Flu activity in Washington state is now considered "very high," according to the Washington State Department of Health (DOH).  State health officials reported over 1,200 new flu cases from Nov. 13-19, which was more than double the case count of previous weeks. Influenza type A has been the most common flu strain found in recent weeks, state health officials reported. The DOH said 7.5% of physician visits between Nov. 13-19 were for flu-like illnesses, up from the normal 1.8% baseline. In the 2022-23 flu season, the DOH said there have been six adult flu deaths and one pediatric flu death. There was an average of 193 flu deaths between 2014-2020, with a peak of 296 deaths in the 2017-18 flu season, according to DOH data. There were zero reported flu deaths in 2020-21 and 26 in 2021-22, a big decrease that coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic, social distancing and mask usage. READ THE FULL STORY: https://www.king5.com/article/news/health/flu/flu-activity-very-high-washington-state/281-cff72ad3-682f-4c04-af04-6dd7aa812d2c