Early flu season starts slow but steady, state health officials say

COLUMBUS (AP) — The flu season has begun in Ohio, but so far it’s been a slow start and it hasn’t been too menacing, state health officials say.

The Ohio Department of Health had reports of 1,040 people sick with confirmed flu or flu symptoms as of Dec. 29. Flu-like illness is defined as a fever of greater than 100 degrees with a cough or sore throat, said Kristopher Weiss, a department spokesman. The number is considered normal for this time of year.

Flu numbers reported to health officials are considered low estimates of the actual number of cases because not everyone goes to the doctor when sick, and only selected physicians report flu cases.

The Cleveland Department of Public Health reported 111 cases this week of flu and flulike illnesses (cases that aren’t confirmed by laboratory tests), prompting concern about an early spike in northeastern Ohio and a call for flu shots for those who haven’t received them.

In Columbus, there were 15 lab-confirmed cases as of Dec. 29, but that’s typical as the season progresses and people return home from traveling, Columbus Public Health spokesman Jose Rodriguez said.

Nationally, all but three states were reporting flu as of the end of the year, with most states, including Ohio, showing sporadic activity, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.