Door County Medical Center Infection Prevention Nurse Rachael Jandrin wants to ensure that whether you are at work, school, or a Super Bowl party, you wash your hands and cover your mouth when you sneeze or cough. Last week, Wisconsin had more than 600 people hospitalized due to the flu, surpassing the approximately 500 people that needed to be hospitalized due to the virus at the same point during the 2022-2023 season, one of the worst seasons seen since 2020.  So far, 2,018 people statewide have been hospitalized with the flu since September 2nd, compared to the previous high of 3,422 in 2022-2023. Jandrin cannot determine why it has been a particularly bad flu season this year, but she says many have been exhibiting similar symptoms.

Hospitals in the region, including Door County Medical Center, have taken turns in recent weeks asking potential visitors to stay at home if they feel sick or exhibit symptoms of a respiratory illness. Door County Medical Center even issued visitor restrictions on Wednesday, limiting patients to just two visitors at any one time.