ROANOKE, Va. – Welcome to What’s Going Around? Where we take a look at disease trends in our community, and forecast what we can expect in the next few weeks! Through our partnership with Johns Hopkins Center for Outbreak Response Innovation, we’re able to analyze what’s going around in our area.
In Roanoke County and surrounding counties, COVID-19 emergency department visits remain low and have decreased over the past week. Seasonal influenza activity is moderate and declining.
Seasonal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) activity is high but decreasing according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health’s Center for Health Security.
Wastewater concentrations are holding at low levels statewide in Virginia, and given lower concentrations of RSV, we can reasonably expect a decline in ER visits because wastewater is a key factor in disease forecasting.
While we certainly may see some minor fluctuations in emergency room visits, the overall trend has been downward since the beginning of January.
The city of Lexington, Rockbridge County, and Highland County all have very high rates of RSV emergency department visits, as of March 6.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends updated COVID-19 boosters for people 65 and older and for people with certain underlying medical conditions while seasonal respiratory virus activity persists. Doctors and professionals urge people to stay up to date on vaccinations.
How Virginia compares nationally
RSV levels are elevated and increasing in some parts of the country. Seasonal influenza activity remained elevated nationally as of March 6.
COVID-19 activity is decreasing nationwide but remains high in parts of the country, the CDC says. The number of respiratory illnesses prompting people to seek medical care has decreased to a low level.
How to tell if you have the flu
Influenza, also known as flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses, the CDC shares. It can cause mild to severe illness and can sometimes be fatal.
Common flu symptoms include:
- Fever or feeling feverish/chills (but not every person with flu will have a fever.)
- Cough
- Sore throat
- Runny or stuffy nose
- Muscle or body aches
- Headaches
- Fatigue (tiredness)
- Possible vomiting and diarrhea
People who are at higher risk of medical complications if catching the flu are people 65 years and older, people of any age with certain chronic medical conditions, pregnant women and children younger than five-years-old, and especially those younger than two-years-old.