“Nearly 61 000 Americans died of influenza and its complications during the 2017–2018 influenza epidemic season — it has been the highest mortality rate in four decades, the total number of cases was 45 million, and 810 000 people were hospitalized,” said Roberd Redfield, director for the center for disease control and prevention (CDC), US.
He warned the public not to be vigilant about the flu, which this season was caught by at least 19 million , 180 thousand were hospitalizations and 10 thousand died.
It is noted that the highest mortality rate from influenza and pneumonia in the United States was recorded in 1960 - it amounted to 52.7 per 100 thousand people. In 2014, it amounted to 14.2, and in 1918 the epidemic of the so-called “Spanish flu” claimed the lives of 50 million people around the world.
According to WHO, annual influenza epidemics lead to 3-5 million cases of serious illness and kills 290-650 thousand worldwide.
The official number of deaths caused by coronavirus, as of February 5, 2020 amounted to 563 people.
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