Arkansas Department of Health reports flu, respiratory diseases on the rise in the state
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – The Arkansas Department of Health reports flu and similar respiratory diseases remain on the rise in the state.
The report for the week ending Dec. 2 states Arkansas maintains its moderate activity level score of 7 on a 13 scale scale based on reported data. ADH noted that activity is based only upon hospitalizations, deaths and outbreaks, so numbers do not “reflect the overall disease burden.”
Hospital emergency room visits related to respiratory diseases for the week were slightly higher for flu and RSV, at 3.68% and 1.85% respectively, compared to the previous week’s 3.66% and 1.54%. COVID-like illnesses were down slightly for the week at 3.22% compared to the previous week’s 3.53%. The ADH reported the total number of ER visits for the week was 16,605.
Deaths due to flu remain stable at four, unchanged from the previous week. According to the ADH report, all flu deaths were people over 65 years of age.
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COVID-19 deaths, however, saw a significant increase with 20 deaths in the weekly report. That drives the 2023 deaths to 604.
Pneumonia deaths for the week were reported by ADH at 56 after the previous week’s reported 42 deaths.
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The Centers for Disease Control estimates that nationally there have been at least 1.8 million illnesses, 17,000 hospitalizations, and 1,100 deaths from flu so far this season.
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