Flu season has officially begun here in Minnesota.  This year, the flu season is coinciding with a surge in COVID-19 cases. 

Health officials here is Minnesota have released the first Weekly Influenza and Respiratory Illness Activity Report of the season.  The report says there have been two hospitalizations (one in central Minnesota and one in the metro) and one school outbreak related to influenza to date. 

In the entire 2019-2020 influenza season in Minnesota, 4,022 people were hospitalized with lab-confirmed influenza, 197 influenza-associated deaths were reported, three pediatric influenza-related deaths were confirmed, and 109 outbreaks of influenza were reported in long-term care facilities.

Officials say that COVID-19 has killed over 2,300 people in Minnesota since March.