Snow Week 6 Flu in 2010

The best part of being snowed in is that the flu is either not reported or not spread. While we're huddled up with each other we're not likely to spread our virus to another outside our immediate families or be infected by another's virus. That the numbers are small is a very good thing. You might have been feeling cabin fever but chances are you weren't feeling the flu.

Flu Deaths 2010 by Jurisdiction  This Week Last Week YTD 2010 YTD 2009 YTD 2008 YTD 2007 District of Columbia Baltimore, MD Charlotte, NC Richmond/Norfolk,VA 1 16 12 5 U 14 14 7 8 102 73 37 12 118 41 53 11 100 72 38 7 103 72 38 TOTALS WEEK 6  34  35  220  224  221  220

During week 6 (February 7-13, 2010), influenza activity remained at approximately the same levels as last week in the U.S... ...No states reported widespread influenza activity, three states reported regional influenza activity, Puerto Rico and nine states reported local influenza activity, the District of Columbia and 35 states reported sporadic influenza activity, the U.S. Virgin Islands and three states reported no influenza activity, and Guam did not report. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

While the flu numbers were down unfortunately deaths by accidents or accidentally injuries were probably up as the number of deaths for the week weren't lower than usual. In the District of Columbia 107 individuals died the highest of 2010 to the week six (6) date. For Richmond where snow wasn't as serious a problem their overall death totals (41) were the lowest for 2010. Norfolk wasn't as fortunate, with 60 deaths closer to year's low of 51 for 2010. Charlotte had little snow and little change in their totals of 126 overall deaths which is consistent with their weekly numbers for 2010. Baltimore (Maryland) has, traditionally, the highest numbers of death though not the highest for 2010 with 171 this week.