Hearing loss and dementia. A hearing loss alone, without the effects of dementia, also affects the ability to communicate effectively. The severity of the loss is linked with a reduced quality of life. Even a mild hearing loss can create a negative social impact.
Another child died from the flu last weekâthe ninth to die so far this season, according to new data released Friday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, the number of people who died from pneumonia and the flu continued to stay below the seasonal baseline last week. The CDC estimates 12,000 to 56,000 people may die from the flu each year.
In the week ending December 20, nearly 7% of deaths were blamed on pneumonia and flu. That's higher than it was at the same time last year, but later on in the season the percentage of deaths blamed on the flu generally goes higher. The number of children killed by the flu spiked tremendously in 2013. Thirty-seven deaths were blamed on the flu in the 2011 to 2012 season; the next season, 2012-2013, there were 171 deaths, the CDC says. In the 2013 to 2014 season, the figure was 109. Totals are known for children but not adults because child deaths must be reported to the CDC; there's no similar requirement for adult deaths.