New data from the US CDC estimates the number of people worldwide who die of influenza-related lung conditions each year could be as many as 650,000.
The CDC said between 291,000 and 646,000 people die from seasonal flu-linked respiratory illnesses. Earlier projections from the World Health Organization’s earlier projections of deaths from seasonal flu — 250,000 to 500,000 per year — “are outdated,” according to the study published Wednesday in The Lancet.
…These revised estimates could prompt greater adoption of better methods of diagnosing and tracking flu strains around the world.