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St. Peter’s Health: Flu cases stabilize in Helena

Posted at 6:29 PM, Mar 18, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-19 16:18:53-04

HELENA — St. Peter’s Health Officials say the flu cases appear to have spiked in February and have now stabilized.

According to the Montana Department of Health and Human Services, Lewis and Clark County saw 120 new cases at the end of the last reporting period, bringing in the total number of cases for the season to 704.

At the end of the first full week of March, Montana saw 1400 new flu cases bringing the total for the season to just over 9700 cases, including 15 deaths.

Statewide, flu activity has decreased but remains widespread throughout the state.

Jon Scallan, Director of Quality Control at St. Peter’s Hospital says flu conditions in the community have no yet improved enough to loosen the hospital’s visitor restrictions. “We spiked on flu cases in the month of February. That accounted just in that month alone, over 50 percent of all of our flu cases this season,” said Scallan.

Scallan continued, “We have a mix of A’s and B type influenza’s, mostly A’s. We have seen that drop in the month of March. Still a little high for us right now to call off visitor restrictions, but we foresee that won’t take very much longer to do. So, it’s a very encouraging trend we’re observing right now.”

The cough, cold and flu clinic will remain open to the public until Friday, March 29 at the North clinic.