East Haven Health: State Says Flu Season May Have Peaked

It has been a brutal flu season for East Haven, as well as most other Connecticut towns and cities. But it appears the worst may now be over.

Flu Season Peaked?

Although the number of deaths attributed to the seasonal flu climbed to 23 this past week, state health officials report that they believe the influenza season has peaked.

The state Department of Public Health issued a weekly report Thursday stating that the number of people coming to hospital emergency rooms with flu-like symptoms has dropped from a high of 12.4 percent last week to 10.2 percent this past week.

East Haven Numbers

In East Haven, there have been 26 confirmed cases of the flu.

That number is up slightly from reported cases in town two weeks ago.

You can view the statewide flu data in the PDF attached to this post.

Fewer Seeking Treatment

In addition, the number of people seeking outpatient services for flu-related symptoms has decreased during the last two weeks from a peak of 4.6 percent to the current level of 3.4 percent.

In all, 1,522 people have been hospitalized this season with symptoms of the flu and the state has recorded 3,758 confirmed influenza cases statewide. That figure does not include those who probably have the flu but have not been tested.

Flu-Related Deaths

There have been 23 deaths in Connecticut so far related to the flu, the state health data show.

Of those, 19 were of people age 65 and older and four were people between the ages of 55 and 64.

Cold Medicine Recall

In a related story, the makers of Triaminic and Theraflu are recalling those and other products because of faulty child-proof caps.