Flu death toll quietly soared to 328 in California as coronavirus fears gripped U.S.

Feb. 20--While Americans have been transfixed by concerns about the potential spread of new coronavirus in the United States, a growing number of U.S. citizens have been dying as a result of the seasonal influenza epidemic.

Public health officials announced Jan. 21 that the first confirmed case of COVID-19 arrived in the U.S. Since then, 14 other cases have been reported. During that same time period, more than 100 people have died of the flu in California.

All told, the state Department of Public Health reported figures on Friday that show the death toll from the flu is 58 percent higher now than in the comparable period last year. In the 2019-20 season, CDPH said, 328 people died of influenza, roughly 80 percent of them since the new year began.

Dr. Dean Blumberg, a pediatrician and expert in infectious diseases at UC Davis Health, said the numbers released each week just scratch the surface because it takes time to get data to the state and for it to be counted. Last Friday's report contained data the state had through Feb. 8.

Blumberg noted that this flu season has been particularly deadly for children because Influenza B, the dominant strain being transmitted earlier on, is very difficult for children to fight off. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports 92 influenza-associated deaths for children.

"You know the saying, 'If you've seen one, you've seen them all,'" Blumberg said. "Well, it's the opposite with influenza. If you've seen one flu season, you've seen one flu season. They're all so different. This one has been very much different from other flu seasons. Normally we see influenza starting off with Influenza A very strong. Most of the cases are caused by Influenza A, and then later on in the season, we often see Influenza B predominate among the circulating strains. This was an odd year where we had Influenza B early, and now Influenza A is starting up."

Influenza B was responsible for 60 percent of early flu cases, but now it's Influenza A at that mark, Blumberg said. Specifically, he said, it's swine flu, or the H1N1 virus, that is predominate right now.

"There are discrete waves of influenza that are occurring," Blumberg said, "and if you get one type, you're only immune to that type. Even if you've had the flu this year, you could get it more than once."

The number of flu-related fatalities has soared despite a vaccine. The CDC estimates that influenza has caused at least 14,000 deaths in the United States and there have been at least 26 million cases of the respiratory illness.

"Every year, we typically get about 50 percent of the eligible population vaccinated against influenza," Blumberg said. "That really has a modest effect in terms of protecting the whole population. When you get a vaccine, even if it's 100 percent effective and only 50 percent of the population is (vaccinated and) immune, it's going to go through that community. Then those who are not immunized and not immune obviously will be impacted, and since the vaccine doesn't work 100 percent, everybody's really at risk."

However, some people are more vulnerable to the flu than others, Blumberg pointed out. As people age, their immune systems are not as strong, he said, so people over 65 and even anyone as young as 50 are at higher risk for being hospitalized for flu. Children under age 5 also are at very high risk for hospitalization.

Blumberg said local hospitals also are seeing an increased number of infants coming to local hospitals with severe cases of a coldlike illness known as respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV. While most children can recover from RSV at home with the help of humidifiers and other treatments, Blumberg said, it can become life-threatening. Often, in those cases, he said, the virus has caused pneumonia and inflamed small airways in the lungs, a condition known as bronchiolitis.

To prevent spreading respiratory infections, medical experts recommend practicing good hygiene. If you're sick, don't expose others. Don't go to work, school or out in public.

If you are coughing or sneezing, cover with the inside of your elbow, not your hand. Viruses typically can be transmitted if you get droplets on your hand and you touch surfaces and then other people touch those surfaces and then touch their mouths, noses or eyes.

Wash your hands with soap and water regularly, but especially before you touch your face. If you can't get to soap and water, use a hand sanitizer comprised of at least 60 percent alcohol.

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