Southern California braces for difficult flu season as cases rise after COVID lull
In this Thursday, April 24, 2020, photo, a resident wearing a face mask lines up for groceries at a Kroger grocery store near the California State University, San Bernardino campus in San Bernardino, Calif. As California braces for a difficult flu season in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, officials are looking at several promising options for dealing with the virus-induced respiratory illness, which has spread rapidly throughout the state, including by air. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
In this Thursday, April 24, 2020, photo, a resident wearing a face mask sits in a waiting area at a Kroger grocery store near the California State University, San Bernardino campus in San Bernardino, Calif. As California braces for a difficult flu season in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis, officials are looking at several promising options for dealing with the virus-induced respiratory illness, which has spread rapidly throughout the state, including by air. (AP Photo/Noah Berger)
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — California is a little more than two weeks away from a potentially dangerous flu season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The state is bracing for a tough time.
The state Department of Public Health has recorded 1,521 confirmed cases, up from 824 cases on the first day of the season, even as public health officials have repeatedly said that the state’s testing for the virus is adequate.
And public health officials say they are looking closely at more than 300 cases in their latest list, to see if they think they can identify the most dangerous flu strains for the next two weeks.
“We’re watching the virus very, very carefully,” said Dr. Barbara Ferrer, the state public health officer.
Ferrer has said that her team is looking closely at a group of people who are sick from the flu and have tested positive for the virus, including people who have been hospitalized