Officials: 45 Oklahomans have died from the flu
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – As thousands of Oklahomans fight the flu, health experts say the death toll associated with the virus continues to climb.
Officials with the Oklahoma State Department of Health announced this week that 313 Oklahoma patients had been hospitalized with the flu, bringing the total number of hospitalizations to 2,314 since Sept. 1.
Also, health experts say the death toll associated with the virus rose, bringing the total number of deaths in Oklahoma to 45 since the flu season began in September.
Official data indicates that one patient was younger than 5 years old, another was between 5 years old and 17 years old, while seven were between the ages of 18 and 49 years old. The other 36 patients were over the age of 50 years old.
Health officials said the flu claimed the lives of 85 Oklahomans last flu season and led to more than 2,891 hospitalizations statewide. Last flu season was the longest flu season in a decade, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Symptoms of the flu include fever, chills, muscle aches, cough, congestion, runny nose, headaches, and fatigue.