'14,000 Deaths' Virus More Deadly Than COVID Spreads in the US

About 26 Million Infected in the US... More Deadly Than COVID-19
Worst Case in the Past Decade
Second Wave Expected from Late January

Winter Flu Vaccination in the United States / Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporters Suwan Kim and Intern Reporter Juhyung Lim] It is reported that the number of deaths caused by the influenza (flu) virus in the United States has reached 14,000. While the fear of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) is sweeping the world, the "winter flu" in the U.S. is far more deadly.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that at least 26 million people have been infected with the flu since October last year, and the number of deaths has reached about 14,000.

Among these, at least 92 of the deceased are known to be children, and about 250,000 patients have been hospitalized due to the flu.

Accordingly, U.S. health authorities expect this flu season to be the worst in the past decade.

In particular, while the flu typically peaks around December and then subsides, this winter it is estimated to have entered a second wave of spread from the end of January.

Previously, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases worldwide has been about 66,000, with around 1,500 deaths, most of which occurred in China.

Meanwhile, the flu is an acute respiratory disease caused by the influenza virus. It is known for its high contagiousness and for causing annual outbreaks through genetic mutations.