Investors will respond if they see profit at the end of the process.. Flu killed 80,000 people this past season and put 900,000 into the hospital, making it the worst influenza season in decades, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Thursday. Looking past the published statistics and evidence that influenza puts one at risk for potentially life-threating complications and the need for hospitalization, most individuals will have some symptom that causes discomfort, missed school/work, time spent in a doctors office, or a visit to the emergency room or urgent care. [CDATA[// >