Dr. Stephen Feagins, chief clinical officer with Mercy Health-Cincinnati, said officials have “very good testing” in place, including rapid tests. However, he said of the six metrics used to monitor the flu in the region, “the only metric that makes the most sense is clearly flu hospitalizations. Because you’re definitely hospitalized and you definitely tested positive for flu. Same thing with COVID. You are definitely hospitalized and you’ve tested for COVID.”
Hospitalizations to start this flu season are close to the level seen in 2016-17, which was the lowest of the previous five years. That season, 8,594 Ohioans were hospitalized with influenza, including 901 in southwest Ohio.
By November, CVS pharmacies and MinuteClinics had already administered more flu shots nationally this season than during the entirety of last season, according to an emailed statement from CVS Health.
“We are prepared to administer 18 million flu shots this flu season, which is twice last season,” the statement released last month said.
A spokeswoman for Walgreens said the pharmacy chain had also seen increased customer demand this year and has already given out 60% more flu vaccines this flu season compared to the same time last year.
The annual flu vaccine ranges in effectiveness usually from 40% to 60%, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Flu viruses are constantly changing. Researchers around the world monitor influenza year-round to update the vaccine.
Feagins said hospitals have tested people with respiratory symptoms for influenza and COVID since the first of October, the start of flu season.
In the previous five years, Feagins said there have been extremely low hospitalization cases leading up to the end of the year, and that’s unchanged from this year.
“In fact, the numbers are so low, it’s difficult to say (if COVID health protocols are impacting flu cases),” he said.
Health and safety protocols did impact the tail of the 2019-20 flu season, he said.
“In March, when we instituted the practices that we hopefully are continuing now, except for the stay at home order, we were in the midst of a pretty significant flu season and it just dropped almost to nothing.
“So we saw that effect then, and we hope that effect continues now.”
Flu hospitalizations
There are 27 hospitalizations in Ohio for influenza (five in southwest Ohio) from October until Nov. 30. A look at previous years:
2019-20: 11,100 (1,505 in SW Ohio)
2018-19: 9,850 (1,341 in SW Ohio)
2017-18: 17,253 (2.311 in SW Ohio)
2016-17: 8,594 (903in SW Ohio)
