Just when it looked like the flu was tapering off in Mississippi, we’ve seen a big jump in cases. The State Health Department, in its latest update, said the percentage of patients in doctors’ offices with flu like symptoms climbed to 6.8 per cent for the week ending January 18th. The previous week, it was 5.3. The increase in the statewide flu rate was fueled in large part by a spike in cases in the public health district which includes Holmes and Attala County. The flu rate there was already the highest in the state at almost 17 per cent, but in a week’s time, it’s more than doubled, now at 37 per cent. A smaller but still significant increase is also being seen in the health district which includes Leake and Neshoba counties, now with a flu rate of just under ten per cent.
Mississippi, which had been at Level 4 on the CDC’s flu map, is back up to Level 3.