 people.

Some 11,683 people caught the flu in the week ending Jan. 27, 50 percent more than the week before, the state Department of Health says. Flu-related hospitalizations rose 21 percent to 2,221, breaking the statewide record for the third consecutive week.

The virus remained widespread in New York for the eighth straight week, with all 62 counties showing at least 10 cases per 100,000 people last week, the Department of Health says. Every county reported new cases of the flu last week.

New York still isn't alone — the virus was widespread in 48 states last week as the most active flu season since the 2009 swine flu outbreak continued, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The flu was least concentrated in New York City, as has been the case in previous weeks. The five boroughs saw roughly 50 cases of the virus for every 100,000 people.

That's less than half the rate in Central New York, which far outpaced the rest of the state's regions with more than 100 cases per 100,000 people.

Some 36,593 New Yorkers have caught the virus since the flu season began in October. That's a nearly 67 percent spike from Jan. 28 of last year, when it had sickened 21,930 people.

The virus is hitting elderly people the hardest. Nearly 59 percent of the New Yorkers hospitalized since the flu season started in October are 65 or older, the Department of Health says. One child from New York is among the 53 the flu has killed nationwide this season, according to state and federal reports.

The virus is waning nationwide, CDC figures show. Clinical laboratories reported 15,427 positive tests for the flu last week, down from the season's peak of 16,733 three weeks ago.

Health officials have urged New Yorkers to get flu shots if they haven't already. They say it's still effective even as the flu season enters its later months. While some pharmacies may be running out, city and state officials say there's no widespread shortage of the vaccine.

Here's a map showing where you can get a flu shot if you still need one.

(Lead image: A bottle of the flu vaccine is seen at a Florida CVS Pharmacy in 2014. Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)