‘Widespread activity’: Confirmed flu cases in hundreds in York County region
As the flu season enters the most active period, hundreds of cases have already been confirmed in the York County region.
Flu season typically worsens in the colder months.
There have been more than 400 laboratory-confirmed cases of the flu as of Oct. 1 in York, Chester and Lancaster counties, according to Department of Health and Environmental Control.
Of those, 378 cases were confirmed in York County, 9 cases in Lancaster County and 21 cases in Chester County, according DHEC data.
The numbers do not include rapid flu tests administered in doctors’ offices, said DHEC spokesperson Chris Delcamp.
There have been four flu-related deaths in the Midlands region of South Carolina, which also includes York, Chester and Lancaster counties, Delcamp said.
There have been 29 flu-related deaths in South Carolina since the start of the season, according to DHEC’s Feb. 3-9 update.
“South Carolina reported widespread activity this week,” DHEC said in the update. “This is the sixth consecutive week at widespread activity.”
The N.C. Department of Health and Human Services reports 52 flu-related deaths as of Sept. 30.
Flu symptoms include fever, sore throat, cough, headaches, fatigue, muscle aches and runny nose, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Children, people aged 65 years or older, pregnant women and people with medical conditions such as asthma are more at risk for serious complications due to the flu, according to the CDC.
The CDC urges people ages 6 months or older to get flu vaccinations.
This story was originally published February 20, 2019 at 12:32 PM.
