MORNING HEADLINES | Health officials across the country say the United States is facing its worst flu season since 2009. This flu season is classified as a “high-severity” season, with estimates of at least 29 million cases across the country, according to recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“It might not 100% protect you from getting the flu but what it can do for you is keep you out of the hospital and keep you from dying,” one doctor from South Carolina said.
Across the U.S., there have been at least 370,000 hospitalizations and 16,000 deaths from flu as of Feb. 8. In South Carolina, more than 5,400 people were hospitalized and more than 100 people have died due to flu complications, according to the state Department of Public Health.
Officials urge you to get your flu shot if you haven’t yet, as it can help prevent hospitalization or death. Public health officials add that they are “flying blind” because they can’t get global flu data since the Trump administration announced the U.S. exit from the World Health Organization.
How to stay safe:
- Get a flu shot.
- Wash hands regularly.
- Cover your mouth when sneezing or coughing.
- Stay home when you are sick.
In other recent headlines:
Hundreds protest Trump, Musk at Columbia Statehouse. An estimated 400 people on Monday chanted, booed and flashed signs of numerous gripes with President Donald Trump, the influence of tech billionaire Elon Musk, the government-shrinking efforts of the temporary Department of Government Efficiency that Musk leads, Trump’s rollback of protections for transgender students and military personnel, and his numerous other executive orders.
Charleston school district discusses if schools should be named after people or places. Charleston officials, along with a committee composed of parents, community members, teachers and district staff consider their thoughts on what name a new school should carry. Currently, district policy states schools cannot be named after a living person and must have special local significance.
Carriage house by building arts students to be ‘living laboratory.’ Recent graduates and current students from the American College of the Building Arts use repurposed materials and old techniques to construct a sustainable, modern-day structure from the ground up, designed by the school’s founder.
Two North Charleston communities to be recognized with marker. Both Read Hill and Dewey Hill, two separate communities in the Virginia Avenue corridor, were built around the 1920s to provide housing for Black laborers who worked in industries that supported the nearby Navy Shipyard. Today, no physical remnants of the houses remain.
New recreation, aquatic center coming to Johns Island. The Johns Island Recreation Center and Aquatic Facility will be located next to the Johns Island City Park, and is funded by a $70 million parks bond referendum.
A look back at presidential visits in Charleston. The Holy City has a rich tradition of welcoming sitting commanders-in-chief to the city dating back to George Washington’s Southern tour in 1791. In total, 11 presidents have visited Charleston.
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