A woman in her 20s died last week in Snohomish County from the flu, marking the second death in the county from the respiratory illness and the first for the 2022-23 flu season.
The woman was from Lynnwood and died at Providence Regional Medical Center Everett, according to the Snohomish Health District.
This year's flu season is projected to be the worst flu season since before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the Snohomish Health District.
A Bothell woman died from the flu in October, marking the first flu-related death reported in Snohomish County since 2020.
By early November, flu-related hospitalizations already were quadrupled what they’d been during the same period in the last two years.
“The flu can be a very serious illness for people of all ages, as can COVID-19,” said Dr. James Lewis, health officer for the Snohomish Health District. “We have vaccines to help protect us, and I again urge everyone 6 months and older to get their annual flu vaccine as well as their COVID vaccines, and for those who are eligible to also get their bivalent COVID booster.”
Officials believe for the last two flu seasons, COVID precautions such as masking, social distancing and quarantining at home when sick have reduced the spread of illnesses like the flu.
Appointments for flu vaccines and COVID-19 vaccines and boosters are available at most clinics and pharmacies. For more flu-related information, visit the Snohomish Health District website.