Flu

Five people have now died in Minnesota from the flu. Sadly, four of the victims were children, which is uncommon. According to the Star Tribune , a child hasn't died from the flu since 2004.

Suprisingly, the article mentions that over 30,000 people die from the flu each year. That includes 700-800 in Minnesota. I would imagine that most of these victims are elderly. People with other health impairments have a more difficult time fighing off the virus.

I'm glad the media is reporting this. It's good to remind people to stay home when they, or their kids, are ill. There are no awards for infecting co-workers and the day care kids. I do have a problem with the borderline sensationalism that has gone on with these deaths. The numbers I mentioned were buried in the second page of the Tribune story. Casual readers are not going to see that info that adds perspective to the story. They will see the headline declaring another flu death with a quote from a health official about how we tend to be complacent.