Local hospital systems in Dallas and Fort Worth are reporting a spike in flu cases. The outbreak occurred amid the spread of respiratory syncytial virus, walking pneumonia, novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), and norovirus infections.
TARRANT COUNTY, Texas — As holiday gatherings subside, flu cases are on the rise in North Texas. This comes as health authorities continue to confirm cases of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
According to the latest data from Children’s Health, there were 425 cases of influenza A across the system over the past week, an increase of 52% from the previous week. During the same period, Children’s Health reported a 13% decrease in RSV cases and a 7% decrease in COVID-19 cases compared to the previous week.
According to the latest data from Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth, there were 297 positive cases of influenza A between Dec. 22 and Dec. 28, a positivity rate of 20%. The positivity rate for RSV cases was 28% over the same period.
Dr. Nikhil Bayani, medical consultant for infection prevention and epidemiology at Texas Health Resources, said that while there is a lot of illness, it’s not unusual for this time of year.
“We are definitely seeing a significant increase in influenza cases across North Texas, but again, that is to be expected, especially in early winter and during the holiday season,” Bayani said.
Granbury mother Jordi Hendricks said her two young children, ages 2 years and 6 months, spent Christmas battling a severe case of the flu. Hendrix’s children were admitted to Cook Children’s Medical Center with high fevers, Hendrix said.
“My 2-year-old didn’t feel like himself, he was just not feeling well and was hallucinating,” Hendrix said. “I started panicking and getting worried.”
Beyond the typical respiratory illnesses, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) also warned of a sharp increase in norovirus outbreaks across the country.
Dr. Jeffrey Kahn, an infectious disease expert at Children’s Health and a professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in North Texas, said the hospital system has not seen any alarming cases of norovirus locally, but there are cases of stomach illness. It said it continues to monitor cases closely.
“It’s very impressive. You can feel well and then suddenly have vomiting, explosive diarrhea and abdominal pain, which can happen within a matter of hours,” Khan said.
Cook Children’s Medical Center in Fort Worth reported a norovirus positivity rate of 27% (37 positive cases) from Dec. 22 to Dec. 28.
Khan said norovirus is highly contagious and difficult to remove from surfaces.
To prevent the spread of various diseases, Bayani and Khan recommend frequent hand washing and vaccination.
Khan said it’s not too late to get the flu vaccine, with the latest COVID-19 vaccines and newly available respiratory syncytial virus vaccines.
