Tweet
Source: https://www.paysonroundup.com/news/s...bc1de697a.html
State flu cases headed for a strange second peak
by Peter Aleshire, consulting publications editor 6 hrs ago
The flu in Arizona is better than average, worse than last year — and is going up when it ought to be going down.
That’s the odd report out of the Arizona Department of Health Services on the persistent, respiratory killer that’s been largely eclipsed by concerns about COVID — which causes far more deaths and spreads more easily.
The most recent tracking report included eight cases of flu in Gila County, down from a peak of 33 on Jan. 1. Reports lag by about two weeks and generally don’t capture most of the cases — since most people who get the flu don’t get a laboratory test done.
Navajo County reported eight cases for the most recent week, compared to a peak of 41 cases in mid-January.
Apache County reported just two cases, compared to a peak of six cases in early February.
Statewide, the state has reported 6,591 cases as of the most recent report. Weekly cases peaked at 877 at around Christmas, dropped to 236 at the end of January and bounced back up to 451 at the end of February. Total cases statewide remain about half of the five-year average.
The weird pattern likely reflects efforts taken to slow down COVID — offset by the low effectiveness of the flu vaccine this year...
State flu cases headed for a strange second peak
by Peter Aleshire, consulting publications editor 6 hrs ago
The flu in Arizona is better than average, worse than last year — and is going up when it ought to be going down.
That’s the odd report out of the Arizona Department of Health Services on the persistent, respiratory killer that’s been largely eclipsed by concerns about COVID — which causes far more deaths and spreads more easily.
The most recent tracking report included eight cases of flu in Gila County, down from a peak of 33 on Jan. 1. Reports lag by about two weeks and generally don’t capture most of the cases — since most people who get the flu don’t get a laboratory test done.
Navajo County reported eight cases for the most recent week, compared to a peak of 41 cases in mid-January.
Apache County reported just two cases, compared to a peak of six cases in early February.
Statewide, the state has reported 6,591 cases as of the most recent report. Weekly cases peaked at 877 at around Christmas, dropped to 236 at the end of January and bounced back up to 451 at the end of February. Total cases statewide remain about half of the five-year average.
The weird pattern likely reflects efforts taken to slow down COVID — offset by the low effectiveness of the flu vaccine this year...
Comment