4 people died from flu last week in the Lowcountry. Is the worst of flu season over yet?

Four more people in the Lowcountry have died after being diagnosed with the flu, according to state health officials.

That brings the Lowcountry’s total number of deaths related to the flu to 14.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control’s most recent data, which covers the fourth week of January, lists 84 deaths across South Carolina during the entire flu season.

In the past week, the number of reported flu-related deaths almost doubled, as 38 more deaths were reported by DHEC. Eight of those, officials noted, occurred in previous weeks but were being reported for the first time.

Flu season likely hasn’t peaked yet, according to Mary Scott, corporate director of quality and infection control at Beaufort Memorial Hospital.

From Monday to Thursday of this week, Beaufort Memorial recorded 101 positive flu tests, Scott said.

In the entire week before, the hospital had 124 positives.

There have been no flu-related deaths so far this season at Beaufort Memorial.

Hilton Head Hospital reported one flu-related death of an older adult on Jan. 22, said Lydia Hill, public relations and marketing director at Hilton Head Hospital and Coastal Carolina Hospital.

There have been no flu-related deaths at Coastal Carolina Hospital, Hill said.

The state is in its seventh week of widespread flu activity, DHEC said.

Due to the spread of flu in the area, some area hospitals have put restrictions on visitors.

Adults experiencing flu-like symptoms — runny nose, sore throat and fever — are encouraged not to visit patients at Beaufort Memorial Hospital and to limit hospital visits to one visit per patient. Those younger than 18 will not be allowed inside the hospital as visitors, according to a news release.

St. Joseph’s/Candler Health System’s hospitals in Savannah also has implemented similar visitor restrictions due to the widespread flu activity.

This story was originally published February 1, 2018 at 3:43 PM with the headline "4 people died from flu last week in the Lowcountry. Is the worst of flu season over yet?."