Flu Hospitalization Rate is Highest in 10 Years, Says CDC; EDs are “A 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. (For more see HRC Alerts, January 31, 2018: It's Not over Yet: Flu Season is Worst in Nearly a Decade, Hospitals Setting Up Tents; CDC Urges Vaccinations. ) Influenza has led to the death of at least 53 children so far this season, 80% of whom did not receive a flu vaccination, the Post article said. In related news, a video made by a Florida nurse urging people to wash "your stinking" hands to prevent the flu has gone viral.