The CDC's latest data show flu activity is getting worse in Georgia — a state with some of the highest reported cases in the country.

As of the last report released on Monday, the Georgia Department of Health says more than 500 people across Georgia have been hospitalized, and seven have died.

The total number of hospitalizations since October has passed 1,500, with 29 deaths across the state from the virus.

Georgia health officials expect cases to rise further as people return to work and school. And as kids return from the holiday, schools are doing what they can to prevent the spread.

Doctors at Emory Healthcare are increasingly seeing children and the elderly.

Dr. Gavin Harris: "I think it's a little bit of an unknown," said Dr. Gavin Harris, an infectious diseases and critical care physician at Emory Healthcare. "Is it entirely surprising to me? No — and to others, no. But I think what has caught some of us off guard is the sheer amount of cases we're seeing at the same time."

Keeping schools sanitized to fight the flu 

As students return from their winter breaks, school systems are also getting ready. Fulton County tells CBS News Atlanta in a statement that they are monitoring the situation.

"District Health Services is aware of the increase in flu cases and has been in communication with the Fulton County Board of Health Epidemiology Team. We will continue to follow our standard communicable illness guidelines and will respond as students and staff return by monitoring trends," the statement reads.

The team at PuroClean of North Metro Atlanta — often called in to clean up biohazards — is busy. They've recently sanitized metro Atlanta schools and nursing homes.

"Your assisted livings, anything involving the elderly, and obviously the kids — those are the main, primary groups that get impacted the most when it comes to this kind of stuff," PuroClean General Manager Marcus Brown said. "That's what I've seen on my end — primarily the assisted livings."

Brown said knowing what to clean and how often to clean can make a real difference.

"You're primarily going to want to handle anything that has high-traffic areas or a lot of touching — door handles, refrigerator handles, etc. I mean, even car doors," he said.

Officials urge flu shots for Georgians

The Georgia Department of Public Health says that any Georgians who do not have a medical condition that prevents him or her from getting the flu vaccine should get vaccinated as soon as possible.

The CDC recommends the flu vaccine for everyone six months and older — and if you do get sick, to stay home for at least 24 hours after symptoms improve.

"Even if you get the flu, the vaccine can help prevent severe illness, hospitalization, and, in extreme cases, death," the Georgia DPH said in a release on Monday.

Flu is particularly dangerous for people 65 and older, pregnant women, young children, and people of any age who have chronic health problems, including asthma, diabetes, heart disease, and weak immune systems.