01/07/2019- Flu season is well underway, but so far, Marinette County has been spared. The local hospital has seen no confirmed cases of hospitalization due to influenza and the county, as well as most of Northeast Wisconsin, remain at or below baseline levels for influenza like illnesses. Marinette County Health Officer Molly Bonjean says that doesn’t mean a flu outbreak won’t strike and there’s still time for residents to protect themselves.
Bonjean says other illnesses like norovirus are sometimes mistaken for influenza, but norovirus attacks the stomach while influenza affects your respiratory system. If you do experience flu symptoms like fever, headache, cough, and body aches, it’s best to visit your doctor.
About 7500 people in Wisconsin were hospitalized with the flu last year. The virus typically peaks in February.