The flu season has taken a deadly turn with health officials in the London region reporting the first influenza-related death this winter.
The Middlesex-London Health Unit, in its latest influenza surveillance report, says there were 22 new cases of laboratory-confirmed Influenza A in the community between January 6 and 12. Of those, eight required hospitalization and one died.
The number of influenza cases has slowly been increasing across the city and county. The previous report, which covered the period between December 30 and January 5, saw 24 of the 76 total laboratory-confirmed cases reported to the health unit since September 2. Only one outbreak has been declared in care facilities this flu season.
Anyone who has not yet gotten their flu shot is being encouraged to do so as soon as possible, as it takes about two weeks for the vaccine to provide optimal protection against the virus. In order to prevent becoming sick, it's recommended area residents wash their hands more often, use alcohol-based hand sanitizer, and clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces on a regular basis. Anyone feeling sick is also advised to stay home and cover their mouth when coughing and sneezing.
Local health officials are offering the tips to keep people healthy in an effort to avoid a repeat of last winter's deadly flu season. The 2017-2018 flu season in London-Middlesex was classified as "the most substantial in recent years" with 870 laboratory-confirmed cases of influenza that resulted in 464 hospitalizations, 71 confirmed outbreaks at local facilities, and 44 deaths.
