County data shows significant increase in flu deaths, hospitalizations
EVERETT — Snohomish County Health Department data shows a significant increase in influenza-related deaths and hospitalizations in the 2024-25 flu season compared to previous years.
In the 2024-25 season, there were 53 reported flu-related deaths, the most in more than a decade. The figure is up from seven deaths in 2023-24. The median age of people who died was 71.
The rate of flu-related hospitalizations was 99 per 100,000 residents, also the highest in a decade and up from 17 per 100,000 in 2023-24. The increase was partly due to expanded reporting through a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program, said Holli Bruce, the county’s lead epidemiologist, in a press release Tuesday. The highest hospitalization rates were among adults aged 65 and older.
The percentage of emergency department visits for flu-like illness was the highest in February at 8.3%. It declined to 0.2% by the end of the season, Sept. 27. School absenteeism remained low throughout the season, the county release said. Twenty-four outbreaks were reported in long-term care facilities.
https://www.heraldnet.com/news/county-data-shows-significant-increase-in-flu-deaths-hospitalizations/
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