ST. LOUIS — COVID-19 cases are on the uptick in Missouri, even as flu cases appear to be tapering off.
Flu activity remains high but is declining in most areas across the U.S., according to the U.S. Centers for Disease and Control. So far, flu has caused 20 million illnesses, 21,000 hospitalizations and 13,000 deaths (including 61 children) in one of the worst flu seasons in more than 10 years.
In Missouri, cases have been declining since a peak of nearly 16,900 cases were reported the week ending Dec. 10. Nearly 14,200 cases were reported the following week; and just about 7,200 cases were reported the week after that, according to the latest available data.
The percentage of emergency department visits for flu symptoms reached a high of nearly 6.6% the week ending Nov. 26, and has been declining since, to nearly 4.8% the week ending Dec. 24.
Dr. Farrin Manian, infectious disease physician and chair of the Department of Medicine at Mercy Hospital St. Louis, said flu seasons fluctuate, but he’s hopeful the trend will continue.
“The flu season peaks on its own terms and goes down on its own terms, so really difficult to sometimes predict it; but national figures seem to suggest that maybe we reached a peak a week or two ago and that maybe this week is going to be better,” Manian said.
Plenty of patients, however, are still being seen in the emergency room and admitted, he said: “I don’t think we can let our guard down in that regard.”
Missouri has reported 33 deaths associated with influenza this season, through Dec. 10.
Meanwhile, the number of patients hospitalized with COVID-19 across Missouri has been increasing since Nov. 19 — going from a daily average of 706 to 1,012 on Dec. 14, according to the latest data available.
The weekly number of new COVID-19 cases fell below 5,000 during October, but has been on a rise since mid-November. More than 8,000 cases a week were reported during the three weeks leading up to Dec. 11. At least 176 Missourians died from COVID-19 between Oct. 31 and Dec. 4.
Numbers are manageable now, Manian said — the number COVID-19 cases are lower than they were in the summer and much lower than last winter. But health officials are watching carefully.
“We still see a substantial number of patients who are in the hospital with COVID, and any additional burden on our heath care staff is something that we always have to be on the lookout for,” Manian said. “We wish for less COVID and no flu, but we are not there yet.”
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