Pennsylvania sees one of mildest flu seasons on record
The number of influenza cases and deaths was low this season, largely because more people had flu shots and of mitigation efforts to battle COVID-19, the state Health Department said Friday.
“I believe we’ve learned a lot of lessons,” said Ray Barishansky, a deputy state health secretary.
The flu season officially ended May 22 with 3,664 confirmed cases and 21 deaths, marking a large decrease from 2019-20.
There were 193.8 million flu vaccines administered in the nation this season, as compared to 174.5 million a year ago, Barishansky said.
He said wearing face masks, practicing social distancing and staying home during the pandemic all were factors in keeping the flu case count low.
He said people may want to consider wearing face masks in the future when they are not feeling well.
“We have a stake in general public health,” Barishansky said Friday during a virtual briefing on the flu season.
The state announced 1,007 new COVID-19 cases Friday, taking the cumulative total to more than 1.2 million.
There were also 24 new virus deaths Friday, including two in Fayette County.
Washington County reported 19 new virus cases, bringing the running total since March 2020 to 17,752. Greene County added eight new cases to its total of 3,286. Fayette reported 25 new cases, taking its total to 13,177.