The influenza virus has walloped the nation this winter, inflicting twice as many deaths in California for the reason that respiratory virus season started in July as the ultimate tolls from the previous a number of seasons.
An estimated 1,323 Californians have succumbed to the flu as of the week ending March 8, together with 19 youngsters. And this season for the primary time since 2020 the flu deaths overtook COVID deaths.
Final week’s replace from the state well being division reveals indicators of the loss of life price slowing, with 86 new deaths reported final week. Between 140 and 190 had been reported in every of the 4 weeks earlier than that.
Surveillance of pediatric flu deaths didn’t start till 2003, however since then the deadliest flu season for youngsters was the 2008-2009 flu season, when 37 youngsters reportedly died within the state.
On this decade and the final, the deadliest flu seasons have killed about 50,000 folks across the nation. The 2014-15 flu season was estimated to have a loss of life toll of round 51,000, and the 2017-18 had a barely increased estimate of about 52,000, in response to the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention.
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