influenza

Oh no!

Health officials are reporting the first death of the 2023-24 flu season in Grant County. The Grant County Health District (GCHD) says the victim, whose gender and age were not released, had underlying health conditions. GCHD spokesperson, Lexi Smith, says the fatality coincides with the district's official announcement of the start of flu season, which is being recognized along with two other ill

Flu numbers are a sharp contrast from the last flu season when cases were reported at record lows.

Everyone is encouraged to keep children home if they are sick, wash hands often, and avoid close contact with those who are sick.

There have also been at least two other flu deaths in the last week statewide - one each reported in Spokane and Snohomish counties.

The precautions many people are taking to limit the spread of COVID-19 is having another beneficial effect according to Chelan-Douglas Health Officer Dr. Malcolm Butler. "We've seen almost no influenza this year. Fingers crossed, I think we're going to see a very light flu season ...

The CDC is recommending getting your flu shot as early as possible, even though the flu season is not in full swing yet. UW Medicine's Dr. John Lynch says they have already seen one case of influenza A which is the most dangerous type of flu virus...

The type A influenza that sent patients to emergency rooms this flu season was bad enough -- now we have type B. Overall flu activity may be down, but the percentage of cases being caused by influenza B virus is on the rise nationwide, including reports from Washington, Idaho and Oregon, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention...