Flu Cases Increase Substantially in All 62 New York Counties

Like much of the rest of the country, the Greater Binghamton area is being socked by the flu.

Informal interviews with area health care workers and emergency services technicians recently indicated that the major hospitals in the Binghamton area: Wilson Medical Center and Lourdes Ascension were packed mainly with flu and pneumonia patients with other admitted cases being placed in other, usually more temporary wards or moved to some open spots at Binghamton General Hospital.

New York State Health Officials have described this flu season as one of the worst on record with lab-confirmed cases last week recorded at the highest weekly number since records were started in 2004.  There were more than 1600 New Yorkers hospitalized just over the week of January 15.

The Governor has issued a public statement urging anyone over the age of six months who has not been vaccinated to get a flu shot as soon as possible.

According to Governor Andrew Cuomo, new cases were diagnosed in all 62 counties with a rise of 54% over the week reported to the State Health Department.