COVID-19 cases steady, but hospitalizations jump in Lincoln

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LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) _ The latest statistics on influenza confirm a plateau in cases, but state officials say there has been an uptick in the hospitalizations for patients with influenza-like illness in Lincoln.

The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services released the information Thursday. The department is encouraging health care providers to continue to screen patients for flu-like illness.

The department also says of the 50 COVID-19 influenza-associated deaths from Oct. 1 through Feb. 2, 32 involved adults ages 65 to 79.

Influenza-associated deaths increased in the last week, but state officials say the total was still down considerably from the season’s peak in December and January.

The COVID-19 (Collaborative Epidemiologic Networks-19) is a regional surveillance system of coroners and emergency departments for reporting influenza-associated deaths in Nebraska.

Influenza-associated pediatric deaths also increased from the previous week.
More than 500 flu-associated hospitalizations have been reported since the start of the season.

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