SACRAMENTO >> California saw 30 more flu deaths last week, more than the 23 reported the week earlier, but health officials say influenza activity is decreasing.
In its weekly California Influenza Surveillance Program update released Friday afternoon, the California Department of Public Health said the 30 deaths were only people aged 64 or younger; the elderly are particularly susceptible to dying from the flu but are not included in the tally.
The newly reported deaths bring the total for this flu season to 127 for Californians under age 65. And every county in the state continued to report flu activity last week for this age group.
A week earlier, the number of Californians younger than 65 who died from the flu climbed by 23, with an increase of four in the Greater Bay Area.
In another indicator of the flu’s impact, the state reported that the percentage of hospitalizations for pneumonia and influenza in Kaiser Permanente facilities in northern California during what’s called “Week 4” of the season was 7.5 percent compared to 9.5 percent during Week 3. But Week 4’s number is still above expected levels for this time of the year, said the report.
To date, the Greater Bay Area has reported 22 flu deaths, which represent 17.3 percent of those reported statewide. The Greater Bay Area, for record-keeping purposes of state health officials, includes Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, Solano, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Sonoma counties.
