15 More Dead from Flu, But Virus' Reach Begins to Wane Across Minnesota

Influenza killed 15 more Minnesotans last week, bringing the total number of state deaths in the current outbreak to 75—more than the total number of state residents killed during the last big outbreak during 2009-10.

But the Minnesota Department of Health's weekly flu update, released Thursday afternoon, also contained good news: Only 208 people across the state were newly hospitalized last week with laboratory-confirmed influenza, a big drop from the 476 hospitalized the previous week.

Health Department spokesman Doug Schultz told WCCO that it will be another week before officials know for sure where the flu season has peaked in Minnesota. But he added that trends are pointing in that direction.

For example, there were only nine confirmed outbreaks in long-term care facilities last week; there were more than 50 the week before.

Dealing with the flu in Northfield

Betsy Gasior, LPN and site manager at Northfield Urgent Care, told Patch earlier this month that NUC has seen double the patients as they normally do because of flu-like symptoms. Gasior said patients are sicker than usual, which requires more time to examine them, creating longer waits.

"In this busy influenza season, wait times to be seen by a provider have been as much as three hours," Gasior said. "Most days, patients can expect to be at our clinic for an hour to be seen and discharged."

This time last year, flu cases were lower in Minnesota than they are now, according to data on Google's Flu Trends. (Northfield-specific data is not available on Flu Trends, but flu cases in the Twin Cities metro are in line with the state as a whole.)

Overall in Minnesota, activity is still categorized as "intense," while it was categorized as "low" at this time in 2012, according to Flu Trends.

"People should get their flu shot if they haven't yet," Gasior said. "It is not too late."

• Find out where to get a flu shot

On Tuesday, Dec. 11, Greenvale Park Elementary had three students from a single classroom absent and Northfield Middle School had more than 5-percent absence due to influenza-like illness, according to the school district.

Minnesota schools must report to the MDH when 5 percent of the total student enrollment in a building or when three or more children from the same elementary classroom are absent or sent home due to an influenza-like illness.

The district hasn't reported to the Health Department since because it hasn't had enough students absent with flu-like symptoms.

Community members are advised not to visit friends or relatives at the Northfield Hospital if you have a fever or a cough.

1. Stay home when ill.
2. Cover your cough
3. Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing.
4. Treat symptoms with over the counter medications.
5. Only individuals at high risk of complications (over age 65, under age 2, or with chronic diseases)  should seek prescribed medication treatment such as antiviral (Tamiflu).

All healthy visitors are reminded to:

1. Clean your hands after arriving and before departing;
2. Use a tissue or your sleeve when you cough or sneeze;
3. Clean your hands after coughing or sneezing.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers the following information:

• Who should get vaccinated
• When to get vaccinated
• Selecting a flu vaccine
• Symptoms, complications and severity
• Treatment if you get the flu
• How flu spreads

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