Worst Flu Season In Years For Pierce County: Health Dept.

TACOMA, WA - Although local, statewide, and national flu activity shows steady decreases week by week, the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department on Wednesday noted the 2018-2019 influenza season recorded the most hospitalizations and the second-most deaths of any previous season. However, improvements to reporting and surveillance techniques may be a factor, health officials said.

In its latest report for Week 14, Tacoma-Pierce County Health officials said another 20 people were hospitalized and at least one more person died from influenza-like illnesses (ILI) since April 9.

As of April 17, the total number of people hospitalized with ILI in Pierce County sits at 643 — which is 95 more than all of the 2017-2018 season but only 12 more than the worst previous season in 2016-2017.

Perhaps interestingly, ILI hospitalizations during the 2013-2014 season were 343 percent fewer than hospitalizations this season. Health officials did not state why that may be.

For the 2016-2017 season, Pierce County Health officials reported the deaths of 50 people, which is 14 more deaths than the 2018-2019 season.

Compared to national ILI statistics, Pierce County had a 22 percent greater rate of ILI hospitalizations per 100,000 people this season.

Statewide, health officials report the deaths of 176 Washingtonians, with 16 of those deaths occurring just over the past week.

Click here to see the full T-PCHD influenza report for Week 14.

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