Whether in terms of positive tests, symptoms observed in emergency departments or total reported cases, San Diego County’s flu activity appears to have ebbed a bit last week, according to the latest weekly tracking report released Thursday by the county health department.
According to the report, 11 percent of emergency room visits last week had fevers and coughs, with or without sore throats, the cluster of symptoms connected to influenza infections. It’s a 2 percentage point drop compared to the previous week and three points lower than was the case three weeks ago.
Medical providers reported 2,903 positive flu test results to county health last week compared to 3,436 two weeks ago, with the season total to date reaching 16,545 compared to a prior five-season average of 8,451. A total of 27 local deaths were among patients who tested positive for influenza infection, slightly higher than the prior five-year average of 20. Flu deaths generally involve those with other significantly contributing health conditions.
Concentrations of viral material in local wastewater have fallen since late December, though they remain elevated compared to the 2024 and 2023 flu seasons.
Coronavirus continues to represent a relatively small proportion of respiratory viruses detected, with providers reporting just 357 new cases last week compared to 1,586 cases during the same week last season. Overall, coronavirus has caused 21,674 cases so far this season, with the bulk occurring during the summer months. There were 35,477 COVID cases from June 30 through January 11 last season.
