Flu Activity Drops To 'Sporadic' Level In Maryland; 67 Deaths Reported This Flu Season
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (WJZ) -- For the first time since October, flu activity in Maryland has dropped to sporadic levels, the lowest category other than no activity reported at all.
For the week ending May 16, the last week for which data is available from the Maryland Department of Health, four new deaths associated with the flu were reported, bringing the seasonal total to 67.
Of the 67 deaths, five occurred in those under the age of 18. Flu-related deaths among adults themselves aren't a reportable condition in the state, but those that occur in hospitals are tracked as part of a program called the Maryland Emerging Infections Program, according to the health department.
Statewide, there were 4,012 flu-related hospitalizations this flu season. Nearly 40 percent of those were among those ages 65 and older.
As of Saturday, there have been 45,495 cases of coronavirus in Maryland and 2,130 deaths.