According to health officials the flu — including swine flu — peaked in Ohio in mid-October and has continued to decline.
But state health director Dr. Alvin Jackson cautioned during a conference call with reporters Thursday that flu activity often ebbs and flows and could easily flare up again.
Jackson said Ohio had seen 30 swine flu-related deaths as of Tuesday, and that there have been more than 2,500 hospitalizations. He said several of the state's hospitals report they've seen up to 70 percent increases in emergency room visits for swine flu symptoms.
Wednesday, however, the number of deaths climbed to 31 following the death of Cathleen Wagner, a kindergarten teacher at Columbiana's Joshua Dixon Elementary School. Wagner had been out sick for the past month, spending the last three weeks in the Cleveland Clinic before passing away from complications due to the H1N1 virus.
The state has received 1.6 million doses of swine flu vaccine so far, and Jackson said he expects Ohio to get 5.3 million more.
