Flu spreading rapidly in Pa., with COVID-19 also picking up: weekly update – PennLive

Flu cases continued a steep climb last week while RSV cases dropped again, according to new figures from the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The department tallied 13,525 lab-confirmed flu cases during the week ending Saturday, up from about 12,000 during the previous week. Because most people who get the flu dont get tested, those cases represent only a fraction of the total.

In its weekly update on the impact of respiratory illnesses in the state, the health department said emergency department visits involving the flu are increasing all over the state among all age groups.

Pennsylvania has seen 31 flu-related deaths during the respiratory illnesses season that officially began Oct. 1.

RSV cases fell for the second consecutive week but remained high, with the department recording 4,771 cases, down from a recent peak of 5,458 weekly cases.

The health department said emergency department visits involving people who tested positive for COVID-19 increased slightly during the week ending Saturday, with the number of hospital patients who tested positive for COVID-19 also increasing.

That included 1,295 people who tested positive for COVID-19 admitted to Pennsylvania hospitals during the week ending Dec. 23, up from 1,031 the previous week.

Since Oct. 1, Pennsylvania has registered 894 COVID-19-related deaths, including 57 during the most recent week.

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Flu spreading rapidly in Pa., with COVID-19 also picking up: weekly update - PennLive