January 08, 2015
As if the single-digit temperatures weren’t enough to make us want to hibernate in our homes, a widespread flu outbreak is reportedly underway.
A nationwide flu season activity report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week shows elevated and higher-than-average activity in 43 states, including Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
The winter flu season generally peaks between December and February and causes an estimated 120 to 2,000 deaths in Pennsylvania each year.
Since the fall, more than 10,000 statewide influenza cases have been confirmed. The actual number of sick people is likely many times higher, as the vast majority do not get laboratory tests.
