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While the Georgia Department of Public Health recorded the first influenza deaths of the winter this month, many data indicate that flu and other respiratory illnesses are continuing to decline.
The agency’s most recent weekly respiratory disease report, which tracked the second week of January, noted that five people died of influenza throughout the state. The number of Georgia deaths since October, which had been at zero the week prior, was updated to 14 in the same report.
At last week’s Georgia Board of Public Health meeting, state epidemiologist Dr. Cherie Drenzek raised the possibility that there had already been deadly flu cases.
“These deaths can get delayed in reporting because they get investigated for other causes of death as well,” she told the board. She also highlighted that throughout this winter, influenza had caused the bulk of Georgia’s respiratory virus emergency department visits.
Respiratory virus death counts can lag behind other disease spread indicators, and many other Georgia flu data suggest cases are declining from January peaks. Preliminary numbers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show state hospitalizations dropped the second week of this month, as did the percentage of health care visits for flu-like illnesses. Wastewater data, which provides some of the most up-to-date information about disease spread, also show a recent plateau and decline in state flu case levels.
Other respiratory diseases of concern also appear to be spreading slower than a few weeks ago in Georgia. Covid-19 hospitalization and wastewater data from the CDC show the lowest early January per-person numbers since the agency began tracking these measures. State respiratory syncytial virus detectors, which reached concerning levels in early December, also show signs of waning.
It’s unclear when the CDC will release its next data update. President Donald Trump’s administration instructed federal health agencies to pause most external communications this week.
This week, the CDC did not publish a Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which updates the country on emerging health threats. It did, however, update its weekly lists of diseases that state health agencies track within their borders.
Meanwhile, H5N1 bird flu has been detected at two commercial poultry operations in Elbert County, Georgia. No human cases have been reported in the state. DPH and the state Department of Agriculture have said they’ll continue to monitor the situation closely.
Allen Siegler is a reporter covering public health in Atlanta for Healthbeat. Contact Allen at asiegler@healthbeat.org.
