Flu season is winding down: 6 things to know

Mackenzie Bean (Twitter) -

Flu season is winding down in the U.S., with 46 states reporting minimal influenza-like activity for the week ending April 27, according to the CDC's most recent FluView report.

Six things to know:

1. The percentage of outpatient visits for influenza-like illness dropped to 1.8 percent for the week ending April 27, which falls below the national baseline of 2.2 percent.

2. Puerto Rico experienced high influenza-like illness activity for the week ending April 27; four states experienced low activity; and 46 states and the District of Columbia experienced minimal activity.

3. The number of respiratory specimens testing positive for flu viruses also decreased. The CDC confirmed 750 positive specimens for influenza A and 276 positive specimens for influenza B for the week ending April 27.

4. The overall flu-associated hospitalization rate increased from 64.2 per 100,000 people for the week ending April 20 to 64.7 per 100,000 people for the week ending April 27.

5. Five pediatric flu deaths were reported to the CDC for the week ending April 27, bringing the total count to 101 for the 2018-19 season.

6. Flu was still widespread in three states for the week ending April 27. Puerto Rico and seven states reported regional flu activity; 18 states reported local flu activity; and Washington, D.C., and 22 states reported sporadic activity.

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