Flu cases in Michigan remain low as season winds down

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the cases of flu this season in Michigan and around the country have been lower than in past years.

A total of 19 patient visits due to influenza like illness (ILI) was reported out of 6,042 office visits in Michigan for the week ending April 10. That is a 0.3 percent ILI activity rate for the state which is the same as last week.

A year ago on April 11 it was at 1.2 percent when there were 50 patient visits out of 4,019 office visits.

Comparatively, the number nationally is 1.1 percent of outpatient visits which is up from 1.0 percent last week. It’s lower than it was a year ago when it stood at 1.2 percent.

The CDC has reported since the beginning of the flu season in October that seasonal flu activity is lower than usual this year.