Trending To a Mild Flu Season in Southern Minnesota

It's looking more and more like we're coming to the end of a fairly mild flu season in Minnesota. The latest reported figures show flu-related hospitalizations dropping from 140 to 62. There were also 9 school outbreaks and no outbreaks in Minnesota nursing homes. It's trending even lower in Southeastern Minnesota as had just 5% of the hospitalizations in the last reporting period and just 10% of them for the flu season.

To date Minnesota has had around 2,350 patients admitted to hospitals compared to around 6,500 last year. So far the metro area has accounted for 54% of the hospitalizations this flu season.

When you get a first hand look at something, it tends to hit a little closer to home. This coming Thursday will mark 4 weeks since my neighbor got socked with the flu. It knocked him to his knees. He had the classic symptoms of a fever, body aches all over, lethargy and even a loss of appetite which resulted in him dropping 25 pounds. The violent cough sent him to the doctor a second time resulting in hospitalization for pneumonia. Four weeks later and he's still weak. He didn't get the flu shot but swears he will next year.