What has been a relatively mild flu season has now been linked to two more Minnesota deaths; one was elderly, the other middle-aged with underlying health conditions.

In addition, 19 people were hospitalized with flu-related illness in the week ending Jan. 22, according to the Health Department's weekly report. It reported four school outbreaks and one outbreak in a nursing home.

The report suggests that flu is starting to spread throughout the state after a relatively late start. Normally, flu season tends to peak in Minnesota about this time of year.

Flu is typically linked to hundreds of deaths per year in Minnesota, mostly among the elderly.

Click here to learn more about the flu and long-term care.

Click here to learn what you should do if you have a suspected or confirmed influenza outbreak in your long-term care community.

Click here to view statistics and graphs comparing this year’s flu to previous years (see the last page of the report to view the influenza-like illness outbreaks in long-term care).

Doug Beardsley
952.851.2489
dbeardsl@careproviders.org

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