Why some people die from the flu; a doctor explains (episode 357)

The current flu season is the worst in a decade, overwhelming emergency rooms and causing one in 10 American deaths in recent weeks, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Today on the show, Dr. John Cmar, an infectious diseases specialist, talks about the flu in Maryland and across the U.S., and he explains why some people die from it.Also on the show:* The CDC is facing fiscal problems and plans to pull back on its interventions overseas, including in some countries that have been hotspots for infectious diseases.* Plus, a study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reveals a 40 percent drop in government-funded clinical trials in recent years. Dr. Cmar comments on both developments. He is based at Sinai Hospital in Baltimore and comments about medical news from time to time.Links:http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-flu-season-20180126-story.htmlhttp://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-child-flu-death-20180206-story.htmlhttps://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2018/02/cdc-funding-pandemics/552224/http://www.baltimoresun.com/health/bs-hs-nih-clinical-trials-20180213-story.html