According to the latest flu statistics released by the State Department of Public Health, there were seven new flu deaths during the week ending Feb. 29, 2020 bringing the total for the season to 65. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Photo: Ted S. Warren / Associated Press
Photo: Ted S. Warren / Associated Press
Seven new flu deaths in state
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Flu continues to claim lives in Connecticut, though the amount of flu activity is dropping.
According to the latest flu statistics released by the State Department of Public Health, there were seven new flu deaths during the week ending Feb. 29, bringing the total for the season to 65. There were 224 people hospitalized due to flu last week, down from 321 the week before.
A total of 11,149 people tested positive for the flu in Connecticut this season. Flu activity in the state is still labeled as “widespread,” meaning that meaning that at least half the regions in Connecticut reported influenza outbreaks or increases in the number of flu-like illnesses.
However, flu activity in the state has been declining for several weeks. For instance, 11.22 percent of emergency department visits last week were for flu-like illness, down from 12.96 percent the previous week. The percentage of outpatient visits for flu-like illness also declined from the previous week, and the percentage of flu-like illness overall also went down.
There also were no flu-associated deaths in children last week. So far, there has only been one flu-related pediatric death this season, in a child in a child aged 1 to 5 years old.
Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that, so far this season, there have been at least 32 million flu illnesses, 310,000 hospitalizations and 18,000 deaths from flu.