Flu Season Picking Up in Stark County

Make sure you have your tissues and ginger ale ready—flu season is picking up in Stark County. 

The Stark County Health Department said the flu got an early start here, and it came in full force.

Here are just a few facts about this year's flu in Stark County, provided by the Stark County Health Department:

• Hospitalizations are more than doubled and non-hospitalized cases are at a record high. 
• More than 180 influenza hospitalizations and more than 460 non-hospitalized cases have been reported. 
• The hospitalized cases have age ranges from two weeks to 90 years, with a median of 73 years.
• The non-hospitalized cases have a median age of 24 years.
• Emergency departments and Stat Care facilities have reported an average of nearly 1,000 visits per day by Stark County residents (both well above expected levels).
• Over-the-counter sales of cough and cold products and thermometers exceed historical averages and school absenteeism reports of influenza like illness are pouring in.

You can find weekly Stark County updates on the flu at www.starkflu.org. 

Check out this article for some tips on protecting yourself from the flu from an area doctor—and for where to find flu shots in North Canton.