First 2 Idaho 2020-21 Flu Deaths Reported; 1 From Twin Falls Co.

The state health department has reported the first two confirmed deaths of the 2020-21 Influenza season. One of the dead was a Twin Falls County woman, and both tested positive for the virus known to lead to COVID-19.

With less than eight weeks left in 2020, Idaho currently has more than 68,000 confirmed cases of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19). To date, state health officials have confirmed 664 related fatalities, with that number increasing almost daily. The state also recently reported the first two deaths related to the flu virus for the season, with both individuals  found to carry a strain of the SARS virus.

The new findings were shared in a November 4 release by the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare. Details were at a minimum. Both individuals, one a Blaine County man and the other a Twin Falls County woman, were reported to both be over 60 years of age.

The average number of yearly Idaho fatalities related to influenza sits at roughly 40, and the majority are people over the age of 50, according to the release. In the United States, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases is reported at just under 10 million. There have more than 240,000 deaths in the U.S. linked to the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends wearing masks in public whenever possible. Social-distancing at a space of six-feet or more is also recommended. Keeping hands washed, carrying sanitizer that contains more than 60% alcohol and avoiding persons known to have symptoms may also prove beneficial in avoiding contracting viruses.