106 Dead From Flu Nationwide, Illinois Outbreak Continues

As of mid-December, 106 people have died of flu or flu-related complications nationwide, according to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. In Illinois, the flu outbreak has been elevated from "moderate" to "high" activity levels, with at least one child death reported in recent weeks.

Flu is currently reported as widespread in Puerto Rico and 49 states, the CDC says, and 10 pediatric deaths were reported during the week of Jan. 7 to 13. In Illinois, a 10-year-old boy died of flu-related complications last month.

In addition to 106 deaths, states across the U.S. are reporting higher-than-average hospitalizations and emergency room visits, according to the Chicago Tribune. Hospitals in Illinois continue to enforce visitor restrictions in an attempt to stem the spread of the illness.

Other states have been hit even harder by flu season. A total of 32 flu-related deaths have been reported in Pennsylvania, including 14 deaths this past week. California has reported several flu-related deaths in the past week, including a fitness-devoted 40-year-old mother and a 27-year-old Southern California woman.

And according to a new study, it may be easier to spread the flu than previously thought. Researchers at the University of Maryland School of Public Health, led by environmental health professor Donald Milton, found that people infected with the flu can spread the virus in the air just by breathing — even if they don't cough or sneeze.

Avoiding work or school has always been standard advice for people who catch the flu. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for example, says that people who get the flu should "limit contact with others as much as possible." It also warns that you should, "Stay home for at least 24 hours after your fever is gone except to get medical care or for other necessities."

The CDC says that everyone six months or older should get vaccinated against the flu to reduce their risk.

Cody Fenwick, Patch National Staff, contributed to this article

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