On Monday we mentioned the 2012-2013 flu season is shaping up to be a bad one and since then things haven't gotten better. A hospital in Pennsylvania has had to open a tent outside their ER for flu patients and in Boston Mayor Menino has declared a public health emergency after 700 flu cases, and 18 related deaths, were confirmed. Last year Boston only had 70 confirmed cases. In other words: Feeling sick? Go home!
As Jason Kottke notes, Google's flu trends page, which usually predicts the CDC's numbers by about two weeks, is showing this to be the worst flu season in more than six years. Just look at that line dark blue line in the above graph and remember this flu season is still young and hungry for fresh souls.
Further, as you can see below and in this New York City Department of Health weekly report [PDF] things were already heating up, in regards to influenza-like illnesses, by the end of 2012, with little sign of a slowdown. Still, on the positive side there have been no pediatric or adult flu-related deaths reported in the city this year (though there has been one pediatric death reported in New York State [PDF]).
So what can you do to help keep the flu at bay? Well if you are already sick please, please, please stay home. And if not? Take off the tinfoil hat and get a flu shot if possible. The city even has a helpful site to help you find a location where you can get one nearby!
Finally, in case you were wondering how the city's flu problem breaks down by borough, there's a graph for that. Staten Island for the win?
Breaking the flu down by borough.
