Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Jan 09, 2026 1 month, 2 weeks, 2 days, 1 hour, 44 minutes ago
Medical News: Flu Deaths Climb While Cases Ease
North Carolina is reporting a troubling spike in flu related fatalities even as the overall spread of respiratory illness shows the first signs of slowing. According to the latest weekly data from the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, 22 additional residents lost their lives to flu linked complications last week. That brings the statewide toll to 71 deaths since October. Seniors remain the group most at risk with about 75 percent of deaths involving people 65 and older. Two of the most recent fatalities were youths between the ages of five and seventeen highlighting that severe outcomes can span generations.
Flu deaths rise to 71 as North Carolina hospitals warn the season is not over
Hospitals Feel Pressure but Numbers Dip
Despite widespread concern, emergency room traffic has begun to ease. DHHS reports that just over 20 percent of ER visits statewide last week were due to flu like symptoms down from more than 25 percent during the week of Christmas.
Hospitalizations are also inching downward. Emergency departments admitted 3,419 individuals for respiratory complications a decrease of roughly 200 patients compared with the previous week. Health leaders caution however that the numbers are still high enough to strain systems particularly as winter weather keeps people indoors and exposed.
Visitor Restrictions Rolled Out
Major medical networks including Duke WakeMed, UNC Hospitals and UNC Rex have moved to tighten visitor policies. Restrictions include barring anyone who is actively ill and in certain cases limiting access for minors. Administrators say the measures are necessary to protect people most vulnerable to complications including older adults, individuals with weakened immune systems and children undergoing treatment for chronic illnesses.
Season Far from Finished
Public health experts warn that the state is nowhere near the end of the seasonal surge. Many residents mistakenly assume that flu peaks around the holidays and fades quickly afterward. A
Medical News report noted that significant waves often stretch deep into February and March and sometimes rebound in early spring. This pattern is especially visible in years with wide swings in temperature when indoor gatherings multiply and viral transmission strengthens.
What Officials Want Residents to Do
Doctors urge people across the state to remain vigilant. That means staying home when sick seeking care when symptoms worsen and practicing simple preventive behaviors such as frequent handwashing disinfecting high touch surfaces and covering coughs and sneezes. They stress that the rising death count at a moment when cases are easing is a stark warning. It demonstrates that the virus continues to circulate broadly and that the burden of disease can fall heavily on older adults and anyone living with chronic conditions. Officials add that with hospitalizations still high and deaths climbing this is a critical time for communities to remain cauti
ous and take steps to slow spread rather than assuming the danger has passed.
Reference:
https://covid19.ncdhhs.gov/dashboard
For the latest Flu News, keep on logging to Thailand
Medical News.
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https://www.thailandmedical.news/articles/influenza-or-flu
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