44°
This week, health officials announced that they would stop releasing its weekly flu reports, weeks before they normally would stop in mid-May. Officials noted that the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in a reduction in flu testing, and delays in reporting as cases seemingly decreased.
As of the last flu report, which concluded on Saturday, April 11, flu activity had been downgraded to “sporadic,” and the state was reporting that there had been 79 flu-related deaths during the season, and 3,013 hospitalizations for the flu. There were 12,953 positive influenza tests reported to the Department of Health between Aug. 25 last year and April 11.
In 2018 and 2019, 3,506 people were hospitalized with influenza-associated illness in Connecticut and 88 people died.
Comparatively, there have been more than 23,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Connecticut, with the death toll topping 1,600 this week.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also announced that its weekly flu report, Flu View, would be “abbreviated” for the remainder of the flu season due to declines in influenza activity and the continued effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Litchfield and receive free news updates.
