The CDC reports widespread flu activity and Siouxland District Health is seeing an increase in our area. Kristen Beal is the Infection Preventionist and Patient Safety Officer at UnityPoint Health-St. Luke’s. “We went from 17% positive test rate to a, 40% test rate over the holidays and maintained that for a couple of weeks and now we’re at a 33% test rate this week.” Beal says the hospital’s emergency room is busy treating people respiratory illnesses, with influenza B being the most common