OK Flu Deaths, Hospitalizations Rise As Season Continues

The flu is getting worse in Oklahoma as doctors say they're seeing more and more people sick with it.

Already, the flu has killed 48 Oklahomans and the season could last another couple of months.

"It's not as bad as some of the viruses that we've had even in the last five years, but still, the flu is something to be concerned about because it can make people really sick, particularly the elderly and particularly the very young," said Dr. Brent Beasley.

The latest data shows, so far, 48 people have died in Oklahoma during the current 2016-2017 flu season. The numbers also show more than 1,600 people have been hospitalized.

Those are the second highest numbers in the last seven years, and the season isn't over yet.

The highest numbers were in 2014-2015 when 115 people died from the virus.

Beasley said having a bad flu season depends on several factors, including vaccine effectiveness.

"So, right now we're hitting about a 49 percent, which, in baseball would be pretty good, but this year has been pretty good - in the past, you might have anywhere from a low of 19 percent effectiveness up to 60 percent effectiveness in the last few years," he said.

That means just because you got the shot doesn't mean you won't get sick.

Beasley also recommends families protect themselves if someone in the house already has the flu.

"The other thing to know about the antiviral medicines is there's a prophylactic dose," he said.

Beasley said the best thing to do is get to the doctor fast so that the numbers don't go up.

He said the flu becomes deadly when it turns into an even more serious respiratory infection like pneumonia.