An 8-year-old girl living at the LeFrak City complex in Corona who was battling the flu has died, police reported.
According to cops, the father of the 8-year-old girl called 911 this morning when his daughter expressed that she had trouble breathing. She was transported to Elmhurst Hospital and died at 6:30 a.m., according to ABC7.
An NYPD spokesperson said if the parents decide to agree to an autopsy, the medical examiner will ultimately decide the cause of death.
Federal health officials said the hospitalization rates for the flu are at their highest in almost a decade. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 53 children have died nationwide during this flu season. In the United States, there were 16 children reported dead from the flu during the last week of January, the most to die in a single week since the 2014-2015 flu season.
The CDC recommends that people get flu shots to prevent the illness, especially those who are most susceptible such as young children and those 65 years or older.
