Flu activity is waning on the North Olympic Peninsula after one of the worst influenza seasons in recent memory, health officials said.
Clallam and Jefferson County public health officers reported Friday marked decreases in the number of people being tested for the flu, the number of positive tests and the number of people with flu-like symptoms in hospitals and clinics.
“We have seen a significant drop-off in the number of influenza labs in the last week or two,” said Dr. Christopher Frank, Clallam County health officer.
“It’s still classified as widespread in our area, but it looks like it’s improving. Hopefully we’re on the downward side of it.”
Dr. Tom Locke, Jefferson County health officer, said the flu season likely peaked two weeks ago.
“It was a pretty sharp peak,” Locke added.
“Usually when the peak is sharp, the drop-off is kind of a mirror image of it. Hopefully, week by week, we’ll see declining flu activity.”
The state Department of Health reported 172 laboratory-confirmed influenza deaths as of Feb. 4, including one in Jefferson County.
“That’s the highest it’s been since 2010,” Locke said.
Locke added that lab-confirmed flu deaths underestimate the scope of the outbreak, as many fatalities go unreported.
“This has been a bad year for influenza by most accounts,” he said.
Nearly all of the flu cases this year are the H3N2 strain, which is associated with more complications and higher death rates than other types of flu.
To avoid getting the flu, health officials recommend vaccinations, good hand hygiene, covering coughs and staying home when you’re sick.
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Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56450, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
Christopher Frank
