Watch Out

After a few mild flu seasons, the virus is back with a vengeance across the state and county. The Williams County Health Department is reporting higher influenza cases at Bryan and Montpelier hospitals this year compared to 2020 and 2021. Data from the Ohio Department of Health show that influenza-associated hospitalizations in the state peaked in early December at more than 1,400. It has since dropped to 1,200. This is still significantly higher than the past five-year average, when hospitalizations wouldn’t hit 100 until mid-to-late December.