Flu deaths in California ahead of last year

This week's update of flu news has nothing about the saline shortage, but it has other dire news.  KPBS has the story.

Flu Deaths Continue To Mount In California
By Kenny Goldberg
Friday, February 7, 2014

The number of flu deaths in California has doubled already since last year and flu season is not over yet.

There were only 106 deaths from the disease statewide during last year’s entire flu season. At least 202 have died from the virus so far this year.

State health officials say this year, more than two-thirds of those who’ve become severely ill from the virus are ages 40 to 64.

The forecasts of this being a severe season that I first pointed out in Flu claiming lives in Michigan and California are coming true.

KPBS has the local angle in San Diego Flu Season Death Toll Rises To 29 by City News Service on Wednesday, February 5, 2014.

Nine more people died from influenza-related causes in San Diego County last week, including a 27-year-old woman, bringing the number of "flu season" fatalities in the region to 29, the county Health and Human Services Agency reported Wednesday.

Last year, 65 people died during the entire season, according to the HHSA.

The 27-year-old, whose named was not released, was the youngest to die so far this year. She had already been battling a medical condition, the nature of which was not disclosed. The others were either elderly or had pre-existing medical conditions.

Not as bad as the rest of the state, but still not good.

I have better news close to home from The Toledo Blade: Flu season hits hard in Toledo area, but it’s worse elsewhere.
490 hospitalized in Cuyahoga County
BY MARLENE HARRIS-TAYLOR
February 2, 2014

February is traditionally one of the most active flu months in Ohio and Michigan, but Lucas County already has experienced a harsh flu season this fall and winter compared with recent years.

Toledo-Lucas County Health Commissioner David Grossman said it’s difficult to know if the flu season has peaked.

“I don’t think anybody can say definitively where we are at but we haven’t had any more deaths and the number of hospitalizations has slowed down. I would like to think we have reached the zenith and that it is leveling off but it could pick up again like crazy next week,” Dr. Grossman said.

We should be so lucky.