ROANOKE, Va. – Welcome to What’s Going Around! Here we’ll dive into local disease trends in our area. Thanks to our partnership with Johns Hopkins University and the Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, 10 News is able to show you localized disease data within our community.
COVID-19 emergency department visit levels are low, but Roanoke County and several surrounding counties are reporting an increasing trend.
RSV emergency department visits and seasonal activity are at moderate levels and trending downward. Flu emergency department visits remain low and continue to decline.
In a positive update, Halifax County and the town of South Boston have seen a significant decrease in RSV emergency department visits compared with last week. Levels are low and continuing to fall, according to data posted Feb. 20 on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website.
Seasonal influenza activity across the region is low and decreasing, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Health Security.
Another encouraging sign this week is that wastewater concentrations are declining to low levels statewide. Last week, the commonwealth was flagged for elevated RSV concentrations.
How Virginia compares nationally
COVID-19 activity is decreasing nationwide but remains high in some parts of the country, according to the CDC. The number of respiratory illnesses prompting people to seek medical care is rated moderate as of Feb. 20.
Flu, COVID-19 and RSV activity levels in Virginia remain very low. Community illness trends are monitored through wastewater (sewage) testing.
Seasonal influenza activity remains elevated nationally, and RSV levels are still high in some regions.
Across the United States, wastewater activity levels for COVID-19 and RSV are moderate, while influenza levels are low.
The CDC continues to recommend staying up to date on vaccines. Adults 65 and older and people with underlying health conditions are encouraged to receive COVID-19 booster shots for continued protection.