No new flu deaths reported for 3rd straight week as COVID-19 deaths ramp up across NC
RALEIGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- For the third straight week, North Carolina reported no new deaths from complications related to the flu.
The report comes as the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services continues to track the number of deaths due to COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, across the state.
For the entire flu season, which began in October 2019, North Carolina hospitals reported 183 deaths related to complications from the flu. In one month, from March 25 to April 25, the state saw 289 deaths due to severe complications from COVID-19.
According to health officials, out of 1,561 patients tested for the flu, hospital epidemiologists only reported 3 positive test results in the week from April 19 to April 25. That's compared to 2,049 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases out of 26,493 tests in the same time period.
Both diseases disproportionately affect those older than 65 years old. Of the 183 flu deaths reported for the season, 103 are in patients 65 and older. Approximately 86 percent of all COVID-19 deaths have been in the same age group.
Flu death data is updated every Thursday for the previous week. To date, 10,509 cases of COVID-19 and 378 deaths have been reported in North Carolina.
THE LATEST: COVID-19 updates in North Carolina
While-- unlike the flu--there is no vaccine for COVID-19, health officials recommend the same prevention techniques for both illnesses--frequently washing your hands with soap and water, avoiding others who are sick and covering your nose and mouth while coughing or sneezing.
WATCH: Symptoms of COVID-19
