Late last year at the beginning of the traditional start to the flu season in South Louisiana we remarked that it looked as if the season was going to be a mild one. Which it would have been if we would have had only one outbreak of the deadly disease this year.

Unfortunately, we've had two separate waves of influenza and that has made this particular season exceptionally difficult. The first wave of the flu we seemed to have navigated without too much incident. Then in early January, the second wave of a more potent strain of the virus started to spread and that's when things got really serious.

By the middle of February, there were more reports of flu-like illness and hospitalizations being noted across the state and the country. Officials with the Centers for Disease Control are estimating the flu is now responsible for 35,000 to 55,000 deaths since the season officially began in late November of last year.

The silver lining to this dark cloud of sniffling, sneezing, and hallucinating with a high fever is that it's almost over. Officials with the CDC suggest that if there are no unexpected spikes in flu cases over the next few weeks the season could be finally finished. Let us hope that is the case.

 

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