Mallika Dureja
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The influenza outbreak in Michigan appears to have dissipated as swiftly as it emerged.
During the week of December 19, Corewell Health West, formerly known as Spectrum Health, received 1,213 positive flu tests. The system reported 150 such tests last week.
In just a few weeks, the number of hospitalised flu patients decreased from 143 to 41.
The hospital’s chief medical officer, Dr. Josh Kooistra, stated, “Every flu season is a little bit different, and this year there was an exponential increase in influenza-positive testing and hospitalisations.” Fortunately, there has also been a remarkable exponential drop.
On Friday, January 20, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its weekly update on the flu season. Based on data collected through Saturday, January 14, Michigan has the lowest level of influenza-like illness activity on a 13-level scale.
Nineteen other states reported “minimum amounts,” while seventeen reported “low” and eight reported “moderate” levels. Four states, including California, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Texas, experienced high influenza activity, but none had “extremely high” levels.
Prior to four weeks, 25 states had “extremely high” levels of influenza, while 19 states, including Michigan, had “high” levels.
Michigan reported "minimal" flu level, according to the CDC's latest weekly report. https://t.co/mDQqF9iqRC
— The Ann Arbor News (@annarbornews) January 20, 2023
On Friday, January 20, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released its weekly update on the flu season. Based on data collected through Saturday, January 14, Michigan has the lowest level of influenza-like illness activity on a 13-level scale.
Nineteen other states reported “minimum amounts,” while seventeen reported “low” and eight reported “moderate” levels. Four states, including California, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Texas, experienced high influenza activity, but none had “extremely high” levels.
Prior to four weeks, 25 states had “extremely high” levels of influenza, while 19 states, including Michigan, had “high” levels.
Kooistra said that hospital cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) continue to fall, but COVID-19 cases remain stable. As of Friday, there were approximately 70-80 COVID-positive individuals hospitalised throughout Corewell Health, and approximately 40% of them were admitted for reasons other than their coronavirus infection.
Kooistra stated that despite the decline in seasonal illness, hospitals remain tremendously busy. The influx of patients requiring acute care and tighter monitoring continues. Many of them neglected preventive care during the pandemic, exacerbating their ailments by the time they sought treatment.
Additionally, mental health and alcohol-related complaints are on the rise, and hospitals are transferring fewer patients to nursing homes and other appropriate venues for continued treatment after hospitalisation.
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On Friday, about 89 percent of the total 19,987 adult hospital beds in Michigan were occupied. 70% of the 969 paediatric hospital beds were occupied, as reported by the state health agency.
Infection-related data may be limited due to the fact that few cases result in testing and/or require medical intervention. The CDC estimates that there have been between 25 and 50 million influenza infections so far this year, resulting in at least 270,000 hospitalisations and at least 17,000 fatalities.
As of the beginning of this month, 79 paediatric deaths connected with influenza have been documented nationally. The state health department has not recorded any such deaths.
