Daily digest – Flu season arrives ahead of schedule in West Virginia | Daily Index

Flu season arrives ahead of schedule in West Virginia

charleston, w.va. – Flu season has arrived in West Virginia much earlier compared to the last six years, according to state health officials.

“Patients seeking out-patient care for flu-like symptoms in West Virginia is at 3.92 percent, which indicates an onset of flu season here,” said Shannon McBee, state epidemiologist with the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services’ Bureau of Public Health.

West Virginia typically doesn’t peak with flu cases until mid-February.

“For us, to see this many cases of flu this early, we’re in for a rough season I think,” McBee said.

There are a number of reasons why flu cases are spiking.

“We are likely seeing high cases of flu right now this early because less people have been vaccinated in recent years. We also have this immunity gap that’s going on with the pandemic,” McBee said.

People have been inside taking precautions and wearing masks, so a lot of people, especially children under the age of 4 haven’t been exposed to a lot of the seasonal, common respiratory viruses that we typically get exposed to every year.

About 4.6 percent of all emergency department visits and urgent care visits in West Virginia last week had influenza listed as a diagnosis, according to the DHHR.

—

Counting Covid-19

The latest numbers as of Monday, November 7, 2022:

West Virginia

Covid cases 609,944

Deaths 7,536

Source: DHHR

United States

Cases 97,780,182

Deaths 1,072,724

Source: CSSE

World

Cases 632,876,709

Deaths 6,601,422

Source: CSSE

WVa Vaccinations

1st shot 1,158,454

Fully vaccinated 1,001,467

Source: DHHR

—

Covid numbers improve over the weekend in state

Active Covid cases were back below 1,000 in the state’s Monday pandemic report and the state’s positive test rate had dropped below 5 percent – topped off by just two deaths over over the past three days since the Friday morning report.

By any measure, Monday’s report by the Department of Health and Human Recsources (DHHR) was encouraging.

The positive test rate fell to 4.15 percent, spending the second consecutive day beneath 5 percent and touching a low that had not been reached since April 29 when it was at 3.96 percent.

The active cases of Covid had risen to 1,111 on Friday before falling back to 926 on Sunday.

Hospitalizations were up to 141 by Monday morning from 137 on Sunday, but well below the 167 recorded on Nov. 1, one week ago.

In its daily report, the DHHR confirmed the deaths of a 48-year-old female from Kanawha County and an 84-year-old male from Kanawha County.

—

Fewer Blacks, Hispanics getting Covid medications

atlanta — Dramatically fewer Black and Hispanic adult outpatients were given the leading antiviral medication for Covid-19 than White and non-Hispanics — even as medical professionals knew they were less likely to get equivalent treatment because of long-pervasive racial and ethnic disparities.

Researchers studied those disparities in outpatient treatment for 692,570 adult outpatients around the country in the weeks of April-July 2022 and reported their findings in a recent weekly MMWR of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In particular, the study focused on how the racial and ethnic groups were prescribed Paxlovid, the preferred therapeutic for high-risk patients.

The study came months after medical and public health professionals expressed concern that Black and Hispanic CCovid-19 patients would not receive medical care equivalent to that received by white and non-Hispanic patients. Researchers said they hoped their findings would result in expanded programs to increase awareness of, and access to, available outpatient Covid-19 treatment.

“I’m sorry to say I wasn’t surprised,” said Daniel Dawes, executive director of the Satcher Health Leadership Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine and author of “The Political Determinants of Health.”

Paxlovid is the most commonly prescribed outpatient Covid-19 treatment for those who have a high risk of severe illness. The series of pills can be taken at home after a person tests positive, within five days of symptom outset.

Tribune News Service

—

PAAC conducting Covid clinic on Concord campus

charleston, w.va. – The Partnership of African American Churches (PAAC) Covid-19 surge testing team will host a free Covid-19 testing and vaccine clinic on Wednesday Nov. 9, in Athens.

The clinic will take place on the campus of Concord University. All testing and vaccinations will be conducted on a first come first serve basis from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm.

Free Covid-19 tests, vaccinations and booster shots are available to everyone in the community. Moderna and Pfizer vaccines for ages 5 and up will be available. All children under the age of 18 wanting to be vaccinated must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian. No insurance is required. Rapid Covid-19 testing is available. Now offering Pfizer and Omicron booster shots.

For more information visit www.paac2.org or call 304-741-7157.

—

South Dakota man dies in wreck in Nicholas County

canvas, w.va. — A South Dakota man was killed in a pick-up truck wreck in Nicholas County Friday morning.

According to a Monday afternoon news release from the Nicholas County Sheriff’s Department, Austin Petrey, 24, of Bristol, South Dakota, lost control of his truck head west on state Route 39 near Canvas.

Deputies said the truck left the highway and crashed. Petrey was pronounced dead at the scene.

The wreck occurred at just before 10 a.m. Friday.

Metro News