Once again, we find ourselves in the middle of the yearly malady of flu season. Things won't ease up until the temps start rising again. (Hint: It's not too late to get a flu shot.) The Arkansas Department of Health reported 10 influenza deaths over the past week, nearly doubling the state's death toll for the 2025-2026 flu season, which now stands at 21 flu-related deaths. At least 20 of those deaths occurred among those 65 years of age or older. The uptick is not that surprising considering that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, January and February are the peak of the flu season, which runs from October to May. Last year, it took until the end of this month to reach the same number of fatalities. And, according to the dashboard on the department's website, 652 Arkansans have been hospitalized with the flu this season, and 135 of those occurred in just the past week. But those numbers should be viewed with some level of caution before we start yelling 'epidemic.' It should also be noted that the number of reported cases will always be lower than the number of actual cases. Not everyone does the right thing for their health, and that extends to being...
Source: https://www.nwaonline.com/news/2026/jan/19/editorial-influenzas-ups-and-downs/
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