New respiratory virus tracker launched

As cold and flu season begins, state monitors surges in COVID, influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus

Just in time for the start of cold and flu season, the Massachusetts Department of Public Health has unveiled a new statewide dashboard, a way to track who is getting sick and with what.

The revised dashboard highlights the viral illnesses from last season’s tripledemic: It tracks surges in COVID-19, influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus. While RSV is an illness that primarily affects infants and toddlers, it can have a devastating effect on older adults.

New dashboard tracks 3 respiratory illnesses

The new dashboard replaces the 4year-old COVID-19 dashboard launched with the start of the pandemic. It will continue to be updated weekly at 5 p.m. Thursdays.

“The biggest change is in how we report COVID-19 data,” said Catherine Brown with the state Department of Public Health. Instead of reporting the cumulative data since the start of the pandemic, the new dashboard reflects current seasonal numbers. The range of the dashboard also changed and will tally information starting in July and running through the following June.

“This way, we show the whole season at one time and we don’t cut off in the middle of the viral peak,” Brown said.

New this year is a landing page that shows the three most prevalent respiratory viral diseases at a glance.

The page details the number of people ill in Massachusetts, the number of emergency room visits recorded and the number of hospital admittances. The tool shows viral activity in individual communities, as well as disparities in illness severity and vaccination rates. The state will also track immunizations throughout Massachusetts, as well as occurrences of other respiratory illnesses including rhinovirus, enterovirus, parainfluenza, pneumonias and others.

“The dashboard helps give an idea of the severity of each disease,” Brown said, adding that there is an overlap among the three.

State tracks prevalence of virus through wastewater treatment plants

Still highlighted on the new dashboard: Tracking wastewater for the presence of the COVID-19 virus for those communities with municipal wastewater treatment systems, as well as links to information from past seasonal trends.

“The landing page was designed with users in mind. The viewer can see what’s happening immediately and

use the information to decide on daily activities,” Brown said. The change was made when the state analyzed how the public was using the original dashboard. It was determined that most users stayed on the landing page without seeking out other data.

“Users were getting a broad sense of what was going on before leaving,” Brown said.

The state acknowledged the changing nature of the COVID-19 virus, recognizing that with immunities and vaccinations, the illness is more like a case of the flu than the devastating virus that killed more than 1 million Americans and 25,000 Bay State residents.

Many who become ill from COVID-19 do not seek medical treatment but self-diagnose with in-home tests.

“They may not be sick enough to seek medical attention,” Brown said.