WHAT WE KNOW
- 36 states have reported widespread flu activity
- 25 Orange County hospitals E.R.'s at at capacity and have turned ambulances away.
- An additional 13 states and Puerto Rico recorded regional activity: Alaska, Hawaii, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Nevada, North Carolina, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Utah and Vermont.
- Nationwide, 12 children have died due to flu this season.
- The highest rate of hospitalization was among adults 65 or older, followed by adults between 50 and 64 and then children up to 4 years old.
- Experts believe the flu virus is spread when a sick person talks, sneezes or coughs.
- Common symptoms include fever and chills, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, muscle and body aches, headaches and fatigue. Despite these painful symptoms, most people will recover in less than two weeks.