New NY Flu Cases Jumped 35 Percent Last Week

Flu continues on the rise in New York — just last week there were 15,753 confirmed influenza reports, a 35 percent increase. The outbreak claimed the lives of two New York City children, bringing the total of pediatric deaths in New York State from flu this year to three.

The number of people hospitalized with the flu in New York State was 2,349, a 2 percent increase.

The weekly numbers are again the highest in both categories since reporting began in 2004 and exceed last week's record high 11,683 confirmed cases and 2,221 hospitalizations.

Thursday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo directed New York State Department of Health Commissioner Dr. Howard Zucker to authorize emergency assistance funding to counties. This action provides enhanced reimbursement to counties and will help fund expanded efforts to promote and increase access to flu vaccines statewide.

An 8-year-old girl from Queens and a second unnamed child in the city died of the virus in recent days. The Queens girl was pronounced dead at Elmhurst Hospital on Monday morning after her parents found her unconscious in bed, the NYPD said. The girl had been diagnosed with the flu on Friday.

Every county in New York has reported active flu cases, with Westchester the hardest hit of eight downstate counties outside of NYC. The numbers have skyrocketed in recent weeks.

• Dutchess reported 144 cases the week ending Jan. 20 and 217 the week ending Feb. 3; a total of 727 cases so far this season.
• Nassau: 388 cases the week ending Jan. 20; 832 last week; a total of 3,040 cases this season.
• Orange reported 163 cases the week ending Jan. 20 and 282 last week. Total this season so far: 883.
• Putnam: 36 cases the week ending Jan. 20; 114 the week ending Feb. 3. Total: 258
• Rockland reported 68 cases the week ending Jan. 20; 144 the week ending Feb. 3. Total: 513
• Suffolk: 449 cases the week ending Jan. 20; 1,131 the week ending Feb. 3. Total: 3,301
• Ulster reported 75 cases the week ending Jan. 20; 124 the week ending Feb. 3. Total: 392
• Westchester: 692 cases the week ending Jan. 20; 972 the week ending Feb. 3. Total: 3,861.

The State Department of Health's website links to each local health department providing the public a one-stop-shop approach to individual counties' expanded efforts. Additionally, the HealthMap Vaccine Finder also identifies locations where vaccines can be found at other locations in New York State.

Cuomo also directed local health departments to re-focus enhanced outreach to vulnerable populations, including daycares, nursing homes, senior centers, and homeless shelters, to reemphasize the need for flu vaccinations, provide targeted education regarding the signs and symptoms of flu, and to identify and assist those populations with low vaccine rates.

Furthermore, local health departments are to coordinate with local school superintendents to identify schools experiencing an increase in absenteeism rates due to illness among students and staff and link them to ongoing education and vaccination efforts.

It's not just New York. Flu activity is currently widespread across the country.

"The season is turning out to be a particularly challenging one. And it has been compounded by lots of flu occurring nationwide simultaneously over several weeks. This is an unusual pattern for flu in the U.S." said Dr. Dan Jernigan, director of the Influenza Division in the Center for Disease Control's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in a press briefing Feb. 2.

The CDC reported 53 pediatric deaths nationwide between Oct. 1 and Jan. 27.

"In the past week, we have seen increased influenza-like illness activity, more hospitalizations, and tragically, more flu associated deaths in children and adults," said CDC acting Director Dr. Anne Schuchat. "And as of this week, overall hospitalizations are now the highest we’ve seen. Even higher than the 2014-15, our previous high season.

"Most seasons last up to 20 weeks and we’ve probably got several weeks left of increased flu activity," she said.

Noah Manskar, Patch Staff, contributed to this report.

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