Flu cases soar in NC as COVID, RSV numbers decline :: WRAL.com

North Carolina is dealing with a significant rise in flu
cases.

As of February 5, respiratory illness visits make up 19.6%
of all emergency room visits, according to the North Carolina Department of Health
and Human Services. It’s the third week of continuous increases.

Local healthcare facilities have seen a downward trend of
COVID-19 and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). However, flu cases are spiking.

Influenza accounts for 60% of all respiratory virus emergency
room visits.

1,490 people are being treated for flu-like symptoms across the
state. That’s compared to 572 patients with COVID-19 and 236 patients with RSV.

The state confirms 51 more people have died from the flu which
brings the statewide death toll so far this season to 117. None of the patients
have been children and more than 90 of the deaths were people over the age of
65.  

This comes one month after facilities began implementing
visitor restrictions amid the surge in cases of respiratory illnesses.

Daniel Park, the Medical Director of the pediatric emergency department at UNC Medical Center, discussed the emergency department’s high patient volume due to viral surges and compared the current season to pre-pandemic patterns, noting a higher amplitude of flu cases this year.

“I usually call the emergency department the canary in the coal mine for respiratory viruses, and this is no different,” he said. “When you have a large surge in viral cases, the waiting rooms pile up, the urgent cares are busy. That means the emergency departments are full. And you know that there’s just continued backup as patients are admitted to the hospital.”

Recent data from UNC Health shows in the first week of January the number of lab-confirmed influenza cases at McLendon Laboratories was less than 100. In the first week of February, that number has risen to nearly 400 positive cases.

Park said cases are beginning to trend toward pre-pandemic patterns.

“So right now, if you look at the data for this year, the timing is very similar to pre-2020 flu numbers, although the amplitude, or the height of the curve is a lot higher. So we are seeing more cases this year than we did see prior to the pandemic. But this seems to be a very intense flu season,” he said.

WakeMed also shared its recent data for COVID-19, RSV and flu.

Between Jan. 26 and Feb. 3, the hospital reported 1,122 positive flu tests and 39 hospitalizations. That number has nearly doubled compared to the first half of January.

During this same time period, WakeMed reported 204 positive COVID tests with 23 hospitalizations. It also had 140 positive RSV tests with 11 hospitalizations.

These numbers are compared to a few weeks ago from Jan. 6 through Jan. 15.

The hospital reported 679 positive flu tests with 28 hospitalizations. It received 236 positive COVID tests with 29 hospitalizations and 257 positive RSV tests with 24 hospitalizations.

Duke Health is reporting a similar trend. Its data shows the number of daily cases of COVID-19, flu and RSV across the Duke University Health System hospitals over the last month. The statistics indicate COVID is relatively flat, RSV is trending down, but flu is trending up.

It appears RSV and COVID have peaked, but the flu is still rising. The number and rate of positive cases of COVID is notably lower today than it was at this point last year.

Park said emergency departments have been overwhelmed with patients in recent weeks for the flu. He said children 2 years old and under, people older than 65 and those with underlying breathing or heart conditions run a higher risk of getting very ill from the flu.

“We are seeing very, very sick children with the flu. But we see that every year. We just happen to see a lot of them this season because the numbers are so high,” Park said. “And then my colleagues in the adult emergency department are also seeing on the other end of the spectrum, very, very sick, elderly. So this seems to be a pretty severe season.”

This past year in North Carolina, there were more than 300 flu related deaths, including 16 children.

Studies show getting the flu vaccine lowers your chances of getting the flu by 50%. This year’s vaccine covers two influenza A viruses and influenza B.

Health experts said there’s been a general overall hesitancy over the past several years for vaccines.

“But the patients that I’ve encountered are still very supportive of the flu vaccine, because they’ve had it for many, many years,” Park said. “And when we see patients in the emergency department, when either their loved ones or their children are sick, we use that as an opportunity to stress the importance of vaccination, especially for the most vulnerable populations.”

Doctors emphasize if you are experiencing flu-like symptoms, such as a fever or vomiting, to see a doctor immediately and get tested; be sure to drink plenty of fluids and stay home to prevent the spread of the virus.