Influenza widespread in Tarrant County, ‘very high’ in Texas as virus spreads nationwide

Ciara McCarthy
·2 min read
9

The flu remains widespread in Tarrant County, and Texas has reached “very high” levels of influenza-like illness, according to the latest data from health authorities.

Flu remains the leading cause of emergency department visits caused by respiratory illness, according to Tarrant County Public Health, meaning that flu viruses sent more people to the ER than COVID-19 or respiratory syncytial virus in the last week of December.

More than 14% of all emergency room visits in Tarrant County were because of influenza-like illness, according to Tarrant County Public Health. That’s not quite as bad as last season’s peak, during which almost one in every four ER visits was caused by the flu.

The majority — 74% — of all emergency room visits caused by the flu are in children under 18, according to Tarrant County Public Health.

One Texas child has died from a confirmed case of influenza this winter, although additional cases could be identified later, according to the state health department. Nationwide, there have been 27 flu deaths in children this season, according to the CDC.

Public health officials recommend everyone six months of age and older get a seasonal flu shot to reduce the risk of getting seriously ill from the virus. The vaccine can also be life-saving in children, and reduce their risk of severe complications, according to the CDC.

Cases of respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, remain high in Texas, although they appear to have peaked, according to state data. RSV is causing a little more than 1% of all ER visits in Tarrant County, and most of people going to the emergency room with the virus are children under the age of four, according to Tarrant County Public Health.

Hospitalizations caused by COVID-19 have stayed steady in Tarrant County, and increased slightly across Texas as a whole, according to local and state data. In the last week of December, an average of almost six Texans a day died from COVID-19, according to state data.