Portland Press Herald graphicLast week saw a dramatic rise in the number of new flu cases and hospitalizations in Maine, adding to what already has been one of the worst years in nearly a decade. There were 876 new cases of influenza, a 63 percent increase over the previous week, as well as 120 new […]
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Posted inMaine
Flu patients cram into Portland emergency departments
Emergency rooms at Portland’s two largest hospitals were crammed with patients Monday, a surge that hospital officials attributed to the state’s influenza outbreak. By late Monday, there were more than 115 people seeking treatment at Maine Medical Center’s emergency department — a number that was above average, said Dr. Mike Baumann, Chief of MMC’s Emergency […]
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Posted inNation / World
Florida nurse sick of flu season: ‘Wash your stinking hands’
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A nurse’s Facebook rant about the “cesspool of funky flu” in emergency room waiting areas is getting a lot of attention. “Wash your stinking hands,” Katherine Lockler says in a six-minute video that’s been viewed 4.8 million times since she recorded it in frustration after a 12-hour shift during this particularly nasty flu […]
Posted inLewiston-Auburn, sj-web
Principals: Local schools not yet hit hard by flu outbreak
Farwell Elementary School second-grader Myles Arneault points to his experiment partner, Parker Crafts, and says, “You are going to wipe the toilet seat, not me.” With influenza cases widespread, second-graders in Abby Dix’s class were learning how germs spread and what they can do to avoid getting sick. (Russ Dillingham/Sun Journal) LEWISTON — Principals are […]
Posted inNation / World
This flu season is on track to be one of the worst in 15 years
[media-credit name=”AP graphic” align=”aligncenter” width=”967″][/media-credit] This flu season is on track to be one of the worst in 15 years, with nearly 12,000 people needing to be hospitalized, federal health officials reported Friday. The latest weekly report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that the season, which started early and hit many […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Influenza cases accelerating in Maine
Reported flu cases continued to accelerate in Maine during the past week, and the numbers have yet to peak. The Maine Center for Disease Control on Wednesday reported 531 new cases for the week ending Jan. 20, with 1,749 total cases for this flu season. The previous week, through Jan. 13, there were 391 new […]
Posted inMaine, sj-web
Maine flu deaths rise to 21 so far this season
The number of flu-related deaths this season in Maine has reached 21, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Emily Spencer, a spokeswoman for the state agency, said the number includes people who have died from complications from flu. “This is likely an under-representation because many individuals die of secondary infections that […]
Posted inNation / World
6 tactics for fighting the flu at home
??? Coughing, sneezing and misery are a part of many households these days as cold and flu season kicks into high gear. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say we are in the midst of a “very active” flu season in much of the country, and that the flu is widespread and intense. It’s […]
Posted inMaine
Maine churches take flu precautions, urge worshippers to take hands-off approach
Maine churches are suspending traditional rituals such as sharing communion wine and shaking hands to try to prevent the spread of flu as cases of illness and hospitalizations increase rapidly around the state. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland, which covers all of Maine, announced Thursday that parishes would be directed to suspend the sharing […]
Posted inNation / World, sj-web
Maine hospitals seeing surge in flu cases, mostly of more severe type
Flu season is underway, and although Maine so far is experiencing fewer cases of seasonal flu than most states, the predominant strain of influenza circulating in Maine and most of the U.S. is more severe than last year and more likely to require hospitalization. The Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention reported 373 cases […]