Flu Hospitalization Rate Is Highest in 10 Years, Says CDC; EDs Are “Cesspools of Flu,” Says Nurse

​The overall U.S. flu hospitalization rate rose to 51.4 per 100,000 during the week ended January 27, 2018, the highest number the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has seen in nearly a decade, according to a February 2, 2018, article in the Washington Post. CDC also reported that the proportion of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness was 7.1% during the week. This is higher than the figure from the previous week, which had been the largest percentage of people visiting doctors' officers for flu-related reasons since 2009. In related news, a video made by a Florida nurse urging people to wash "your stinking" hands to prevent the flu has gone viral. The video has been shared more than 5 million times, according to a separate article in the Washington**Post.