Flu-related deaths in North Carolina have continued to rise, with an additional 30 reported on Wednesday. The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) weekly totals are subject to revision, including factoring in cases and deaths that occurred weeks or months ago but were only recently confirmed as related to the flu.
According to DHHS, new cases of flu, COVID-19, and RSV continue to decline after reaching peaks in early January. The 2023-24 flu season has seen a total of 176 deaths, with the majority of the newly confirmed deaths occurring among those ages 65 and older, along with those ages 50 to 64. There were no additional deaths among children.
DHHS does not provide the region of the state in which flu-related deaths occur, citing patient privacy policies. For the season to date, there have been 109 deaths among those ages 65 and older, 43 for those ages 50 to 64, 17 ages 25 to 49, four ages 5 to 17, and four ages 4 and under.
The rise in flu-related deaths comes as early figures for respiratory virus infections from the first week of the new year show many sickened across the country from COVID-19, the flu, and RSV. While the numbers are not nearly as high, doctors are getting questions from parents following a couple of school outbreaks of whooping cough.
As the flu season generally reaches its peak in late January, the recent surge in flu-related deaths is a cause for concern. It is important for individuals, especially those in high-risk age groups, to take necessary precautions and seek medical attention if experiencing flu symptoms.
