severe and unpredictable spikeThe total number of positive flu tests reported by Dallas County Health and Human Services steadily declined in December, dropping from 1,245 cases in the week ending Dec. 3 to 492 cases in the week ending Dec. 31, the most recently reported period.
Health care systems nationwide, particularly pediatric hospitals and clinics, have been battling a slew of viruses since as early as the end of this summer. The combination of flu, COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus – dubbed a “tripledemic” by public health leaders – overwhelmed emergency departments as adults and children weathered their first winter without COVID-19-era public health protections, like masking and social distancing.
Despite the declining case rates, health experts say this year’s flu virus still needs to be watched carefully because of how unpredictable it’s been. Dallas County reported 2,219 confirmed and probable cases in the week ending Jan. 7, down from 2,550 from the week before. The Texas Department of State Health Services doesn’t release RSV case counts because laboratories aren’t required to report how many cases they’ve identified, DSHS senior press officer Lara Anton said. Some labs voluntarily report RSV cases, which helps in tracking the general trend of how much the virus is spreading.