Flu Widespread In 46 States As Death Toll Climbs

A southwest Ohio toddler is believed to be one of the latest casualties in what is shaping up to be a particularly severe flu season. The federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention said influenza is widespread, the agency’s highest level of concern, in at least 46 states, and has so far claimed the lives of 13 children and hospitalized tens of thousands of others.

Only four states — Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey and Hawaii — report regional flu outbreaks, and the District of Columbia reports localized flu activity. The CDC report reflects flu activity through the end of December. Most flu activity generally peaks between December and February, though cases are reported as late as May, the CDC said.

Jonah Rieben, 4, of Clayton, Ohio, died at Dayton Children’s Hospital on Jan. 6. The Montgomery, Ohio, Medical Examiner’s Office told Patch it is still conducting tests, but the Ohio Department of Public Health said the boy was the first child to die of the flu in Ohio this season.

Two other Ohioans, a 70-year-old woman and a 92-year-old woman, also have died of flu complications, according to the Cuyahoga County Board of Health. The three deaths are a somber reminder of those most vulnerable to complications from the flu — the very young and the very old.

The flu appears to be hitting Ohio particularly hard. State health officials said 2,100 people have been hospitalized so far this season because of the flu, up dramatically from 369 hospitalizations by this point in the 2016-2017 flu season. The last time the flu season was this bad in Ohio was in 2014-2015, when there were more than 2,800 flu-related deaths.

But there are troubling signs elsewhere in the country:

• In California, 91 people have died from the flu, including 27 people under the age of 65. In San Diego County, 46 people died from the flu during the week ending Jan. 6, health officials said. During the last flu season, eight Californians died from complications of the illness.
• Four people have died of the flu in Tennessee. They include a pregnant woman and three children.
• In Arizona, flu cases had shot up 785 percent over the previous year by mid-December. The deaths in Arizona included a young Phoenix mother, who died two days after she was diagnosed.
• Texas has more flu cases than any other state in the country, according to a map by the pharmacy Walgreens. Texas tracks adult flu deaths as a combined statistic with pneumonia deaths. So far this season, there have been 1,155 combined flu and pneumonia deaths and one flu-related pediatric death in the state. In Dallas County, Texas, at least 11 people have died of complications of the flu. In Travis County, where Austin is located, seven people have died. There have been no pediatric deaths.
• In Indiana, at least 25 people have died since the CDC's last surveillance report, which included year-end totals.

Many of those getting sick with the flu have a strain known as H3N2, which doesn’t respond well to flu vaccinations — though public health officials say that some protection is better than none at all and encourage people to get flu shots. That strain is particularly dangerous to young children and older adults over the age of 65.

Symptoms of the flu include fever, cough, body aches, headaches and fatigue. It’s always a good idea to call your doctor if you have symptoms, but if a child has trouble breathing, has bluish skin, or is not waking up or interacting, get immediate medical attention. In each of the past several flu seasons, at least 100 children have died, according to CDC data.

Immediate medical attention is also advised if an adult has difficulty breathing or shortness of breath, has sudden dizziness or confusion, is severely or persistently vomiting, or improves but then gets worse.

Tips to avoid the flu, curb its spread:

• Stay home if you are sick.
• Avoid touching your face — your mouth, nose, and eyes.
• Wash your hands frequently.
• Avoid others who are sick.
• Cough or sneeze into your sleeve or into a tissue.

You can be contagious from one day before and up to 5 to 7 days after becoming sick. It is spread through the air, from coughing and sneezing, or by hand, touching something that someone with the virus has touched

To treat the flu, use over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen or cough syrup to relieve symptoms. Rest in bed and drink lots of fluids. If you contact your doctor within 48 hours of onset of symptoms, you may be able to take an antiviral drug, which will reduce the severity of symptoms and length of the illness. The CDC has additional guidelines.

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