The Ohio Department of Health says flu activity has now been upgraded to “widespread" - which is the highest level attainable.
There are about a dozen states now with widespread activity - none of Ohio's border states are at that level yet. Last year, flu activity wasn't elevated to "widespread" in Ohio until mid-January.
The department says there had been 401 flu-associated hospitalizations statewide as of December ninth. During the last full reporting week, 144 Ohioans were hospitalized, compared to 29 for the same week last year.