LOS ANGELES — Even as it begins to subside in other parts of the country, the severe flu that has been spreading across the U.S. has arrived in California and is causing illnesses and hospitalizations in much of the state, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The state's number of outpatient visits and hospitalizations has been higher than normal for mid-January, which could mean that California’s flu season has started earlier than normal or a sign that this year's flu could be more severe than usual, the article stated.
According to the article, five Californians under the age of 65 have already died from this year's flu.
While the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced Friday that the flu is starting to decline throughout much of the nation, hospitalization rates and deaths are expected to climb over the next few weeks as the flu progresses, the article noted.
Click here to read the article in its entirety.