Flu Remains Widespread In Minnesota, Across The Nation
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- Hundreds of new cases of the flu are still popping up across Minnesota, and many of those people are ending up in the hospital.
New numbers Thursday from the Minnesota Department of Health show the flu is still widespread, and that there was a big jump in the number of outbreaks in schools and long-term care facilities.
There were 72 outbreaks of the flu reported in schools last week compared to just four the week before. In nursing homes, there were 36 new cases of the flu compared to 23 the week before.
In total, 420 Minnesotans were hospitalized with the flu last week.
"It knocks people off their feet. We ask people in their interview, what does it feel like? And one of the descriptors is that 'I feel like I have been hit by a truck,'" said Gwen Verchota, a nurse practitioner at Virtuwell, an online provider of medical advice and care.
Verchota says it appears we are in for a rough flu season.
"We think we have another month or so of pretty significant widespread flu," she said. "So we watch those stats very carefully."
The flu is widespread across the nation, not just here in Minnesota.
"We know for sure that it started unusually early, we know that it's mostly H3N2, which tends to be a severe illness and tends to be less protected against by the vaccine," said Dr. Frank Rhame, an infectious disease specialist for Allina Health.
Those most at-risk of having a hard time overcoming the flu are older people, young children, pregnant women and people with pre-existing conditions.
Rhame says they should definitely get vaccinated.
"We advise it for everybody, but in terms of the number of deaths we are going to prevent, it's the people with pre-disposing conditions that really have to get vaccinated," he added.
There have been flu-related deaths this season. Nationwide, 20 children have died from the flu, and we know at least one of those children was from Minnesota.
