Health Officials in Grant County say the 2018-19 flu season has come to an end.
Grant County Health Officer Dr. Alexander Brzezny announced the end of the epidemic phase of the latest influenza season. For the past several weeks, numbers of reported cases in the county have been in the single digits.
The Grant County Health District says healthcare facilities may deactivate their influenza epidemic policies and resume routine surveillance and precautions.
Over the 18-19 season, GCHD received 759 positive influenza lab reports, two influenza-related death reports while responding to two long-term care outbreaks.
Officials say it is not uncommon for the flu season to last into May or June, and that additional cases could still occur while surveillance continues. Care providers are still encouraged to wear a surgical face mask as a precaution while seeing someone with a respiratory illness, regardless of vaccination status.
GCHD says healthcare providers mostly aren’t mandated to report influenza test results, but they have partnered with 10 healthcare facilities that agreed to report positive results.
“Residents are encouraged to get their 2019-2020 flu shot as soon as they become available through your healthcare provider or pharmacy,” the GCHD wrote.
