LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The number of flu cases in the Louisville area is still spiking, and the nation's top immunologist said this season is shaping up to be one of the deadliest in decades.
At least 2,900 people have died from the flu in the U.S. so far this season, according to the NIAID, which is part of the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious diseases, said this year is shaping up to be among the worst in recent history.
Number of flu cases per month. Courtesy of the Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness.
The Louisville Metro Department of Public Health and Wellness said it confirmed 886 cases in the last week of 2019, up nearly 30% from the prior week. Norton Healthcare said that it handled more than 2,500 cases in the final week of 2019, a spike of more than 50% from the prior week.
The health care system said that, in total, it has handled more than 5,000 flu cases in its 15-county Louisville and southern Indiana area.
Norton said that the most severely affected areas have been Bullitt County and western and southern Louisville. Southern Indiana largely has been spared so far, though that area, too, saw a sharp increase in the final week of last year.
Darker areas of the map show higher incidence of flu. (Courtesy of Norton Healthcare.)
Health officials also said that it’s not too late to get a flu shot. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that everyone 6 months and older get a flu vaccine every season. Many insurers cover the cost of the flu shot.
“The single best way to prevent seasonal flu is to get vaccinated,” the agency said.
The CDC also said that people can prevent spreading the flu by covering their mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, washing their hands often and staying at home if they are sick.
The agency also said that despite widespread misinformation, studies have found no link between vaccines and autism.
Meanwhile, the flu causes an estimated 9 million to 45 million illnesses annually, killing between 12,000 and 61,000 people. The NIH estimates that the annual economic burden of seasonal influenza in the U.S. is about $11 billion.
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