ASHEVILLE, NC – February 5, 2025 – There is a surge of respiratory viral infections, like COVID-19, influenza (the flu) and RSV (respiratory syncytial virus), during the cold winter months and this is taking place around here in western North Carolina.
The CDC’s COVID Dashboard for the week ending on January 25th shows:
- Less than 2% of the deaths in North Carolina were due to COVID, the 2nd lowest level of 6 groups, an increase since last week.
- Emergency department visits for COVID-19 are minimal in North Carolina, representing a little more than 1% of all visits, and are stable since last week.
Wastewater monitoring can be used to provide early warning for COVID, flu and RSV outbreaks. For the week ending on January 25th, the COVID-19 wastewater viral activity level for the state is high. The Buncombe & Henderson counties COVID wastewater data for the week ending on January 22nd shows:
- The number of viral gene copies in each water sample is at a red level representing the highest level of 5 groups, currently between the 80th and 100th percentile relative to the past peak level measured at the same site.
- The 15-day rate of change of the number of viral gene copies in each water sample has increased from the previous week, at 10% to 99%, the middle level of 3 groups for a positive rate of change.
During the week ending on January 25th, viral activity levels in the North Carolina wastewater were very high for influenza A and high for RSV. Both were very high in Buncombe County.
The CDC’s weekly flu surveillance report for the week ending on January 25th indicates that levels are either high or very high in 41 of 47 continental states (with 1 not reporting), particularly in the South, Northeast, Midwest and the West. North Carolina is at a very high level.
The CDC reports that the weekly percent of positive tests for RSV for the week ending on January 25th is just above 8% in North Carolina and below 10% in Region 4 (which are the states in the southeast U.S. including North Carolina). The percent of positive tests has decreased in Region 4 to below 10% after the week of January 4th. It had peaked at more than 15% around Christmas.
The weekly North Carolina Respiratory Virus Summary Dashboard for the week ending on January 25th shows:
- 18% of all emergency room patients had symptoms of a respiratory viral illness, an increase from the previous week.
- Influenza-like symptoms represented more than one-half of these patients, up almost 33% since last week
- There were almost 24 hundred hospital admissions from the emergency department in North Carolina for people who had a diagnosis, or symptoms, of respiratory viral infection, an increase since last week. More patients were admitted with the flu than other respiratory disease.
- ER visits and hospital admissions are at the highest levels since last winter.
There is a surge of respiratory viral infections during the winter months, as people spend more time indoors because it is cold outside and due to an increase in indoor gatherings and travel during the holiday season. However, the COVID pandemic has made us aware that we can reduce the spread of respiratory viruses by following specific public health measures, getting vaccinated, washing hands, staying home if feeling ill, and covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing. Other measures include cleaning frequently touched surfaces (like doorknobs and handles) and avoiding people who are sick. Therefore, we should take these steps to protect at-risk groups who are susceptible to getting severely ill, like children younger than 5, pregnant women, older adults, people with chronic medical conditions like heart and lung disease, and the immunocompromised.
On January 23rd, Mission Hospital and its health care system has begun temporary visitor restrictions because of an increase in influenza-like illness in the state and western North Carolina. The restriction will remain in place until the flu activity decreases. To reduce the spread of the flu, all Mission Health hospitals and clinics in western North Carolina will only allow 2 visitors per patient and children under 13 will not be allowed to visit.
Listen to the full report below:
Contact: Dr. Dick Needleman, Health reporter, 103.3 AshevilleFM, healthyasheville@ashevillefm.org