Sixteen deaths were reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention this week that were flu-related. The total number of pediatric flu-related deaths this year has reached fifty-three.
So far this year, the cumulative rate of hospitalizations is the highest since we’ve been tracking in this way, which goes back to 2010,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, acting CDC director. “This is a very difficult season,” she added.
This year’s flu season is one of the worst in recent years. Overall, there has been 126,117 confirmed cases this year, with 17,024 in the past week alone. The hospitalization rate of the fourth week of 2018 is about 51 per 100,000, higher than the 43 per 100,000 during the same week in the 2014-2015 season, which is considered one of the most severe in recent history.
If the trend continues hospitalizations for the 2017-18 season may well exceed those of the 2014-2015 season, experts say.