Minnesota Sees Drops in Flu Hospitalizations & School Outbreaks
St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - The number of influenza outbreaks reported by Minnesota schools has declined for the second straight week.
The Minnesota Department of Health also reported a drop in hospitalizations for people sick with influenza. The total number of flu-related hospitalizations for the week that ended December 3 was just over 500. The count for the previous week was nearly 560, which was the highest weekly total since the 2018-2019 flu season. 109 of the hospitalizations reported last week were in southeastern Minnesota.
There have now been 28 flu-related deaths reported in Minnesota since the beginning of the season. So far, none of the deaths have involved children.
The Department of Health indicated it received 76 reports involving outbreaks of influenza-like illness in Minnesota schools last week. That was down nearly 50% from the previous week and is far below the 240 outbreaks reported just two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, confirmed influenza outbreaks in Minnesota nursing homes and other long-term care facilities continue to increase. 12 outbreaks were reported to the state health department last week. The total was only seven the previous week.
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