Groups who support and who condemn the Salt Lake County Health Departments school mask order are speaking out. Photo credit: Getty Images
SALT LAKE CITY — A mild flu strain is spreading throughout Utah, but health officials say it’s so mild, many of those afflicted are still going to work, school or church.
The Utah Department of Health says there have been 249 hospitalizations for influenza so far this season in the Beehive State, compared with more than 2,000 total last season, mostly for the swine flu. The numbers of flu-like illnesses are also dropping.
The Department of Health is still encouraging people to be vaccinated against influenza, especially young children, the elderly, and those who live in Utah County.
The latest numbers from the Centers for Disease Control, which tracks influenza nationwide, shows widespread activity across the United States, with just a few states reporting “regional” activity instead.
No matter how mild your case of influenza might be, the CDC recommends staying home when you are sick to avoid spreading the illness to others.