CORONAVIRUS GRABS THE
HEADLINES, MORE COMMON
VERSIONS OF THE FLU HAVE
HEALTH OFFICIALS WORRIED.
3
BRIAN:..THAT'S ESPECIALLY TRUE
AMONG CHILDREN WHO COME DOWN
WITH THE FLU. THE CDC SAYS FLU
DEATHS AMONG KIDS HAVE HIT AN
11 YEAR HIGH.
3
NEWS 8'S JOE LAFURGEY IS IN
STUDIO CONTROL WITH THE STORY.
3
JOE:..KENT COUNTY HEALTH
OFFICIALS SAY THE 3 PEOPLE WHO
WERE UNDER VOLUNTARY
QUARANTINE AFTER POTENTIAL
EXPOSURE TO CORONAVIRUS VIRUS
NEVER DEVELOPED THE VIRUS. TWO
OTHER PEOPLE ARE NOW UNDER
THAT SAME PROGRAM. BUT THE
MORE COMMON FLU IS PRODUCING
MUCH HIGHER NUMBERS.
3
((BRIAN HARTL, EPIDEMIOLOGY
SUPERVISOR-KENT COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT/WHAT IS REALLY
IMPACTING OUR COMMUNITY NOW IS
INFLUENZA, ESPECIALLY AMONG
OUR YOUNG POPULATION. ))WHILE
THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE SHOWING
UP AT LOCAL EMERGENCY ROOMS
WITH FLU LIKE SYMPTOMS ARE
DOWN THIS WEEK... THEY'RE
STILL UP FROM LAST YEAR AT
THIS TIME. PATIENTS WITH
FEVER, WEAKNESS, DIZZINESS,
LIGHTHEADEDNESS AND CHILLS
ACCOUNTED FOR 10.6 PERCENT OF
ER VISITS IN KENT COUNTY THE
WEEK ENDING FEBRUARY 15TH. 6.4
PERCENT VISITED THE ER WITH
THE SAME SYMPTOMS THE SAME
WEEK LAST YEAR. AND THE
NUMBERS HAVE YET TO
PEAK. ((BRIAN HARTL,
EPIDEMIOLOGY SUPERVISOR-KENT
COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENT/WE
SAW A LOT AT THE BEGINNING OF
THE SEASON, AND THEN IT
DROPPED OFF. NOW IT'S BACK
UP.))NATIONALLY... THE BIGGEST
FEAR IS FOR THE YOUNG. THE CDC
HAS RECORDED THE HIGHEST
NUMBER OF DEATHS AMONG
CHILDREN FROM THE FLU... 105
ACROSS THE COUNTRY... SINCE
THE FLU PANDEMIC OF 2009.KIDS
UNDER AGE OF 5 ARE MOST AT
RISK FOR COMPLICATIONS FOR
FLU, AND MOST LIKELY TO BE
HOSPITALIZED.
3
((BRIAN HARTL, EPIDEMIOLOGY
SUPERVISOR-KENT COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT/WE HAVEN'T SEEN
THAT HERE IN KENT COUNTY. WE
HAVEN'T HAD ANY DEATHS IN KENT
COUNTY OF PEDIATRIC PATIENTS.
BUT WE ARE SEEING A LOT OF
ILLNESS. ))
3
JOE:..AND IT IT STILL NOT TOO
LATE TO GET A FLU SHOT.
DOCTORS SAY THAT'S STILL YOU
BEST BET TO AVOID GETTING THE