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<p>Influenza hospitalizations in Pennsylvania have increased 62 percent in one year, according to a new report, and the rate of such hospitalizations in Luzerne County is above the state rate.</p><p>The Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council released the brief Thursday, looking at influenza admissions in 2018, calculating the number of admissions per 100,000 for each county, and focusing in particular on influenza among those 65 and older or under 18.</p><p>Statewide, influenza patients 65 and older stayed in hospitals longer and had higher in-hospital mortality and readmission rates. On average, they stayed in the hospital one day longer than all other patients, 4.6 days compared to 3.6 days. Nearly 13 percent of patients 65 and older were readmitted within 30 days of discharge.</p><p>Those under 18, by contrast, had average stays of 2.5 days. More than a fifth (21 percent) of influenza admissions in that age group were children living in high poverty areas.</p><p>Statewide, influenza admissions occurred at a rate of 67.5 cases per 100,000 patients in 2018. In Luzerne County, there were 220 cases and the rate was 69.3 per 100,000. Among neighboring counties, only Carbon had a higher rate at 73.6. The lowest rate among those counties was Monroe at 51.2. Lackawanna County had a rate of 68.8 per 100,000.</p><p>Among the state&#8217;s 67 counties, sparsely populated Clinton County had the lowest rate at 35.9 per 100,000. But according to the U.S. Census Bureau, that entire county has fewer people than the City of Wilkes-Barre (38,998 compared to 40,806). Clinton County had 14 admissions for influenza in 2018.</p><p>Clearfield County, adjacent to Clinton and holding a population roughly twice as big, had the highest rate at 145.6 cases per 100,000 residents.</p><style>
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<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Report: Influenza on the rise; Luzerne County above state average