Erie County approaches seasonal flu record as case counts remain high

David Bruce, Erie Times-News
·3 min read

Erie County is heading toward yet another influenza record as the flu continues to infect hundreds of county residents each week.

The county's weekly total of confirmed cases declined slightly but remains at a level not seen since flu became a reportable disease in 2003. Erie County Department of Health officials reported 598 cases from Dec. 11-17, compared to 607 cases the previous week and a record-high 727 cases two weeks ago.

"There is a lot of flu in the community," said Erin Mrenak, county health department director. "According to the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) the flu vaccine is a good match this season but the vaccination rate is 20% lower than in previous years."

The county has reported 3,608 flu cases so far this season. It's already the third-highest seasonal total and is likely to surpass the 4,449 cases reported in 2019-20.

Here is a look at Erie County's five highest seasonal totals for flu cases, according to the County Health Department.

  • 2019-20 — 4,449

  • 2017-18 — 3,859

  • 2022-23 — 3,608 (through Dec. 17)

  • 2018-19 — 2,403

  • 2016-17 — 2,110

More: Erie County reports more COVID-19 deaths; sets flu record for second straight week

Sixteen county residents were hospitalized with flu complications last week, a decline from 20 the previous week. A total of 88 people have been hospitalized with flu this season, 2% of all reported cases.

One death due to flu complications has been reported this season, county health officials have said.

One reason flu hospitalization rates are not higher could be that a majority of the county's flu cases are children and teens, most of whom are less likely to develop serious complications than older adults.

About 60% of last week's cases were people younger than 19, according to the County Health Department. Only 16% were 50 or older, and 8% were 65 or older.

Local health officials have said older people are more likely to get the flu vaccine and wear face masks when out in public, both of which reduce their chances of getting sick.

"We have heard of some local long-term care facilities with flu outbreaks, but that is common during flu season and nothing that is out of control," Mrenak said. "We monitor these facilities because they have an older population that is susceptible to flu complications."

Mrenak said it's not too late to get a flu shot. The LECOM Center for Health and Aging, 3910 Schaper Ave., offers them Mondays through Fridays from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., with extended hours Tuesdays until 7 p.m. It will be closed Dec. 26.

More: Triple whammy as Erie County reports rise in RSV, flu and COVID-19 cases

COVID-19 hospitalizations decline, but cases increase slightly

COVID-19 cases rose slightly last week in the county, while hospitalizations declined and two deaths were reported.

There were 238 cases reported in the county between Dec. 14 and Dec. 20, compared to 221 cases the previous week, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health.

The county's monthly case totals have declined each of the previous four months, though health officials cautioned that many COVID-19 cases go unreported if the patient doesn't get tested or seek medical treatment.

"We have seen a jump in the amount of COVID in (Erie) wastewater samples but not in our case totals or hospitalizations," Mrenak said.

Here is a look at the county's other COVID-19 measurements between Dec. 7-13 and Dec. 14-20, according to the State Health Department:

  • The rate of COVID-19 cases per 100,000 residents increased from 81.7 to 88.

  • The positivity rate for COVID-19 tests declined from 11.9% to 11.7%.

  • The average daily number of hospitalized patients with COVID-19 dropped from 28.9 to 25.4.

  • The average daily number of COVID-19 patients on ventilators declined from 1.6 to 0.7.

  • The percentage of emergency department visits due to COVID-19 symptoms dropped from 3.2% to 2.3%.

Contact David Bruce at dbruce@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNBruce.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Flu wave continues in Erie County as seasonal case record nears