1st Pediatric Flu Death Of 2022 Reported In Ohio

ASHLAND, OH — Ohio officials are investigating the first pediatric flu death of the season, the state health department announced Friday.

An 8-month-old boy from Ashland County died due to flu recently, the department said. The Ashland County Health Department investigated his death.

During the 2021-2022 flu season, there have been 972 flu-related hospitalizations in Ohio, the Ohio Department of Health said. Health officials said flu hospitalizations are unusually low this season, a trend that started last season.

Health and safety practices implemented during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic have likely stymied the spread of influenza, ODH officials speculated. Measures like wearing face masks in public, hand washing, school closures, improved ventilation, physical distancing, and encouraging ill people to stay home likely led to the sustained drop in flu cases and hospitalizations, the department said.

For comparison, during the 2019-2020 flu season, there were 10,540 hospitalizations by this same point, ODH said.

Flu activity historically peaks between December and February in Ohio, the department added.