The Trenton Times published the following article on January 27, 2014. To read the full article, click here.
Fewer flu patients at Mercer County hospitals this year due to weather, more vaccinations
By Cristina Rojas/The Times of Trenton
on January 27, 2014 at 7:15 AM, updated January 27, 2014 at 10:29 AMFlu activity in New Jersey is now “widespread,” with all regions of the state experiencing high levels of flu activity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, though local health officials report far fewer cases so far this year than last.
At University Medical Center of Princeton at Plainsboro, the emergency room had seen 60 cases through late last week, compared with 139 last year for the same period, Dr. David Herman, chief of infectious diseases and hospital epidemiologist, said. Those numbers include 31 adult cases compared with 87 a year ago, and 29 pediatric cases compared with 52 in the previous flu season.
Herman said the increase recently may be due to the colder temperatures because people tend to stay indoors, where the virus is more easily transmitted.
Anne Dikon, director of infection prevention at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Hamilton, said the hospital has seen 40 confirmed cases so far this season,compared with 174 at this point last year.
The first case arrived at the hospital Nov. 29, a few days earlier than last year. She said there were a few cases in early December, followed by a higher number during the holidays when people share everything, including the flu.