Minnesota’s Flu Season is Off to a Roaring Start

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St. Paul, MN (KROC-AM News) - Minnesota's influenza season is off to an early and very rough start.

For a second straight week, the Minnesota Department of Health is reporting a spike in influenza-related hospitalizations and school outbreaks. The number of people hospitalized after becoming ill from influenza doubled over the past week from 120 to 243. As was the case a week ago, the vast majority of the hospitalizations were in the Twin Cities area, which accounted for 84% of the total. There were only 12 influenza-related hospitalizations in southeastern Minnesota.

The number of schools reporting outbreaks of influenza-like illness also doubled last week. 195 new school outbreaks were reported this week compared with 97 the previous week. This week's total exceeded the highest weekly total reported during the 2019-2020 flu season that preceded the COVID pandemic.

Long-term care facilities in Minnesota have yet to experience a surge in influenza cases. Only two of the care centers reported outbreaks last week and the total from a week ago was only three

There have now been five influenza-related deaths in Minnesota since the start of the flu season. Two of those deaths were reported during the past week.