Health officials want to remind everyone that it’s flu season

DETROIT – Worldwide cases of the coronavirus have exceeded 73,000, increasing by 2,000 overnight. That increase suggests there might be a slow down in the spread of the virus.

There are no new people under investigation in Michigan. Five previously have tested negative for the virus. There are 308 individuals being monitored by the health departments in the state, mainly as a result of recent travel.

State officials are also waiting for new test kits to arrive after the previous ones were found to be invalid. Currently, samples would still need to go to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for testing.

While so much attention has been focused on the coronavirus, many public health officials in the U.S. still want everyone to remember it’s flu season.

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The flu has been gaining strength in the U.S. It’s now widespread in almost every state. The CDC estimates that there have been 26 to 26 million cases of influenza this season so far. That’s a sharp contrast to the number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the country, which is just over two dozen.

People should take preventative measures such as washing their hands, coughing and sneezing into an elbow or tissue and staying home if sick. Experts also said it’s not too late to get a flu shot.

The CDC said at least 14,000 people have died so far this season from the flu, 92 of them were children. Experts do expect the numbers of both influenza and coronavirus cases to continue to rise in the U.S.


About the Author:

Dr. McGeorge can be seen on Local 4 News helping Metro Detroiters with health concerns when he isn't helping save lives in the emergency room at Henry Ford Hospital.