Four Flu Deaths Reported In Texas As Season Gets Early Start

December 21, 2012

The Dallas County Health Department is reporting its first flu-related death.

Officials say a woman in her 60s with underlying health conditions recently passed away.
It was the fourth flu-related death in Texas.  The other three, including one in Tarrant County, have been children.
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Flu season is off to an early start, and it could be a bad one.  “This year we are starting early and its climbing quickly,” says Dr. Donald Murphey, an Infectious Disease Pediatrician at Cook Children’s in Fort Worth “Last year this time we really didn’t have much flu. Last year in general was a mild season.”
At Cook Children’s, doctors normally see 300 patients a day.   But in the last few days that number has doubled.
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Cook Children’s treated 270 flu cases last week alone.  The week before it was 150.
At Children’s Medical Center in Dallas it’s been one of their busiest months.  Doctors say if you have a mild case of the flu treat it at home.  “We don’t have capacity to take care of everybody in a surge like this where you have lots and lots of sick kids all at one time,” explains Dr. Murphey.


Full Article:  http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/12/21/four-flu-deaths-reported-in-texas-as-season-gets-early-start/