Incidence of Flu Falls Statewide

In the week ending March 1, healthcare providers reported 4.95 percent of their patients had flu-like symptoms, down from a high of 6.25 percent in mid-February.

Public health officials warn that the flu season is far from over, however.

Officials with the state Department of Health and Human Services urged people to get a flu shot and to do simple things to help prevent getting the flu.

"It's something you should have learned and probably have forgotten from kindergarten, but washing your hands constantly can prevent the spread of the flu and a whole lot of other diseases," a spokeswoman said.

Workers said the ABC's of hand-washing are a top priority at the Appletree Daycare Center in Raleigh, which has been hit hard by the flu bug. Toys are also sanitized after children have played with them.

"Our children have been out for three to five days," Carolyn Diggers, with Appletree, said. "We've also had some teachers out in all our facilities."

Two of the three strains of flu used to make the vaccine distributed this year are different from the viruses circulating through the state, health officials said. Nationwide, the vaccine protects against 40 percent of the virus strains out this year, according to the CDC

Until then, doctors urge people to take precautions to prevent the spread of the flu: