Flu Season Death Toll Reaches 16 In North Carolina

Three children died from flu-related causes in the first week of 2019 in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The flu is now considered widespread in 30 states, and the H1N1(swine flu) strain is predominant in most of the country while the H3N2 strain is predominant in the southeast.

In North Carolina, three additional flu deaths were reported between Dec. 30, 2018 and Jan. 5, 2019, bringing the total tally of deaths so far this flu season to 16, according to state health officials.

FDA Director Scott Gottlieb said in a public statement that the H1N1 strain tends to peak late in the flu season. However, Gottlieb said the flu vaccine is “generally good” against H1N1 strains and has a 60 percent effectiveness or more.

“It’s not too late to get vaccinated,” Gottlieb said. The latest numbers provided by the CDC are current as of Jan.5 for the 2018-19 flu season.

According to the CDC, widespread flu activity was reported in 30 states, including North Carolina. 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, 15 states and New York City have high 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. In the preceding week that ended Dec. 29, the ILI data showed that 19 states had high flu activity.

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:

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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.

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