Flu cases surging in Lincoln, rest of Nebraska

Mar. 7—If you're feeling cruddy, coughing and running a fever, it could be COVID-19 or a run-of-the-mill respiratory virus.

But right now, it seems more likely it might be the flu.

Both Lincoln and the state as a whole have been seeing a surge of influenza cases over the past few weeks.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Nebraska was one of five states considered to have "very high" flu activity for the week ending Feb. 24.

The state recorded more than 2,000 positive flu tests for the week ending Feb. 24, which was 400 more than the previous week. That number dropped slightly, to less than 1,900, the week ending Saturday. The rate of positive tests has remained steady, however, at about 33% the past two weeks.

Douglas County has been the hardest-hit county, with more than 2,700 flu cases since the first of the year, after recording only about 700 in the previous three months.

Lancaster County also has been hit hard, having already had more cases of the flu so far this year than it did all of last year.

In fact, the 1,151 positive cases recorded in January and February are the most for those two months since at least 2017, and its 19.1% positive test rate so far this year is the highest since 2018.

That test positivity rate has been even higher the past couple of weeks, going from just under 23% two weeks ago to more than 26% last week.

"We've been climbing steadily," said Pat Lopez, director of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Health Department.

Lopez said the age groups being hit hardest right now are kids ages 6-12 and adults ages 30-49.

The surge in flu cases has meant more people flooding into doctor's offices and emergency rooms.

"It's probably the most intense (flu) season we've had since COVID," said Dr. Chad Duval, an emergency department physician with Nebraska Emergency Medicine who works in the emergency rooms at both Bryan East and West campuses.

Duval said he's seen multiple patients infected with both influenza A and influenza B.

Most people coming to the ER are getting offered anti-flu medication if appropriate and sent home with instructions to rest and get plenty of fluids, he said, but the hospital is seeing some people sick enough to need hospitalization.

As of Tuesday, Bryan had 16 inpatients with confirmed flu cases, two of whom were in intensive care. That was up from 11 patients a week ago.

"Before these last couple of weeks, we had been hovering pretty consistently in the low single digits for patients hospitalized with influenza," said Brad Colee, a Bryan spokesman.

There has not been a flu-related death in Lancaster County this flu season, although there have been 20 statewide.

CHI Health St. Elizabeth has seen "only a few" flu patients admitted, said spokeswoman Taylor Miller, but the health system has seen an increased number of patients both in its emergency departments and its Lincoln clinics.

Miller said the CHI Health clinics have done nearly 600 influenza tests since the beginning of the year.

Duval said the recent surge in cases is unusual because of how late it's occurring in the season.

He said a normal flu season has a spike in cases between Thanksgiving and New Year's.

"This is definitely later than usual," Duval said.

It's not clear exactly what is causing the surge.

Data has shown that this year's flu shot was a good match to the flu strains circulating and is at least as effective as in years past.

Lopez said that CDC data shows a mixed bag when it comes to the number of vaccinations. The vaccination rate for Nebraska adults so far this flu season is 52.7%, up from 47.5% last year. However, the vaccination rate for children ages 6-17 declined significantly, from 62.3% last year to only 53.9% this year.

She encouraged people who haven't gotten vaccinated to consider doing so.

"It's not too late to get a flu shot," Lopez said.

The good news is that while flu cases are on the rise, other respiratory diseases appear to be on the decline.

The number of respiratory syncytial virus cases in Lancaster County has declined from 224 in December to 141 in January and 64 in February.

COVID-19 cases also have been on the decline, with the county reporting fewer than 100 cases the past two weeks and seeing its positivity rate for tests fall from nearly 16% for the week ending Feb. 10 to 6.5% for the week that ended Saturday. Weekly sampling also shows a decline in virus particles in wastewater.

As for the flu, Lopez said it's too early to say whether cases have peaked and the current wave is over.

"We still need at least three weeks of sustained decline to say it's peaked and is decreasing," she said.

Reach the writer at 402-473-2647 or molberding@journalstar.com.

On Twitter @LincolnBizBuzz.

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