Two Thurston County residents die of influenza

Thurston County Public Health and Social Services (PHSS) reports two influenza-related deaths for the 2023-2024 flu season.

In a statement released Wednesday, January 17, PHSS reported these recent cases contribute to the 31 influenza-related deaths reported by the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) for the ongoing 2023-2024 influenza season.

One of the victims was a child.

In response to these developments, health officials are urging individuals experiencing flu-like symptoms to stay home and minimize contact with others, except for when seeking medical care.

While many cases of the flu result in mild illness that don't require medical intervention or medications, young children, individuals aged 65 and older, pregnant individuals, and those with specific medical conditions are at a higher risk of severe complications.

Members of these groups are advised to contact their healthcare provider if flu symptoms manifest.

Hundreds of thousands of people in the United States are hospitalized yearly due to flu-related illnesses.

Currently, influenza-like illness activity is marked as high in Washington.

According to the data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 9,400 to 28,000 people died from influenza between October 1, 2023, and January 6, 2024, while millions sought medical care after falling severely ill from the flu.

To monitor respiratory illness trends, residents of Thurston County can visit the Thurston County website.

For additional information on protecting yourself from influenza, visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website and the Washington State Department of Health website.

Precautions

Aside from getting the flu vaccine, there are proactive measures that individuals and families can adopt to reduce the risk of illness and the spread of respiratory viruses:

• Wash hands frequently for at least 20 seconds with soap and warm water, or use hand sanitizer when hand washing is unavailable.
• Avoid touching eyes, mouth, and nose to prevent the entry of germs.
• Stay home when unwell, even for mild illnesses, and isolate sick household members in separate rooms.
• Wear masks in crowded or poorly ventilated settings.
• Limit close contact, especially for young infants and individuals with specific chronic conditions.
• Regularly clean high-touch surfaces with a cleaner known to be effective against common viruses.

Residents are also encouraged to get an influenza vaccine, an effective way of preventing respiratory illnesses, after it was seen that last season’s shot of the vaccine seemed to reduce an adults’ risk to emergency room visitation by almost half and more than a third for hospital admissions.