Flu circumstances rose by 1,198 final week and have already got hit 3,735, a month upfront of the interval when the ailment normally peaks, in line with San Diego County well being officers.
That’s in comparison with 265 circumstances right now final yr, however flu circumstances lagged in 2020 and 2021 with folks on lockdown or limiting contact with others as a consequence of COVID-19.
Public well being officers have urged folks this yr to extend their vigilance as they face a couple of menace – not simply COVID and influenza, however RSV, a respiratory virus.
U.S. Well being and Human Providers Secretary Xavier Becerra referred to as it a “triple menace” that officers nonetheless have “the understand how” to handle.
“Right here’s the difficult information. Will everybody hear?” he requested Thursday as federal, state and native public well being officers gathered on the San Diego County Administration Middle to induce folks to be vaccinated whereas embracing finest practices comparable to masks use and frequent hand washing.
“Seeing a lot of flu circumstances this early within the flu season sometimes means flu exercise goes to be sustained and probably extra extreme,” stated Wilma J. Wooten, M.D., M.P.H., the county’s public well being officer. “If extra viruses are circulating locally, wholesome individuals are at the next danger of getting contaminated, so this yr greater than ever, it’s important to get vaccinated.”
Flu circumstances sometimes don’t peak till yr’s finish at which era RSV begins to extend. Whereas not an formally reportable illness, regional RSV circumstances reached 1,020 by way of October, in contrast with 407 for a similar interval final yr.
Over the last flu season, 4,192 flu circumstances had been reported and eight San Diegans died.
In the course of the 2020-2021 flu season – when most companies, faculties and different websites had been closed as a consequence of COVID, a complete of simply 848 influenza circumstances had been reported in San Diego, with two deaths.
In the meantime, the variety of COVID circumstances rose by 1,702 within the week that ended Oct. 31. That’s up from the 1,569 reported the prior week. The area’s case complete since early 2020 is now 931,279.
Eight extra deaths had been recorded, with the COVID demise complete at 5,532. The victims had been aged 60 and above.
