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'Deeply Concerning': Ohio Sees Nearly 4,500 Flu-Related Hospitalizations This Season

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio health officials say flu hospitalizations reached their highest number for the 2019-2020 season.

The Ohio Department of Health said Friday 832 people were hospitalized between Jan. 26 and Feb. 1, a 36 percent increase from the previous week.

Health Director Dr. Amy Acton says the spike in hospitalizations is "deeply concerning."

Health officials say an 11-year-old girl from Lake County earlier this week became the state's second pediatric flu death this season. A 16-year-old girl from Cuyahoga County was the first. The state doesn't track adult flu-related deaths.

There have been nearly 4,500 flu-related hospitalizations in Ohio this season.

A week ago, an entire school district in Ohio was shut down for two days at the end of January after 600 students called in sick, the district's superintendent said.

Superintendent Craig Hockenberry said out of nearly 2,400 people who attend or work at three schools on campus, about 600 students and as many as 50 staff members are out sick.

(TM and © Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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