COVID-19 safety protocols have likely limited flu cases
Social distancing, masks have lowered daily new cases and the presence of influenza nationwide
Dr. David Ghilarducci, the County of Santa Cruz’s Deputy Health Officer, has heard only anecdotal reports that hospitals in the region have seen “very few” influenza cases, he told the Sentinel Monday.
But data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that social distancing, masking and other COVID-19 precautions taking in the last several months have also slowed the spread of influenza.
This week, just 1.1% of patient visits to a health care provider were for influenza-like illness, according to the CDC. The current cumulative hospitalization rate is 0.6 per 100,000 people.
“We believe (those efforts), including the importance of staying away from work and school — especially if ill — have had a huge impact on our flu season,” Ghilarducci said. “Schools have traditionally been a large source of spread in prior flu seasons.”
The doctor said the flu appears to be less contagious than COVID-19, making precautions for COVID-19 that much more effective against the flu.
The CDC does warn that flu activity is “unusually low” at this time but may spike in coming months; getting the flu vaccine is the best way to protect against the virus and its potentially damaging side effects, experts write.
Once life resumes to what residents consider “normal,” the game around limiting the circulation of influenza will change, Ghilarducci said.
“There are huge implications… simple masking, staying home if ill and universal sick-leave policies could have a game-changing impact on future flu seasons,” he said.
Cases numbers decrease
Perhaps in part because of COVID-19 safety protocols, Santa Cruz County’s virus case rates continue to trend down. Just 3.6% of the county’s total coronavirus cases are active; no new deaths were reported over the weekend.
Hospitalizations are also dropping, 24 COVID-19 patients are in Santa Cruz County hospitals. Just one month ago, that number was almost tripled, state metrics show. Only three COVID-19 patients are in local ICUs; three ICU beds are available, meaning that most of the 22 total beds between Dominican and Watsonville Community hospitals are being used by nonCOVID patients. As of last week, county staff members were verifying why ICUs were still busy; the suspicion is that people are seeking medical attention rather than waiting and surgeries that were previously postponed have been resumed, one spokesperson for the County of Santa Cruz said.
Hope climbs, too, with vaccinations. As of Monday, 67,893 total shots had been administered, according to the California Department of Public Health. The CDPH does not break down how many individuals are totally vaccinated and how many wait on their second shot. At this time, more than half of those 65 and older in Santa Cruz County have received at least one dose of vaccine.
But the county has a ways to go in order to continue reopening businesses and activities. As of Monday, it was still in the purple or “widespread” tier of the Blueprint for a Safer Economy due to its adjusted case rate of 12.2 daily new cases per 100,000 residents. To move to the red or “substantial” tier, which would allow some non-essential indoor businesses to open, the county needs to record between four and seven daily new cases for two consecutive weeks. The other determining tier factor, the county’s testing positivity rate of 3.5%, would qualify the county to move to the orange or “moderate” tier — during which some indoor business operations are open with modifications — if it weren’t for the adjusted case rate.