NC seeing influx of flu cases. How many people have died from influenza this season?
The flu has killed 96 people — including seven children — in North Carolina since October, according to data from the NC Department of Health and Human Services.
This year’s respiratory virus season is in full force this month — about 16% of all emergency department visits in the state were due to a respiratory virus, according to the most recent CDC data.
Dr. David Weber, the head of infectious disease at UNC Medical Center, said at one point last week more than 100 people were hospitalized for COVID, flu or RSV. He said this surge is driven by influenza cases.
He said the hospital has been able to handle the influx of patients by opening extra units.
“We’re able to manage it so far without having to resort to limiting admissions, surgeries or other activities,” he said.
When admissions peaked a few weeks ago, Weber said, the pediatric intensive care unit, which has fewer beds than the adult ICU, was under particular strain.
This has meant that the children’s hospital has to “infrequently” reschedule non-urgent procedures, said Dr. Benny Joyner, the chief of pediatric critical care medicine at UNC Health.
However in most situations, Joyner said, they have not had to postpone or reschedule any urgent or emergency surgeries.
