20 new flu deaths reported, bringing NC total to 95 this season

(WTVD) — The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services released Thursday that North Carolina saw 20 new flu deaths last week, bringing the total to 95 for the season.

The World Health Organization estimates the annual epidemic results in about 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness globally and 290,000 to 650,000 deaths.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine found that chances of a heart attack are increased sixfold during the first seven days after a flu infection.