If it seems like you know or have encountered more sick people this winter, it might not be your imagination.
The Fairfax Health District, which includes Fairfax County, Fairfax City and Falls Church, is experiencing high levels of respiratory illnesses, driven particularly by influenza, according to the Fairfax County Health Department.
The current level of flu activity exceeds what the district has seen in the past — both before and since the COVID-19 pandemic, the health department said yesterday (Wednesday) in a press release.
“From January 26 to February 1, about one in seven (14%) people going to Fairfax emergency department and urgent care centers were diagnosed with flu,” the FCHD said. “Children in Fairfax are especially at risk of flu with about one in four (25-27%) of their visits for flu.”
According to the FCHD’s Respiratory Illness Dashboard, emergency department and urgent care visits were on the rise since early December but escalated in January, jumping from 5.3% of all visits for the week that started on Jan. 12 to 14.4% of all visits for the week that started on Jan. 26.
More than half of all influenza-related visits during the week of Jan. 26 were for kids and teens aged 2 through 17.
The dashboard also monitors Covid and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) infections. Activity levels for both have been low this winter, with Covid currently accounting for 1.6% of emergency department visits and RSV for just 0.09%.
Overall, 37% of emergency and urgent care visits by Fairfax Health District residents are for some type of acute respiratory illness. In comparison, last year, flu-like illnesses contributed to 6.7% of all emergency visits when the winter respiratory season peaked around mid-January.
The Fairfax Health District isn’t alone in seeing a surge in flu activity. As of Jan. 28, Virginia as a whole is reporting a very high level of influenza infections, which make up 7.1% of hospital visits and are likely to continue to grow, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The elevated flu activity coincides with a decline in flu vaccinations, with fewer doses being distributed nationwide every year since the 2021-2022 flu season. CDC data indicates that fewer children are getting flu shots both in the D.C. area and around the country, Axios DC reported in December.
Two children in Virginia have died from influenza this season, according to the Virginia Department of Health.
The FCHD says getting an annual flu shot remains the best option people have to protect themselves from getting seriously sick if infected by influenza.
“The vaccine lowers the risk of flu illness, hospitalization, and death,” the health department said. “CDC recommends that everyone 6 months and older get the flu vaccine every year. While it’s best to get the flu vaccine by the end of October, it is still important to get vaccinated as long as flu is a risk in the community.”
To keep the flu from spreading, the FCHD also advises community members to:
- Avoid close contact with people who are sick
- Wash your hands often with soap and water (or alcohol-based hand rub if soap is not available)
- Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth, since this is how flu germs can enter the body
- Clean frequently touched surfaces
- Improve air quality to reduce exposure to viruses
- Wear a mask to protect yourself from breathing in droplets from others
