Flu has killed 105 Californians so far this winter

The flu has killed more than 100 people throughout California so far this season — an alarming increase compared to recent years and a 50% rise in fatalities in the second week of January alone, state public health data released Friday show.

So far, 105 people have died from the flu this winter, with 35 of those people dying in the week ending Jan. 11, per the California Department of Public Health data. That’s exactly a 50% increase in flu deaths in one week, while the other 70 deaths so far this season were spread out from late September to early January.

For comparison, 75 people had died in the same week last year and only 32 people had died in the equivalent period of the 2017-18 season.

And while deaths from the virus usually happen to people with certain risk factors, including old age, the state said this year’s fatalities represented an alarming five children. Of the 105 deaths, 64 of those were in people 65 and older.

Meanwhile, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported Friday that 39 children nationwide have died from the flu so far this season. Of those, 28 were infected with the B strain of the virus and the other 11 had the A version.

The agency wasn’t able to get the origins of the virus responsible for each death, but all five of the B strains identified were B/Victoria, while all six of the A strains tested were the A(H1N1)pdm09 type.

All of California is considered to have “widespread” flu activity right now, so public health officials are encouraging everyone 6 months old and up to get a shot unless they have a legitimate medical condition that makes them unable to.

Officials also recommend taking precautions to stop the virus from spreading. Those include washing your hands frequently and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

On top of the deaths, there have been 35 outbreaks statewide since late September, but none in Shasta County. There were only 11 in the second week of January 2019.

The latest numbers come just days after a new study commissioned by the American Academy of Family Physicians found that only half of Americans got flu shots this year, with millennials abstaining the most.