Most states are seeing an unusually high number of flu patients late in the season, reports CNN.
Thirty-three states and Puerto Rico faced widespread flu activity for the week ended March 30, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday.“Here we are in April, and we’re still having substantial influenza,” said Dr. William Schaffner, medical director of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. “It’s reduced but still substantial.” During the previous week, 34 states and Puerto Rico reported widespread activity.Although flu has not taken as many lives this year as last, when more than 80,000 people died, the number of deaths is still considerable. Five children died of flu-associated causes during the week ended March 30, bringing total number of childhood deaths for the season to 82; overall, as many as 50,900 total deaths due to flu have occurred this season, according to the CDC.
