Dr Caitlin Rivers' Force of Infection for February 19

Here's some excerpts from Outbreak Outlook for February 19, from epidemiologist Dr Caitlin Rivers:

"Influenza-like Illness, By region: More than half of the country, 27 states, is seeing high or very high levels of ILI activity. The South is most heavily affected and activity is still rising, but parts of the Midwest are also now seeing increases after a relatively mild start to the season. New York City and Washington D.C. are also in the very high category. It’s a little uncommon for flu to make a second stand like this, so it’s worth keeping an eye on trends in the weeks to come (watch this space!).

"COVID: The national picture on Covid-19 hospitalizations is complex, with some regions seeing improvements while others are still elevated. Here’s the scoop:

"Positives: Most of the country is seeing declining Covid-19 hospitalizations. This includes most states in the Western region, including California, Washington, and New Mexico. The Northeast is looking better as well. Hospitalizations there are generally improving after winter spikes, with some states like Vermont achieving significant reductions. Moreover, wastewater concentrations remained relatively stable across the country, with the Northeast having the highest levels.

"Concerns: The South is seeing a resurge of Covid-19. Hospitalizations jumped in places like Arkansas, Washington D.C., Texas, and Louisiana, erasing previous declines. The South-Central states are most affected by this new increase; other parts of the Southern census region are doing okay, which is why the increase is not evident on the plot below. There has been a noticeable uptick in hospitalizations among people ages 70+ in these areas, so caution is warranted."

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Protect yourselves and stay safe, everybody!