Influenza activity in Tennessee decreases but remains high

Tennessee’s flu season came early and hit hard, but appears to be easing, although influenza-like illness activity remains high, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

From Friday, Tennessee had dropped from the highest rankingindicated by the color purple, to the next highest classification (dark red) on the CDC’s Weekly Influenza Surveillance Report.

“Seasonal influenza activity remains high but is decreasing in most areas,” according to the latest report.

In Chattanooga, reports of flu-like illnesses peaked between late October and early November and have since declined, according to Hamilton County Health Department monitoring. The latest report from the Ministry of Health shows that influenza activity remains high.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, statewide flu-like illnesses peaked on Nov. 20 and declined over the following weeks.

This fall has seen the most severe flu season in years, with an estimated 190,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths so far, according to the CDC.

Children in particular were disproportionately affected by the flu and saw more hospitalizations than in previous seasons, according to analysis of data from Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

(READ MORE: Respiratory viruses and other conditions causing record increase in number of patients at Erlanger Children’s Hospital)

“In Tennessee, we’re seeing an earlier season for respiratory viruses in general, and the flu is one of them,” said Dr. Christine Thomas, a CDC official who works with the Tennessee Department of Health, in a press release from Vanderbilt. “Just having this knowledge can help healthcare facilities prepare. It also underscores the importance of people getting their flu shots every year, especially as activities resume and we see again all these viruses.

“I just want to emphasize that it’s not too late to get your flu shot and do what you can to protect yourself this season,” Thomas said.

At least 47 children in the United States have died so far this season from the flu, according to the CDC.

Meanwhile, there are signs of increased transmission of COVID-19 in the Chattanooga area, as hospitalizations for COVID-19 in Hamilton County have nearly tripled since early November, according to health department data.

Contact Elizabeth Fite at [email protected] or 423-757-6673.