Minnesota reports first pediatric flu death of the season

Minnesota on Thursday reported its first influenza-related death of a child in the ongoing flu season, which may have peaked but is still flooding hospitals with patients.

Flu season runs from October through April, and the 5,107 hospitalizations so far exceed the 4,375 flu-related admissions recorded in all of last season, according to Thursday’s update from the Minnesota Department of Health. Weekly totals have declined since mid-January, but Minnesota is still reporting more flu-related hospital admissions right now than at any point in the prior five flu seasons.

Wait times of an hour or more remain typical in emergency departments across the Twin Cities.

A mix of respiratory illnesses are keeping emergency rooms busy, said Dr. John Hick, medical director for emergency preparedness at HCMC in Minneapolis. “Statewide hospital capacity is really stretched on a daily basis and so it doesn’t take much to tip us over the edge.”

The state health department in a statement declined on privacy grounds to provide more information about the pediatric death, but urged people to consider vaccinations along with preventive efforts such as washing hands, covering coughs and staying home when sick.

“Respiratory illnesses can be severe, even for otherwise healthy people,” the department said in its statement.

Pediatric deaths from influenza are rare, especially in seasons like this one when H1 flu strains are dominant. The state typically reports two to four pediatric deaths each season, but reported 10 in 2014-2015, when H3 strains that historically are harsher on children were circulating.

The elderly remain at greatest risk; the median age of the 163 people who have died from influenza so far this season is 79.

COVID-19 and other respiratory infections are overlapping with flu season to put pressure on hospitals, though the current COVID wave also appears to be declining along with influenza, according to Thursday’s situation report.

More than 30% of influenza tests at reporting labs and clinics across Minnesota were positive in late January, indicating the widespread nature of the infectious disease this winter.

The state through last week has reported 76 outbreaks of either influenza or RSV in long-term care facilities. The state also reported 176 flu-like outbreaks in schools, where at least 10% of students were absent because of illness.