By County News Center
San Diego, CA–A 55-year-old man from the North Central region of the county is the first influenza death reported in San Diego this season, the County Health and Human Services Agency said.
The man died on Oct. 15. He had underlying medical conditions and had not been vaccinated against the flu. He tested negative for COVID-19.
New influenza cases also continued to increase last week. The County Health and Human Services Agency are reporting 856 lab-confirmed flu cases for the week ending Oct. 22. That’s an almost 45% increase when compared to the previous week when 591 new infections were reported.
The agency now publishes the Respiratory Virus Surveillance Report weekly. The report is published each Thursday and tracks key respiratory illness indicators, including flu cases and deaths.
For the week ending Oct. 22, the report stated that emergency department visits for influenza-like illness are 6% of all visits (compared with 5% the previous week).
Lab-confirmed influenza cases for the week are 856 (compared to 591 the previous week), and total lab-confirmed cases to date are 2,528 (compared to 232 at the same time last season, and a 196 prior 5-year average during the same week).
“Every flu death is tragic and our condolences go out to the man’s family and friends,” said Wilma Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., County public health officer. “Unfortunately, we see influenza deaths every fall and winter and I encourage San Diegans to do their part to stop the spread of illnesses and prevent deaths.”
The influenza vaccine is available at doctors’ offices and retail pharmacies and is covered by medical insurance. People with no health care coverage can get vaccinated at one of the County’s six public health centers or a local community clinic. To find the nearest public health center location, visit the County’s Flu Vaccine Locations page or call 2-1-1 San Diego.
