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Doctors describe 'an explosion of influenza;' virus outpacing COVID in hospitals

"COVID is trending down; flu is dramatically rising," said Dr. David Weber, an infectious disease specialist at UNC Hospitals.

Posted Updated

By
Chelsea Donovan
, WRAL reporter
RALEIGH, N.C. — In some Triangle-area hospitals, more patients are being treated for flu than COVID-19 in recent days. Last week, cases of the flu made up about 5% of all people admitted to hospitals across the state.

"COVID is trending down; flu is dramatically rising," said Dr. David Weber, an infectious disease specialist at UNC Hospitals.

Dr. Rodney McCaskill, chief medical officer of UNC-Johnston Health, said, "The number of flu cases has well surpassed COVID currently."

Influenza has been on a steady incline since Labor Day, which is an unusually early start for the flu season.

"We are just much earlier," Weber said. "Classically, we start seeing cases in mid- to late November, a blip around Thanksgiving and Christmas and a peak in February."

At UNC's hospital in Chapel Hill on Monday, there were 20 people with the flu, 15 with RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) and 22 with COVID-19.

Doctors attribute the outbreak to a combination of the end of widespread, pandemic-related mask wearing, the beginning of cooler temperatures and indoor gathering, including in schools, and people who have delayed getting a flu vaccine.

Weber says they have seen "in the last two to three weeks an explosion of influenza. Cases have been spiraling up."

At Duke Health, in the last full week of October, there were 155 lab-confirmed flu cases, compared to only 31 the previous week.

“[It’s the] same story, different day. [We are seeing] continued capacity crises and continued influx of RSV cases," says Dr. Sameer Kamath, medical director for Duke Children’s Hospital.

For the week ending on Sunday, Nov. 6, WakeMed reported 1,219 people who tested positive for flu, an increase of almost double from the week before. Twenty-six people were admitted to the hospital for flu.

Through Oct. 29, the state had reported five flu deaths among adults and one child who died from the virus.

The doctors who spoke to WRAL News recommended vaccination – for the flu and COVID-19 – to protect through the coming winter.

"These viruses survive with lower temperatures and lower humidity," Weber pointed out.

Precautions you can take to protect against the spread of flu and other viruses include:

  • Staying home when you are sick until you have been fever-free for at least 24 hours
  • Washing your hands frequently, preferably with soap and water
  • Covering your coughs and sneezes with a tissue and then discarding the tissue promptly
For more information on flu and to find out where you can get a flu vaccination in your community, visit the NCDHHS website.

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