As the coronavirus spreads in the U.S., the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provided updated numbers regarding the flu in America. The CDC said about 20,000 people have died of the flu, including 136 children so far this season.
The CDC's most recent flu report says that as of February 29, hospitalization rates among children aged 4 and under were the highest on record at this point in the season, surpassing rates reported during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic. The 136 children's deaths also mark the highest on record since the 2009 pandemic, according to CBS News.
The CDC estimates about 34 million people have gotten the flu so far this season and 350,000 have been hospitalized.
The agency also reminded the public that this year's flu vaccines are extremely effective. "Almost all (>99%) of the influenza viruses tested this season are susceptible to the four FDA-approved influenza antiviral medications recommended for use in the U.S. this season," the CDC said on its website.
The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the U.S. has surpassed 500, says CBS News. The new COVID-19 disease was blamed for at least 24 deaths in the U.S. as of Monday - a fraction of the more than 3,800 victims listed worldwide in figures compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
